E. A. Vander Veer started out in the software trenches, lexing and yaccing and writing shell scripts with the best of them. She remained busy and happy for years writing C++ programs and wresting data from recalcitrant databases until reaching the proverbial fork in the road, when she chose the dark path-marketing. After a stint as an Object Technology Evangelist (yes, that's an actual job title), she found a way to unite all of her passions: writing about cool computer stuff in prose any human being can understand. Books followed-over a dozen so far-including JavaScript for Dummies, XML Blueprints, and the fine tome you're holding right now. Her articles appear in online and print publications including Byte, CNET, http: //Salon.com, WEBTechniques, http: //CNN.com, and a bunch you've never heard of. She lives in Texas with her husband and daughter. Email: eav_mm@comcast.net.
