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The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX InternalsThe Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX InternalsPosted Sep 4, 2008 0:24 UTC (Thu) by JoeBuck (subscriber, #2330)In reply to: The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals by pr1268 Parent article: The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals These kinds of works are usually written to make reputations rather than to make money; having written the definitive work on some subject can certainly help with getting hired, or getting tenure.
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The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals Posted Sep 4, 2008 4:24 UTC (Thu) by BrucePerens (guest, #2510) [Link] Yes. But what you see, sometimes, because of that is that the book is not revised because the goal of tenure, etc., has been reached and the author isn't motivated to make the investment. And some folks don't get the intangible rewards they wanted from being an author (not that tenure is really intangible).Of the various books in my series, I think only the Samba one got done in Samba's source code repository, and that one is probably the one that has most continued to live. If I do a series again, I'll make sure that all books have online source code repositories. Prentice has not done a good job of making the source available for my first 24 titles. But even with the Samba book it was hard to get the publisher to do a second edition, because there were lots of books that would come back from stores. I can think of another book on Unix that had high expectations but turned out to be pretty much a flop for its author. I'd better not say which one, it'll start a fight.
The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals Posted Sep 8, 2008 14:41 UTC (Mon) by branden (subscriber, #7029) [Link]
Why not give a shot, Bruce? Don't muzzle the discussion--your thoughts might trigger the author to barrel into this forum and take stock of his publishing endeavors, rather than getting his breeches in a bunch; he might have been keeping his powder dry for the past few years, and now has some high-caliber insights to volley.
The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals Posted Sep 8, 2008 20:05 UTC (Mon) by BrucePerens (guest, #2510) [Link] If you knew who I was talking about you'd not say that :-)
The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals Posted Sep 8, 2008 20:09 UTC (Mon) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link] I get the sense the poster knew exactly who you were talking about...
The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals Posted Sep 8, 2008 20:12 UTC (Mon) by BrucePerens (guest, #2510) [Link] Oops. I read right over the double-entendres.
The Kernel Hacker's Bookshelf: UNIX Internals Posted Sep 9, 2008 21:03 UTC (Tue) by branden (subscriber, #7029) [Link]
Bruce,
I must be getting subtle in my old age...
Perish the thought!
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