Nancy Conner writes and edits tech books from her home in upstate New York. She’s also worked as a medievalist, an instructional designer, a corporate trainer, and a novelist. When she’s not writing or messing around with someone else’s prose, she likes to read mysteries, visit local wineries, and listen obsessively to opera.
Matthew MacDonald is a science and technology writer with well over a dozen books to his name. Office geeks can follow him further into the world of spreadsheets with Excel 2013: The Missing Manual, and the word of databases with Access 2013: The Missing Manual. Web fans can build an online home with him in Creating a Website: The Missing Manual, Third Edition. And human beings of all descriptions can discover just how strange they really are in the quirky handbooks Your Brain: The Missing Manual and Your Body: The Missing Manual.
Dawn Mann (editor) is associate editor for the Missing Manual series. When not reading about Microsoft Project, she beads, plays soccer, and causes trouble. Email: dawn@oreilly.com.
Nan Barber (editor) has been with the Missing Manual series since its inception. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and a variety of electronic devices. Email: nanbarber@oreilly.com.
Melanie Yarbrough (production editor) lives and works in Cambridge, Mass. When she’s not ushering books through production, she’s writing and baking up whatever she can. Email: myarbrough@oreilly.com.
Carla Spoon (proofreader) is a freelance writer and copy editor. An avid runner, she works and feeds her tech gadget addiction from her home office in the shadow of Mount Rainier. Email: carla_spoon@comcast.net.
Tina Spargo (technical reviewer); her husband (and professional musician), Ed; their children, Max and Lorelei; and their two silly Spaniels, Parker (Clumber) and Piper (Sussex), all share time and space in their suburban Boston home. Tina has over 20 years’ experience supporting top-level executives in a variety of industries. Website: www.tinaspargo.com.
Julie Hawks (indexer) is an indexer for the Missing Manual series. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Religious Studies while discovering the joys of warm winters in the Carolinas. Email: juliehawks@gmail.com.
No matter whose name is on the cover, it takes a whole team of people to create a book. Thanks to Brian Sawyer for discussing the original idea and to Dawn Mann and Nan Barber for guiding the manuscript through the writing process. Their insightful comments and edits helped shape the chapters and add clarity to the text. Plus, they’re both fun to work with! Technical reviewer Tina Spargo was diligent in double-checking instructions and technical details and helpful in contributing her own tips and tricks. Thanks to Carla Spoon for her thorough (and fast!) proofread. Thanks also to production editor Melanie Yarbrough for keeping things moving throughout the production cycle.
—Nancy Conner
Missing Manuals are witty, superbly written guides to computer products that don’t come with printed manuals (which is just about all of them). Each book features a handcrafted index; cross-references to specific page numbers (not just “see Chapter 14”); and an ironclad promise never to put an apostrophe in the possessive pronoun its.
Here’s a list of current and upcoming titles:
Access 2013: The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald
Adobe Edge Animate: The Missing Manual by Chris Grover
CSS3: The Missing Manual, Third Edition by David Sawyer McFarland
Excel 2013: The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald
iPhone: The Missing Manual, Sixth Edition by David Pogue
iPad: The Missing Manual, Fifth Edition by J.D. Biersdorfer
iPod: The Missing Manual, Eleventh Edition by J.D. Biersdorfer
Kindle Fire HD: The Missing Manual, Second Edition by Peter Meyers
Microsoft Project 2013: The Missing Manual by Bonnie Biafore
NOOK HD: The Missing Manual, Second Edition by Preston Gralla
Photoshop Elements 11: The Missing Manual by Barbara Brundage
PHP & MySQL: The Missing Manual, Second Edition by Brett McLaughlin
QuickBooks 2013: The Missing Manual by Bonnie Biafore
Windows 8: The Missing Manual by David Pogue
WordPress: The Missing Manual by Matthew MacDonald
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