Windows XP in a Nutshell By David A. Karp, Tim O'Reilly, Troy Mott
April 2002
Pages: 632

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Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects.

The animal on the cover of Windows XP in a Nutshell is a climbing frog. There are more than 2,600 species of frogs and toads, all easily distinguishable as members of this order. The general differences between frogs and toads are that frogs jump (toads tend to walk), depend more on access to water, and are slimy (as opposed to dry and warty).

Frogs range in size from less than half an inch to almost a foot in length. Frogs are able to survive in diverse surroundings, including water, semi-deserts, and mountains. However, they are not able to survive in salt water and the iciest and driest climates. Frogs metamorphosize from swimming tadpole larvae to their adult form; tadpoles are more vulnerable to predation than are adults. Adult frogs rely on various methods of defense, including light, poison, and many patterns and colors of camouflage. Frogs breathe and absorb water through their skin, which is shed periodically. Most are nocturnal or twilight animals, and rely more on their sense of vision and smell than hearing. Many species hibernate through the winter months. Despite fairy-tale claims, it has not yet been proven that frog-kissing produces princes.

The global frog population has been declining at unprecedented rates in recent years, causing speculation about the overall health of the biosystems from which they are disappearing.

Ann Schirmer was the production editor for Windows XP in a Nutshell. Ann Schirmer and Mary Brady proofread the book. Mary Brady, Claire Cloutier, and Sheryl Avruch provided quality control. Phil Dangler and Sarah Sherman provided production assistance. Joe Wizda wrote the index.

Hanna Dyer designed the cover of this book, based on a series design by Edie Freedman. The cover image is a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. Emma Colby produced the cover layout with QuarkXPress 4.1 using Adobe’s ITC Garamond font.

Melanie Wang designed the interior layout, based on a series design by David Futato. Neil Walls converted the files to FrameMaker 5.5.6 using tools created by Mike Sierra. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSans Mono Condensed. The illustrations that appear in the book were produced by Robert Romano and Jessamyn Read using Macromedia FreeHand 9 and Adobe Photoshop 6. The tip and warning icons were drawn by Christopher Bing. This colophon was written by Nancy Kotary and Ann Schirmer.

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