ASP.NET 3.5 For Dummies Published

I hope you'll forgive a bit of self-promotion. I haven't blogged much about my book ASP.NET 3.5 For Dummies because it's a beginner's book. Most readers here are ASP.NET experts who could (and do) write advanced books and articles on ASP.NET.

That said, I finally have a bound, hardcopy edition on my lap and wanted to talk about it. It feels good to see the tangible result of months of work. I did my best to write a hands-on, tasked-based book that serves as a useful introduction to a very sophisticated technology. As I say in the book, we're all beginners at some point. Even the lifeguard started in the shallow end of the pool.

The nice thing about writing a Dummies book is the chance to include some humour. For example, I often poke fun at geeks and their strange, bloated words like "disambiguating".

It says a lot that the Dummies concept has done so well in the marketplace. Are people so desperate for clear, readable information on complex subjects that they're willing to buy a book that labels them a dummy? Maybe book stores should sell these titles in a brown paper wrapper!

Let's say you've just started a new job and feel insecure about the technology. Perhaps you'd buy a Dummies book to increase your comfort level and get up to speed. You devour the contents in the privacy of your home, sure. But would you leave the book open on your desk at work? Would you worry about sending an unsettling message to your new boss and colleagues?

Then again, maybe buying a Dummies book makes a bold statement that the purchaser has a life and doesn't intend to spend all his/her waking hours accomplishing a few technical tasks?

If you want to know more about the book, check out my support site at http://www.kencox.ca/.