[ggchappell]

> One example is the "XXX for dummies" book series. No matter how interesting the XXX was (Quantum Physics! Neurosurgery), I could never bring myself to buy those books - I was mentally bristling "Oy, who are you calling a dummy?".

Reactions to those titles are interesting.

I certainly have some of that "inner geekness" you mention, but I don't have any problem with the "dummies" series. My thinking is that, before such books were produced, if you wanted to learn, say, plumbing or fishing or football or beer making, then you learned from your parents while growing up, or you learned by working with an experienced practitioner, or else you never learned them. But now we have introductory material for adults, aimed at bringing them to the point where they can enjoy or be productive at some activity. I think it's great.

On the other hand, someone I know, whom I would consider rather less geeky than myself, feels very insulted by those titles.