round off preface

Author: bevacqua

atlas.json

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
     "sections/titlepage.html",
     "sections/copyright.html",
     "sections/toc.html",
+    "sections/preface.asciidoc",
     "chapters/ch01.asciidoc",
     "chapters/ch02.asciidoc",
     "chapters/ch03.asciidoc",

chapters/ch01.asciidoc

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 [[module-thinking]]
 == Module Thinking
 
-Even after the printing press was invented, publishing books remains a challenging endeavor. Yes, there's typically an author -- or authors -- who scribbled the content wherever and whenever they found time to do so. But there's also a content editor, tasked with helping the author transform their stream of consciousness into a relatable story that's not too dry to read, something to be especially careful about when it comes to technical or business books. We have the technical reviewers, watchful subject matter experts on the lookout for egregious mistakes in technical definitions or interpretations. And lastly, -- of course -- we have the content editor, the typo linters of prose and last bastion of proper grammar. Thus far, however, we've barely scratched the surface: everyone mentioned above is mostly interested in the contents of the book, but we don't do much else. There's also, as an example, the typesetters whose job is to ensure the book looks good when it goes to print -- bidding good riddance to orphans and widows, poorly-wrapped lines of code, and so much more. Someone has to design the cover, or to approve the table of contents for the first draft so that the author gets a contract. Several people oversee the process that culminates in the book going to press, -- usually referred to as production -- as well. Once copies are printed, they need to be distributed. Eventually, the book hits the shelves (physical or otherwise) and starts selling. Someone buys the book, and finally starts to read it. We could write entire books about the purchase transaction alone.
+Even after the printing press was invented, publishing books remains a challenging endeavor. Yes, there's typically an author -- or authors -- who scribbled the content wherever and whenever they found time to do so. But there's also a content editor, tasked with helping the author transform their stream of consciousness into a relatable story that's not too dry to read, something to be especially careful about when it comes to technical or business books. We have the technical reviewers, watchful subject matter experts on the lookout for egregious mistakes in technical definitions or interpretations. And lastly, -- of course -- we have the copy editor, the typo linters of prose and last bastion of proper grammar. Thus far, however, we've barely scratched the surface: everyone mentioned above is mostly interested in the contents of the book, but we don't do much else. There's also, as an example, the typesetters whose job is to ensure the book looks good when it goes to print -- bidding good riddance to orphans and widows, poorly-wrapped lines of code, and so much more. Someone has to design the cover, or to approve the table of contents for the first draft so that the author gets a contract. Several people oversee the process that culminates in the book going to press, -- usually referred to as production -- as well. Once copies are printed, they need to be distributed. Eventually, the book hits the shelves (physical or otherwise) and starts selling. Someone buys the book, and finally starts to read it. We could write entire books about the purchase transaction alone.
 
 The complexity of the whole process is mind-boggling, and yet, to each individual, it's not that complicated. The author, for example, merely has to write a few hundred words every day. Where did all that complexity go? There's a reason the process is so compartmentalized. We're not that good at handling high-level complexity, and breaking it down into single responsibilities ( such as "write content", "improve how prose flows", "review technical concerns", "fix grammar mistakes", "typeset for production", or "handle purchases" ), is what makes the process simpler for individuals, working on the mammoth project that is writing a book or just about any business enterprise.