The Getting Real book 01 Mar 2006
8 comments Latest by Andy
The Getting Real book is here. It’s PDF only, 171 pages, and it’s $19.
Getting Real details the business, design, programming, and marketing principles of 37signals. The book is packed with keep-it-simple insights, contrarian points of view, and unconventional approaches to software design. This is not a technical book or a design tutorial, it’s a book of ideas.
To give you a taste, we’ve picked four essays to share as free samples: What is Getting Real?, Scale Later, Meetings are Toxic, Design the Interface First. Visit the Getting Real site to get more info on who should read it, why it’s relevant, and to see a complete table of contents. Note: We may offer a print version at some point in the future but, in the interests of Getting Real, we wanted to get the PDF version out there now.
Also, we’ve created a Campfire chat room on Getting Real for anyone who’s interested in discussing the book or Getting Real ideas in general.
8 comments so far (Jump to latest)
levi 01 Mar 06
Interesting… I think I may have to get this one.
dmr 01 Mar 06
I’m absolutely going to get it this weekend. What made you guys go the self-publishing route? And is there a desire to create a print version, or are there plans for print?
sb 01 Mar 06
ctrl-P. but what are your plans for binding, etc.?
Travis 01 Mar 06
Can I print this once I download - i.e., there are no restrictions on me printing this, eh?
Rabbit 01 Mar 06
I love you guys.
I’m reading my copy right now and I swear if my brain could salivate you’d see drool pouring from every orifice.
Every page (I’m on 28 right now) gives me new ideas, or at the very least, reminds me of things I’ve already been exposed to.
I’m in charge of changing the direction of our primary web site. Since I started reading Getting Real, I’ve got 5 solid ideas for posts I *NEED* to write in order to make this thing a success; and I know it can be.
Thank you Signals. You guys rock. *hugs*
JF 01 Mar 06
Yes, plans for print eventually, but this was easier and we could get the content to people sooner (TODAY).
Why self publish? Because traditional publishing is broken. We tried it once and realized it’s tilted way in favor of the publisher, not the author, and we think that’s wrong.
JF 01 Mar 06
Travis, of course you can print it for your own use.
Andy 01 Mar 06
I’ve read the preview chapters - and I like it. Great work guys.
Just a nit-picking question: why didn’t you fully-justify the text in the book? The left aligned text gives a very messy look to the pages.
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