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 Using and Managing PPP is a turtle, one of many species of terrestrial or aquatic reptile with a bony shell as part of their skeleton protecting the back and underside. All turtles can (to varying degrees) pull the head, neck, tail, and legs into the shell. The dorsal part of the shell is called the carapace; the ventral is the plastron. Turtles have a layer of sensitive skin between the bony plates and horn of the shell; they can feel what touches their shell. The appearance and size of the shell varies greatly with the species. Turtle species range in size from about 11 cm to 2 meters. Aquatic species usually have webbed feet and use their lungs as air or swim bladders, causing air to flow into different parts of the lung.

Turtles have a small but highly developed brain; they are generally somewhat mute and hear poorly, but have an excellent sense of smell. They are capable of learning and have significant memories. Their external sexual characteristics are difficult to distinguish. Some species live for around 100 years; many also have the capability to regenerate or heal severe wounds.

Turtles appear worldwide on land and in oceans with temperate to warm environments. All turtles are hatched from eggs, and all turtle eggs are laid on land. The shape of eggs and number in each batch varies with species. Many species hibernate when the temperatures become too low (or too high). They are slow growers, and their shells display rings showing uneven growth periods, much like the rings of a tree trunk. Mary Anne Weeks Mayo served as production editor for Using and Managing PPP; Mary Anne also served as copyeditor, Sheryl Avruch was the production manager; Ellie Fountain Maden and Marleis Roberts provided quality assurance. Chris Reilley created the illustrations using Macromedia FreeHand 8. Mike Sierra provided FrameMaker technical support. Nancy Crumpton wrote the index and provided production services.

Edie Freedman designed the cover of this book, using a 19th-century engraving from the Dover Pictorial Archive. The cover layout was produced with QuarkXPress 3.32 using the ITC Garamond font. Whenever possible, our books use RepKover(TM), a durable and flexible lay-flat binding. If the page count exceeds RepKover's limit, perfect binding is used.

The inside layout was designed by Nancy Priest and implemented in FrameMaker 5.5 by Mike Sierra. The text and heading fonts are ITC Garamond Light and Garamond Book. This colophon was written by Nancy Kotary.