Why I review SAS Press books

Angela recently posted about how important it is for technical experts to share, not hoard, their information.

Late last year I completed a technical review of The Little SAS Book for Enterprise Guide 4.2. Before that I served as reviewer for The Little SAS Book, Fourth Edition (covers SAS 9.2). And I've tech-reviewed many other SAS- and Enterprise-Guide-related books for SAS Press over the years.

Sometimes when I tell people this, I get quizzical looks. "Don't these books compete with SAS for Dummies?", people ask. The answer is No, these books do not compete against each other, not really. And besides, even while it sells well, SAS for Dummies does not pay my bills (believe me!). SAS software revenue pays my bills, and the availability of these books helps SAS to sell software and keep customers happy.

If you were a big company and looking to invest in business analytics software, wouldn't you feel reassured selecting a vendor that had a strong ecosystem of end-user books, available in any bookstore? Or if you were a student or professional and looking to learn a technology, wouldn't it make it easier to learn if you could find a book that matches your style and particular needs?

My main expertise is with SAS Enterprise Guide. We have at least a half-dozen popular books that target SAS Enterprise Guide users. But any book about SAS Enterprise Guide is really about SAS, because you can't use SAS Enterprise Guide without it.

The more popular that SAS software becomes, the greater the need for qualified professionals that know how to use it. The more knowledgeable SAS professionals there are out there, the easier it is for SAS to become of higher importance in more organizations. It's a wonderful cycle.

My goal is to get my name in the acknowledgements of as many SAS books as possible. Not because I love seeing my name in print (although that's nice, and when I see it I know it's me and not someone else who shares my name), but because it means I've helped contribute to the knowledge base that supports our customers* and thus our bottom line.

* plus, sometimes SAS Press folks give me cupcakes