Buy this book: Chris Ziegler's 'T-Mobile G1 For Dummies'

Look, we don't normally talk about that wacky old medium -- the printed word -- but this is a special case. Our very own Chris Ziegler, whom many of us refer to around here as "the modern-day Hemingway," has just recently put pen to paper (er, finger to keyboard) and written the definitive tome on all things G1. Namely, T-Mobile G1 For Dummies. If you at all care about the state of our nation, world peace, finding the Ark of the Covenant, creating the perfect salsa, or just figuring out how to set the alarm clock on your phone: this is the book for you. In all seriousness, we're super proud of Chris' efforts here, and we hope -- if you're totally into the G1, like we know you are -- you'll take a peek at these totally boss pages.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:39PM]

Chris Who?

[Joshua Topolsky Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:42PM]

I mean, did you read the post?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:48PM]

My bad, forgot the ":P" at the end.
will add

[imayam Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:55PM]

ok...Relax...

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:12PM]

Joshua who?

:P

Congrats Engadget, you have a real star blogger. (Of course, Ryan Block was quite a celebrity around the web)

[James Posted Jan 30th 2009 9:00PM]

Engadget what?

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 9:07PM]

Congratulations Chris! By the way, you're my favorite Engadget writer (but don't tell Joshtops).

[Chris Posted Jan 30th 2009 9:53PM]

@eggothewaffle: Thanks, it's our little secret.

[RyanTV Posted Jan 30th 2009 10:00PM]

Chris, if you are lucky, he'll give you a reach-around.

[Nerdtalker Posted Jan 30th 2009 10:25PM]

Wow, holy crap, that's awesome!

Joshua, even though we've had our disagreements and moments, you're a serious serious win reporter, and I'm sure this is a serious serious win book! Congrats!

[James Posted Jan 31st 2009 12:22AM]

@nerdtalker
I think you should be congratulating chris not joshua unless i missed something and josh helped on the book too.

But anyways i might have to pick one of these up in hopes of getting it signed if engadget ever comes to the most wired city in america...hint hint...you did a story on it...ok its seattle...i know you want to come check it out...maybe visit redmond while youre here...get a chance to meet mr. gates himself...shake his hand...spit on him...whatever gets you here...ok you can crash at my place...but thats my final offer...please.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 31st 2009 8:25PM]

They're only dummies for not buying an iPhone instead of an Android-powered monstrosity.

[From My Cube Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:44PM]

while a great kudos for creating the book i dont think many engadget readers need to buy it...


im pretty sure we all mess around with the device till we figure it out and if we cant we goto the webz and bitch about a bug that may or may not exist to justify not being able to change something....God forbid we read the instructions

[agreenbhm Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:10PM]

agreed

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:39PM]

don't worry about whos gonna read it.
this means that Android has officially 'arrived.'
kudos to it!

[idealEric Posted Jan 31st 2009 1:09AM]

true, something doesn't exist until a 'for dummies' book has been written about it.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 31st 2009 2:22PM]

Maybe this reading list suggestion is Engadget's subtle commentary on its readership. Ha!

[Smart People Play Tuba Posted Jan 31st 2009 10:10PM]

Disclaimer: I'm aiming at Google and HTC here, so no offense to Ziegler intended, but . . .

Things that need a "For Dummies" book:

- Catholicism
- Wine
- C++
- AutoCAD
- Cricket

Things that shouldn't need a "For Dummies" book:
- cell phones

Any cell phone that needs a "For Dummies" book written about it is a poorly-designed phone.

[Solipsism Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:44PM]

Given the "Learn to:" list, well written as I am sure it is, this is probably the wrong place to be plugging that book.

[chriskalan Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:46PM]

Isn't that bordering on conflict of interest? I mean, because you haven't exactly posted about any other "for Dummies" books, or any of their products, really.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:52PM]

Well, no one on our staff wrote any of the other ones! We're proud of Chris, he worked really hard on this.

[2late2die Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:55PM]

Conflict of interests?? Seems like it's pretty natural for them to be interested in promoting a book written by their own :)

[chriskalan Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:58PM]

Yeah, you guys are right. Excuse my being an ass... rough day at work :S

[KarlW Posted Jan 30th 2009 10:54PM]

Not really. I get your point, but it's not like that. I was contracted to write a book on the Windows Sidebar a few years ago, even though I thought it was complete rubbish and didn't even use Windows as my primary OS.

The book later got cancelled when the publishers learnt that they'd covered pretty much all of it in an HTML programming book. Still, by that time I was already under contract and got paid a couple grand for basically doing nothing.

[Saad the other one Posted Jan 31st 2009 2:29AM]

No, you were right the first time. It is a conflict of interest. Engadget packs a lot of clout and its writers shouldn't be using their position for their own personal gain.

[skatekarate Posted Jan 31st 2009 8:19AM]

Its a blog...
they can have conflicts of interest as much as they want

[Chinpokomon Posted Jan 31st 2009 6:53PM]

I see no difference between this and what some of the Boing Boing bloggers do. As long as they establish their bias early in the post (e.g. fellow Engadget blogger), I don't see how there can be conflict of interest. Obviously I'd be a little skeptical of any review posted, but there is no reason they shouldn't be able to promote an item of interest.

[poorboy Posted Jan 30th 2009 9:46PM]

Will we have to buy another book if cupcake comes out?

[loocas Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:50PM]

Yes! :)

[telepheedian Posted Jan 30th 2009 9:29PM]

Reminds me, they made a Zune one when v1 came out, those people must have been in for a surprise later...

[Aguiluz Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:48PM]

I don't get the point why they call their buyers "dummies."

Probably because the people who buy this don't read the manual that comes with it. *sigh*

[2late2die Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:57PM]

It's a shtick - people at this point are already familiar enough with these books and don't really feel offended.

[imayam Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:57PM]

Have you ever opened a 'for dummies" book?

It makes people feel smart, especially if they know what a phone is, and this book explains it to them.

just as any 'dummy' book, if it starts explaining what something is, and you turn the page; skipping the text b/c you already know it, u feel like ur one step ahead of everyone else.

[DonkeyPuncherello Posted Jan 31st 2009 12:24AM]

@ImaYam

Very true. But I won't lie, I had to learn C# once for a special, time limited, project and I borrowed a C for Dummies book. In short, I got the job done, but to be honest, I don't think I would ever buy a "For Dummies" book.

[jonnyl Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:50PM]

I've already got the book! It's called the manual.

[oakie Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:57PM]

see? that's the magic of this series... people will burn the manual before reading it, but they'll buy one of these "dummies" books and use it religiously only to have learned what the manual already had in it.

but hey, congrats to chris on getting published!

[oakie Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:58PM]

... and it looks like the handmodel is a cokehead.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:52PM]

Does it have a release date for Cupcake on the introduction page?

[LauraJuneTopolsky Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:54PM]

We're all just Ziegler fanpeople at heart.

[NiCk0dEmUs Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:03PM]

If you need this stupid book in order to figure out a phone you are a dummy.

Here's one that's completely free.... READ THE MANUAL that comes with the device!

[xirsteon Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:58PM]

Is there an engadget blogger / read discount Chris? Perhaps an Engadget member id will suffice as a proof of membership

[Chris Posted Jan 30th 2009 9:50PM]

I wish there was, but I'm afraid not... I promise to make it up to you in witty posts, though.

[TonyRockyHorror Posted Jan 30th 2009 7:59PM]

man, i look at the title of that book, and all i can think of is, "it totally is."

[neoprimalgmailcom Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:00PM]

Well I'm truly in shock. I'd have thought anything produced by/affiliated with an Engadget staff member would have some kind of iphone theme to it. Wow...just...wow.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:22PM]

I don't know what these "books" are that you speak of, but congratulations Chris, I'm sure it took a lot of work.

[CJ Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:06PM]

This looks like a shameless plug...

[HOT LIKE FIRE Posted Jan 30th 2009 10:57PM]

Indeed.

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:10PM]

meh
i'll just torrent it......

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 8:13PM]

Saying that around here?

Chris might bring his Banhammer!

:P

[(Unverified) Posted Jan 30th 2009 11:31PM]

you should know