[bsder]

I have a different take about the books.

Worthwhile technical books have not been published since about 2000.

Technical publishing died in the dot-bomb. The number of new technical books I bought prior to about 2005 was staggering. The number of new technical books I bought in the past 5 years borders on zero.

First, the web killed a bunch of technology publishing. Buying "new" technical books rarely makes sense as the target is probably moving too quickly and the web will be more accurate. So, the only "new", worthwhile technical books are covering more timeless fundamentals, and we probably already have good books for those.

Second, the attitudes of modern youngsters are a bit of an issue. "If it isn't on the web, it doesn't exist." Well, there was a whole lot of history prior to 2000, but none of you know how to find it. That's why you all keep making the same mistakes.

Third, technical books got ferociously expensive. Most technical books that are covering something semi-cutting edge are almost $200.

Fourth, there are no outlets for technical books to be browsed. Amazon killed all the technical bookstores because it wasn't paying sales tax. If I can't browse a book, I'm certainly not paying $200 for it.

So, while this might be an office of someone who checked out 15 years ago, the lack of books later than 2000 isn't good evidence.

[drallison]

Amen.

I have been (and still am) an advisor to Pearson, which now includes Addison-Wesley and Prentice-Hall, ran a book series on "Innovative Technology", solicited authors, and helped get important books published. Outstanding technical books are few and far between these days. Hank Warren's Hackers Delight is one worth reading as will be the forthcoming The Programming Language Go.

There has been a corresponding erosion of the content as the number of books has decreased. In the old days, books were a primary mechanism for sharing knowledge. Today, rather than consulting a integrated linear presentation of technical material in a single (nearly) comprehensive volume, technical information is burried in papers which hide principles with details and confuse matters with non-standard terminology. It is not only the technical literature that has been degraded. Business books have become the equivalent of brain-dead landing pages where a single simple idea is presented in a verbose and focused narrative style.

[prestonbriggs]

Hi Dennis. Yes, and hooray for Hacker's Delight!

I recently had occasion to reread one of Kernighan's older books and you remind me that I'll probably enjoy the Go book too.

[marincounty]

I can't blame it all on the Internet.

I am old enough to remember, if you needed to know something, you went to the library.

Even then, I was always disappointed in the new section, most of the Reference section, and technical sections.

I know libraries can't stock a bunch of esoteric technical books, but it shouldn't load(waste precious funds) the library up with dubious self-help psychology books, and books on gardening. I never got the full rack on gardening, and one out of date book on Botany? (Noting has changed in regarding new book buys?)

[bsder]

The question is: what purpose should a library serve?

A library that never gets used to check out books, rightfully, deserves to get shut down.

Unfortunately, that means dubious self-help psychology books and the latest Oprah feature.

God help us if someone manages to ever take out the Internet.

[microcolonel]

Idunno, I'm from 1997, and I still buy paper books because the reading experience is better. I don't think that people think "If it isn't on the web, it doesn't exist." even if that's a popular characterization.

[rokhayakebe]

I'm from 1997

I so envy you.

[mathattack]

I hear you on technical books, but I think the author (a Phd candidate in Marketing) has a different definition of Marketing.

[wmat]

I miss FatBrain. That was a good online technical book store.