This guide to computer typesetting using TeX is written by Donald Knuth, the system's creator. TeX offers both writers and publishers the ability to produce plain or technical text, especially text containing a great deal of mathematics, comparable to the work of the finest printers. Novice and expert alike will find The TeXbook useful; it is accessible to the beginner, and also contains the details required by experienced users.
TeX represents the state of the art in computer typesetting. It is particularly valuable where the document, article, or book to be produced contains a lot of mathematics, and where the user is concerned about typographic quality. TeX software offers both writers and publishers the opportunity to produce technical text of all kinds, in an attractive form, with the speed and efficiency of a computer system.
Novice and expert users alike will gain from The TeXbook the level of information they seek. Knuth warns newcomers away from the more difficult areas, while he entices experienced users with new challenges. The novice need not learn much about TeX to prepare a simple manuscript with it. But for the preparation of more complex documents, The TeXbook contains all the detail required.
The TeXbook is the first in a five-volume series on Computers and Typesetting, all authored by Knuth.
About the Author
Donald E. Knuth is known throughout the world for his pioneering work on algorithms and programming techniques, for his invention of the Tex and Metafont systems for computer typesetting, and for his prolific and influential writing. Professor Emeritus of The Art of Computer Programming at Stanford University, he currently devotes full time to the completion of these fascicles and the seven volumes to which they belong.