...for Dummies
Encyclopedia
For Dummies is an extensive series of instructional / reference books which are intended to present non-intimidating guides for readers new to the various topics covered. Despite the title, their publisher has taken great pains to emphasize that the For Dummies books are not literally for dummies
. The subtitle for every book is, "A Reference for the Rest of Us!". To date, over 1,600 For Dummies titles have been published. The series has been a worldwide success with editions in numerous other languages.
The books are an example of a media franchise
, consistently sporting a distinctive cover—usually yellow and black with a triangular-headed cartoon figure known as the "Dummies Man", and an informal, blackboard-style logo. Prose is simple and direct; bold icons, such as a piece of string tied around an index finger, are placed in the margin to indicate particularly important passages.
Almost all Dummies books are organized around sections called "parts", which are groups of related chapters. Parts are almost always preceded by a Rich Tennant
comic that refers to some part of the subject under discussion. Sometimes the same Tennant drawing reappears in another Dummies book with a new caption.
Another constant in the Dummies series is "The Part of Tens", a section at the end of the book where lists of ten items are published. They are usually resources for further study and sometimes also include amusing bits of information that don't fit readily elsewhere.
for Dummies, written by Dan Gookin
and published by IDG Books. The book became popular due to the rarity of beginner-friendly materials for using DOS. While initially the series focused on software and technology topics (and still does), it later branched out to more general-interest titles, with topics as diverse as Acne
for Dummies, Chess
for Dummies, Fishing
for Dummies, C for Dummies
, and many other topics. The series is now published by John Wiley & Sons
, which acquired Hungry Minds (the new name for IDG Books as of 2000) in early 2001.
A spin-off board game, "Crossword
s for Dummies", was produced in the late 1990s. The game is similar to Scrabble
, but instead of letter tiles, players draw short strips of cardboard containing pre-built English words. The words vary in length from three to seven letters, with more points acquired for playing longer words. Another board game, "SAT Game For Dummies
", is used in SAT
preparation. A "Chess
for Dummies" was made, a black-and-yellow chessboard with a picture of a piece, along with a summary of how the piece moves, printed its starting positions, although there is a book with the same name.
Idiot
An idiot, dolt, or dullard is a mentally deficient person, or someone who acts in a self-defeating or significantly counterproductive way. Archaically the word mome has also been used. The similar terms moron, imbecile, and cretin have all gained specialized meanings in modern times. An idiot is...
. The subtitle for every book is, "A Reference for the Rest of Us!". To date, over 1,600 For Dummies titles have been published. The series has been a worldwide success with editions in numerous other languages.
The books are an example of a media franchise
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
, consistently sporting a distinctive cover—usually yellow and black with a triangular-headed cartoon figure known as the "Dummies Man", and an informal, blackboard-style logo. Prose is simple and direct; bold icons, such as a piece of string tied around an index finger, are placed in the margin to indicate particularly important passages.
Almost all Dummies books are organized around sections called "parts", which are groups of related chapters. Parts are almost always preceded by a Rich Tennant
The 5th Wave
The 5th Wave is a weekly gag cartoon by Rich Tennant, published on Sundays. Started in 1981, the comic usually deals with computers and technology. Tennant's cartoons regularly appear in the For Dummies book series, as well as PC Magazine and Computerworld, a magazine for which he worked from 1987...
comic that refers to some part of the subject under discussion. Sometimes the same Tennant drawing reappears in another Dummies book with a new caption.
Another constant in the Dummies series is "The Part of Tens", a section at the end of the book where lists of ten items are published. They are usually resources for further study and sometimes also include amusing bits of information that don't fit readily elsewhere.
History
The For Dummies series began during 1991 with DOSDOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
for Dummies, written by Dan Gookin
Dan Gookin
Dan Gookin is the author of the first ...For Dummies books including DOS for Dummies and PCs for Dummies. Writing the first Dummies books, he set forth the design to be used in the future Dummies books, incorporating humor and jokes into an easy-to-use format for beginners of any subject...
and published by IDG Books. The book became popular due to the rarity of beginner-friendly materials for using DOS. While initially the series focused on software and technology topics (and still does), it later branched out to more general-interest titles, with topics as diverse as Acne
Acne
Acne is a general term used for acneiform eruptions. It is usually used as a synonym for acne vulgaris, but may also refer to:*Acne aestivalis*Acne conglobata*Acne cosmetica*Acne fulminans*Acne keloidalis nuchae*Acne mechanica...
for Dummies, Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
for Dummies, Fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
for Dummies, C for Dummies
C for Dummies
C for Dummies is one of the many For Dummies books written by Dan Gookin, who wrote the first For Dummies book, DOS for Dummies. It aims to teach the basics of the programming language C, and like the other books in the series, explains the theory simplistically and not at all concisely, relative...
, and many other topics. The series is now published by John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons
John Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
, which acquired Hungry Minds (the new name for IDG Books as of 2000) in early 2001.
Expansions and alternate versions
Several related series have been published, including Dummies 101, with step-by-step tutorials in a large-format book (now discontinued); More ... for Dummies, which are essentially sequels to the first ... For Dummies book on the subject; For Dummies Quick Reference, which is a condensed alphabetical reference to the subject. A larger All-in-One Desk Reference format offers more comprehensive coverage of the subject, normally running about 750 pages. Also, some books in the series are smaller and do not follow the same formatting style as the others.A spin-off board game, "Crossword
Crossword
A crossword is a word puzzle that normally takes the form of a square or rectangular grid of white and shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answers. In languages that are written left-to-right, the answer...
s for Dummies", was produced in the late 1990s. The game is similar to Scrabble
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
, but instead of letter tiles, players draw short strips of cardboard containing pre-built English words. The words vary in length from three to seven letters, with more points acquired for playing longer words. Another board game, "SAT Game For Dummies
SAT Game For Dummies
SAT Game for Dummies is the first board game ever invented to help students prepare for the SAT Reasoning Test. The game is trivia-based, and is intended as a non-intimidating alternative to SAT test preparation...
", is used in SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
preparation. A "Chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
for Dummies" was made, a black-and-yellow chessboard with a picture of a piece, along with a summary of how the piece moves, printed its starting positions, although there is a book with the same name.
See also
- Complete Idiot's Guides, a similar series of how-to books from Alpha BooksAlpha BooksAlpha Books, a member of Penguin Group, is an American publisher best known for their Complete Idiot's Guides series. It began as a division of Macmillan. Pearson Education acquired Macmillan General Reference from Simon & Schuster in 1999...
. - FabJobFabJobFabJob Inc. is a publisher of career books, founded in 1999 by sisters Tag Goulet and Catherine Goulet. The corporate headquarters is based in Calgary, AB with additional offices located in Seattle, WA....
, a similar series of how-to-books for starting a business or dream career. - Teach YourselfTeach YourselfTeach Yourself is an imprint of Hodder Education that specializes in self-instruction books. The series is most famous for its language education books, but its titles in mathematics are also best sellers, and the series covers a great deal of other subjects as well.Like many similar series, the...
, another similar series published by Hodder HeadlineHodder HeadlineHeadline Publishing Group is a British publishing company. It was founded in 1986 by Tim Hely Hutchinson, and acquired Hodder & Stoughton in 1992 to form Hodder Headline. It was acquired by Hachette Livre, from the WHSmith Group PLC, in 2005....
.
External links
- Dummies.com (Official website)