TEX by Example

Based on the premise that people learn best by imitation or example, this innovative guide to TeX is written for absolute beginners - people who want simply to use TeX, but who have no desire to understand the programme's inner working. The bulk of this guide has two interwoven parts. Pages on the right, called output pages, explain the basic features of TeX and illustrate some of the things the programme can do. Pages on the left contain input boxes that show what was typed to produce the output. By glancing at these input boxes you can see quickly how a typesetting or formatting effect is obtained, without having to read long explanations. The examples in this book illustrate the standard features of TeX - they cover everything that one would need to produce a letter, technical report, or other document. The book can be used visually, by flipping through the pages for the item or typesetting feature you need (for example, a bulleted list, or an integral sign), then reading the matching input. A key feature of the book is the extensive appendix, which contains an alphabetical listing of many features of TeX and all its commonly used commands.
TeX by Example contains recipes to create formats of varying kinds, but little analysis of the ingredients. It is all practice and no theory. It allows the complete beginner to use TeX right away, essentially by copying. It provides a graded introduction to TeX for the novice, and a useful reference for the more experienced user.