From: Victor Manuel Reyes Viloria Date: 2002-04-14T00:42:08+09:00 Subject: Re: Barnes & Noble putting on the squeeze The first time I heard about Ruby was two weeks ago, when I came across the current issue of Linux Magazine. After been frustrated with Java (I am a Java neophyte), I was impressed by the front cover title: Write Ruby, Be Happy! A Language to Bring Back the Joy of Programming by Dave Thomas and Andy Hunt Reluctantly I paid the $6.00 dollars for the magazine, and did not put it down until I finished the Ruby article. I then proceeded to look for Ruby books and found a limited repertoire so small that I bought them all. What this got to do with Barnes & Noble? Well, I brought two browser sessions up. One with amazon.com and one with bn.com to compare prices. Even with a saving card that I bought from bn for $25.00/year, I saved at amazon.com about $50.00 dollars. David Black said that bn has "Nutshell". That's the only book that although I already paid for it, I don't have. amazon.com told me that the book is not yet published. It does not bother me a bit since I can play with the other five, in the mean time. Bottom line, compare prices BEFORE you buy. These are the books I purchased: Programming Ruby: A Pragmatic Programmer's Guide The Ruby Way Sams Teach Yourself Ruby in 21 Days Ruby Developer's Guide Ruby In A Nutshell Making Use of Ruby I was lucky to get source code for the Ruby way by Hal Fulton. I am having lots of fun with my limited time and knowledge of Ruby. Victor IBM Global Services - Business Innovation Services - Northeast Region Internet: vmreyes@us.ibm.com |---------+-----------------------------> | | David Alan Black | | | | | | | | | 04/13/2002 11:08 | | | AM | | | Please respond to | | | ruby-talk | | | | |---------+-----------------------------> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | To: ruby-talk@ruby-lang.org (ruby-talk ML) | | cc: | | Subject: Barnes & Noble putting on the squeeze | | | | | >---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| Hello -- It looks to me like Barnes & Noble (at its actual stores) has cut down the number of books in the "Programming Languages" section. There's now a total of about three shelves (i.e., not even a whole bookcase), much of it Python. There are two copies of the Pickaxe at my local B&N, but no other Ruby books -- and, as of a few weeks ago, they definitely carried "Nutshell" and I think they'd gotten in at least one of the others. Of course, there's also an entire row (with spillover) devoted to C++ and VB and Java. Moreover (and this is the part that concerns and depresses me the most) they now have a separate "Microsoft .NET Resource Center" -- basically an entire bookcase, with its own signage. Something had to go, to make room for this, and apparently the miscellaneous non-.NET, non-Micros**t programming languages were at the top of the list. This is more than a symbolic example of .NET infestation; it could really make a difference. I discovered Ruby by browsing at a bookstore. That option is probably on the way out. David P.S. The programming techniques and software engineering sections seem to be less hard-hit, so there's at least some good news for our crafty and/or pragmatic friends :-) -- David Alan Black home: dblack@candle.superlink.net work: blackdav@shu.edu Web: http://pirate.shu.edu/~blackdav