Parlez-vous SAS? (partie deux)

This is the second part of our interview with Véronique Bourcier for the web site La Référence SAS. In this section of the interview, Lora Delwiche and I answer questions about SAS Enterprise Guide and how to learn more about SAS.  The first part of the interview focused on The Little SAS Book: A Primer, and was posted on October 19, 2009. You can read both parts of the interview—in English and French—at  www.sasreference.fr.

Early Reviews Are In

Reviewers’ comments for The Little SAS Book for Enterprise Guide 4.2 have been received. We are now working on incorporating their suggestions into the final draft, and I can’t resist sharing some of their comments with you. From Chris Hemedinger, Senior Software Manager in SAS R&D:

“I’ve read the book cover to cover.  It was riveting.  I didn’t want it to end.  I cannot wait to see the movie.

As usual, Susan and Lora have done a tremendous job.  This book could probably go to press right now.”

I suspect this says more about Chris’ sense of humor than about our book, but I’ll take every compliment I can get.

A Mathematician’s Lament

“Have fun!” That’s what I would say to my two sons as they went off to school every day, from kindergarten on up to high school. And I meant it. I firmly believe that learning is fun. As I explained to my kids, if you are not having fun, you are probably not learning much so you should try to have fun.

My oldest son (now in college) recently sent me a link to the article, A Mathematician’s Lament, written by Paul Lockart in 2002. This clever and insightful article humorously describes how traditional education sucks all the joy and imagination out of the study of mathematics. Of all the topics taught in primary and secondary education, mathematics is certainly the most mangled and misunderstood; but the same rigid approach is applied to some extent to every field. I have even seen art taught that way!

So have some fun today, click here to read     A Mathematician’s Lament.