''For Dummies'' is an extensive series of instructional

reference books A reference work is a document, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' ...

that strive to present non-intimidating guides for readers new to the various topics covered. The series has been a worldwide success, with editions in numerous languages. The books are an example of a

media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program, o ...

, consistently sporting a distinctive cover—usually yellow and black with a triangular-headed cartoon figure known as the "Dummies Man", and an informal, blackboard-style logo. Prose is simple and direct. Bold icons—such as a piece of string tied around an index finger—indicate particularly important passages.

History

The first "...for Dummies" titled book was ''Plumbing for Dummies'' by Don Fredriksson, published by the Bobbs-Merrill Company in 1983. The first book in the on-going series was ''DOS For Dummies'',, written by Dan Gookin and published by IDG Books in November 1991. ''DOS For Dummies'' became popular due to the rarity of beginner-friendly materials for learning to use the DOS operating system. The publisher soon released a

Microsoft Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

title written by Andy Rathbone. Initially, the series focused solely on software and technology, but later branched out to more general-interest titles—with topics as diverse as ''

Acne Acne ( ), also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term Cutaneous condition, skin condition that occurs when Keratinocyte, dead skin cells and Sebum, oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include comedo, ...

For Dummies'', ''

Chess Chess is a board game for two players. It is an abstract strategy game that involves Perfect information, no hidden information and no elements of game of chance, chance. It is played on a square chessboard, board consisting of 64 squares arran ...

For Dummies'', ''

Fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment (Freshwater ecosystem, freshwater or Marine ecosystem, marine), but may also be caught from Fish stocking, stocked Body of water, ...

For Dummies'' and many other topics. The series is now published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., which acquired Hungry Minds (the new name for IDG Books as of 2000) in early 2001. Notable ''For Dummies'' books include: * ''DOS For Dummies'', the first, published in 1991, whose first printing was just 7,500 copies * ''

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

for Dummies'', asserted to be the best-selling computer book of all time, with more than 15 million sold * ''L'Histoire de France Pour Les Nuls'', the top-selling non-English ''For Dummies'' title, with more than 400,000 sold

Parts

Almost all ''Dummies'' books are organized around sections called "parts", which are groups of related chapters. Parts are almost always preceded by a Rich Tennant comic that refers to some part of the subject under discussion, though the comics were discontinued in 2012. Sometimes the same Tennant drawing reappears in another ''Dummies'' book with a new caption. Another constant in the ''Dummies'' series is ''The Part of Tens'', a section at the end of the books where lists of 10 items are included. They are usually resources for further study, and sometimes also include amusing bits of information that do not fit readily elsewhere.

Expansions and alternative versions

Several related series have been published, including ''Dummies 101'', with step-by-step tutorials in a large-format book (now discontinued); ''More ... for Dummies'', which are essentially sequels to the first ''... For Dummies'' book on the subject; and ''For Dummies Quick Reference'', which is a condensed alphabetical reference to the subject. A larger ''All-in-One Desk Reference'' format offers more comprehensive coverage of the subject, normally running about 750 pages. Also, some books in the series are smaller and do not follow the same formatting style as the others. Wiley has also launched an interactive online course with Learnstreet based on its popular book, ''Java for Dummies'', 5th edition. A spin-off board game, ''

Crossword A crossword (or crossword puzzle) is a word game consisting of a grid of black and white squares, into which solvers enter words or phrases ("entries") crossing each other horizontally ("across") and vertically ("down") according to a set of cl ...

s for Dummies'', was produced in the late 1990s. The game is similar to ''

Scrabble ''Scrabble'' is a word game in which two to four players score points by placing tiles, each bearing a single letter, onto a Board game, game board divided into a 15×15 grid of squares. The tiles must form words that, in crossword fashion, re ...

'', but instead of letter tiles, players draw short strips of cardboard containing pre-built English words. The words vary in length from three to seven letters, with more points acquired for playing longer words. Another board game, ''SAT Game For Dummies'', is used in

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and Test score, scoring have changed several times. For much of its history, it was called the Scholastic Aptitude Test ...

preparation. A ''

for Dummies'' was made, a black-and-yellow chessboard with a picture of a piece, along with a summary of how the piece moves, printed its starting positions, although there is a book with the same name. In 2004, French publisher Anuman Interactive obtained the digital exploitation rights and launched many applications based on the ''For Dummies'' collection, such as ''Home Design 3D For Dummies'' and ''History For Dummies''.

References

External links

*
Titles and Description of all ''For Dummies'' titles
() {{Authority control 2001 mergers and acquisitions Book series introduced in 1991 Handbooks and manuals Book series Study guides Textbooks

History

Parts

Expansions and alternative versions

See also

References

External links