[Edu-sig] Parody text book?

[Vern Ceder]

Actually, I doubt the offer is bogus. Thomson is a pretty large company,
and as far as I can tell, the message did actually originate from their
UK offices. They are publishers (through a subsidiary) of the
"<language> Programming for the Absolute Beginner" series, among other
things.

Anyway, I agreed to review it, but I haven't actually done much more
than read the proposal, which was rather turgidly written, but not
horribly wrongheaded, IMHO.

I agree that 75 quid is hardly big bucks, and the text may leave
something to be desired, but that does't strike me as reason to suspect
foul play.

On the other hand, I may just be too gullible - that's been suggested
before. ;)

Vern

kirby urner wrote:
> 
> Maybe I'll run some checks, but I can't say for sure it was bogus. 
> 
> It was definitely thrown together, and full of misinformation about 
> Python, e.g. leading CS students to think IDLE is Windows-only, and the 
> only way to make your Python experience resemble what you'd get on Linux 
> is by installing Cygwin.  No mention of Mono or .NET, no real overview 
> of the history or future of Python (giving the impression the authors 
> were clueless). 
> 
> Anytime the text got at all detailed (technically speaking), it would 
> "gloss over for now" and promise we'd get back to it.  But of course the 
> two sample chapters didn't really get back to anything (it's all Tk 
> turtle graphics, like fourth graders might do, plus some obsessing about 
> using Python as a calculator, a parody of the first 10 minutes of 
> Guido's tutorial), plus the survey asks me to do all kinds of homework, 
> like "if this isn't right, please show us how" (given everything is 
> wrong, that's a tall order) -- and for less than I make in an hour 
> working for trusted clients around Portland (like Free Geek or the 
> Hillsboro police).
> 
> On another front, I see I'm still listed as edu-sig page manager 
> (different from edu-sig list manager).  I'm willing to let that be for 
> now.  Oregonian reporters have started writing to me, getting more 
> background, and I've pointed to that python.org <http://python.org> page 
> in connection with my curriculum prototyping gig at Winterhaven.
> 
> I've been posting quite a bit to math-thinking-l by the way.  I've 
> amused some of them with my quirky writing style (a known quantity here 
> on edu-sig).  Feel free to peruse the archive (I'm not suggesting anyone 
> here *needs* to join -- we've already got it all right here when it 
> comes to mixing math and programming, it seems to me (still, I find this 
> other venue a good outlet)). 
> 
> If I had an easy way to edit my page, I might even make a link to it (we 
> could use more snake charmers -- Schemer-dreamers seem 
> over-represented).  Here's the archive:  
> http://mail.geneseo.edu/pipermail/math-thinking-l/  (note:  Python powered).
> 
> Finally, I haven't registered for Pycon yet.  Prospects seem dim that 
> I'll go.  This has nothing to do with any disillusionment with Pycon, 
> which I highly respect and enjoy and get value from.  It has more to do 
> with Texas.  It's not like I haven't been out of the country before, but 
> even a world traveler like me can't be everywhere at once.  We're saving 
> up for a trip to Italy, maybe next winter.
> 
> Kirby
> 
> On 1/15/06, *Grégoire Dooms* <dooms at info.ucl.ac.be 
> <mailto:dooms at info.ucl.ac.be>> wrote:
> 
>     kirby urner a écrit :
> 
>      >Did anyone else get asked to review this bogus text book by some
>     company in
>      >England?
>      >
>     Yes, I turned down the offer because I lacked time to do the review on
>     time.
>     I am amused to see it was bogus. Tell us more about it.
> 
>     Best,
>     --
>     Grégoire
> 
> 
> 
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-- 
This time for sure!
    -Bullwinkle J. Moose
-----------------------------
Vern Ceder, Director of Technology
Canterbury School, 3210 Smith Road, Ft Wayne, IN 46804
vceder at canterburyschool.org; 260-436-0746; FAX: 260-436-5137