# "Dummies" or "Complete Idiot's:" Which Series Is Better? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 27, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962 "2009-08-27T22:30:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/1 "2009-08-27T22:30:39Z")
There are two major series that serve as introductory texts to various subjects. Those are the _Dummies_ series and the _Complete Idiot’s Guide_ series. Althought the _Dummies_ series has more volumes in the series which one in indvidual volumes on the same subjects superior? ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/2 "2009-08-28T02:16:46Z")
It will depend on the author. While the editors try to ensure that everything is up to a certain minimum of Duh, how good any one book is going to be is going to be depend on who wrote it and how good he is at teaching. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/3 "2009-08-28T12:17:22Z")
I’ve edited the thread title to make it more descriptive. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/4 "2009-08-28T13:29:56Z")
I can’t say which is better but _Boosting Self Esteem for Dummies_ and _The Complete Iditiot’s Guide to Enhancing Self Esteem_ are really funny titles. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/5 "2009-08-28T13:50:35Z")
So is _Ventriloquism for Dummies_. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/6 "2009-08-28T13:55:16Z")
I \*love \*the Dummies books. Any time I need to figure something out, I just go buy one. They also have a good online component, and you can sign up for a series of weekly emails on all spirts of topics. I have tried K.I.S.S. books and a Complete Idiot’s guide, but the Dummies series, IMO, lends itself more to being both something that can be read straight through, or picked up and used more as a reference manual. Plus, I prefer how they are written stylistically. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/7 "2009-08-28T14:47:49Z")
You can always try the [“…for Smelly, Impotent Pedophiles”](http://www.soaprope.com/d/19970924.html) books. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/8 "2009-08-28T15:44:03Z")
In general I think the “Dummies” books are better written. ETA: And in fact, for the most part I think they’re pretty good, at least as introductions to whatever topic it is discussing. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/9 "2009-08-28T16:08:06Z")
Being neither and Idiot nor a Dummy I _will not_ purchase \*either \*of these books. (OK, I have a few of each. To be honest, I usually prefer the Dummies books.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/10 "2009-08-28T16:19:56Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > So is _Ventriloquism for Dummies_. I had to look and see if this one actually existed. It turns out there is a [book](http://www.amazon.com/Ventriloquism-Dummies-John-Wing-Jr/dp/0887533701/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251476163&sr=1-1) by this title, but it’s not an official entry in the “For Dummies” series, it doesn’t appear to be actually about ventriloquism, and it’s out of print (and makes me wonder if it could have gotten in trouble for trademark violation). ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/11 "2009-08-28T17:25:54Z")
I _hate_ the Dummies books. I think the layouts are much too choppy and chaotic and the cutesy factor is a real turnoff. I think some authors (i.e., Eric Tyson) overcome the general distastefulness of the design with quality content, but it takes a lot to do so. I’ve never cracked a _Complete Idiot’s_ book. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/12 "2009-08-28T18:20:22Z")
> [@JThunder](#): > > So is _Ventriloquism for Dummies_. and also: Crash Testing for Dummies ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/13 "2009-08-28T18:39:03Z")
I was in the supermarket once and saw a booklet in the impulse-buy shelves by the checkout called “Astrology for Dummies”. Yup, that about sums it up. And this general theme is far from new. The Jewish scholar Maimonides wrote his _Guide for the Perplexed_ nearly a thousand years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dummies-or-complete-idiots-which-series-is-better/507962/14 "2009-08-28T19:35:20Z")
I much prefer the Oxford University Press’ [Very Short Introduction](http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/category/academic/series/general/vsi.do) series to either the “Complete Idiot’s guide…” or “…for dummies” series.