This is actually old news, but I've been meaning to
mention it formally.

As of December 2002, _The Ruby Way_ is available in
a Japanese translation. The publisher is Shoeisha.

Thanks again to Guy Hurst, Matz, Dave Thomas, Chad
Fowler, Kevin Smith, Patrick Logan, and those behind
the scenes at Sams.

I'll give you my comments on this book, even though
obviously I can't read it. :) (Those who can read it
are welcome to give any comments, whether positive,
negative, or neutral.)

1. First of all, the cover is wonderful. I could stare
at it forever. I knew that Japanese books are often very
colorful and whimsical. I've seen books with pictures
of angry-looking rabbits and cartoons of monkeys in
flying saucers. So I didn't know what to expect. But
this cover is simple, dignified, and beautiful. I wish
I knew who designed it so that I could tell him so.

2. I am not sure whether all the errata were corrected
in this translation. It's a little difficult for me to
navigate this one. I have been meaning to look at this,
but I have not.

3. It was interesting to me that the numerous quotations
which I scattered throughout the book were left in. Some
of my contacts at Sams didn't like the large number of
these, though most of the readers seemed to think it was
OK. Apparently Shoeisha also thought they were OK.

4. If anyone sees any "interesting" or "unusual" issues
in translation, please tell me in email. I'd be interested
in any information about how English idioms, jokes, and
so on, were rendered in Japanese.

A couple of links:

This is (apparently) the link to the book on the
Japanese Amazon site:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/exec/obidos/ASIN/4798102288/ref=sr_aps_b_/249-505150
4-9069131

And likewise the publisher's link:
http://www.shoeisha.com/book/Detail.asp?bid=1475&tk=ruby


Cheers,
Hal Fulton