Joy of Tex: A Gourmet Guide to Typesetting With the Ams-Tex Macro Package (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Before we start learning about TEX's approach to typesetting, it's a good idea to take a look at the keyboard of your terminal, to see..." (more)
Key Phrases: Brand Of Mathematics, Keeping Them In Line, Lousy Breaks (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Joy of TeX is the user-friendly guide to AMSTeX, a software package based on the computer typesetting language TeX. AMSTeX was designed to simplify typesetting of mathematical quantities, equations, and displays, and to format the output according to any of various preset style specifications. This second edition of Joy reflects the changes introduced on Version 2.0 of the AMSTeX macro package. The first two parts of the manual, "Starters" and "Main Courses", teach the reader how to typeset the kind of text and mathematics one ordinarily encounters. "Sauces and Pickles", the third section, treats more exotic problems and includes a 60-page dictionary of special TeXniques. The manual also includes descriptions of conventions of mathematical typography to help the novice technical typist. Appendices list handy summaries of frequently used and more esoteric symbols. This manual is useful for technical typists as well as scientists who prepare their own manuscripts. For the novice, exercises sprinkled generously throughout each chapter encourage the reader to sit down at a terminal and learn through experimentation.

Product Details

• Paperback: 309 pages
• Publisher: American Mathematical Society; 2 edition (April 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821829971
• ISBN-13: 978-0821829974
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,604,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Source for Learning AMS-TeX, March 26, 2000

By	Travis Lee (West Lafayette, IN) - See all my reviews

Spivak's appealing and original book makes learning TeX much more fun than it really should be! If you are already familiar with some flavor of TeX, this is a great book for becoming proficient with AMS-TeX quickly. If not, then there is enough introductory material to make you familiar with the basics of TeX typesetting first. To me AMS-TeX is preferrable to LaTeX (commands are more suggestive and easier to use) and this book is the best AMS-TeX handbook available.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Good Example of TeX Writing, January 18, 2007

By	Boris Veytsman (Sterling, VA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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Since Spivak macros have been ported to LaTeX (the AMS LaTeX collection), people rarely use AMSTeX. Therefore this book ceased to be important as a primary textbook or a reference. Nevertheless it would be a shame for it to become forgotten. Written with typical Spivak's subtle humor (the book gently mocks both The Joy of Cooking and The Joy of Sex), it introduces important concepts of TeX and mathematical typesetting. It is one of the rare books that explain not just HOW, but also WHY. It would be enjoyable both for a TeX gourmet and a technical writer interested in the way Spivak is able to explain difficult things in simple terms.