IN 1987, Dan Gookin’s “DOS for Dummies” tried to explain the DOS computer program in a simple and funny way that most educated adults could get. Since then the “For Dummies” series has ...

But it was John Kilcullen, founder of IDG Books Worldwide, who in 1991 had the smarts and the nerve to try to take advantage of this computer anxiety by bringing out DOS for Dummies. An instant ...

“Dummies” got its start in 1991, when IDG Books, a unit of technology publisher International Data Group Inc., put out “DOS for Dummies,” a how-to guide for help with Microsoft Corp.’s ...

The For Dummies franchise is now celebrating its 20th year in business, having begun with DOS For Dummies in 1991. The initial idea was pure brilliance. There were literally millions of computer ...

Their appeal, however, is not universal. The initial book, “DOS for Dummies,” covering a pre-Windows computer operating system, drew some resistance even inside the publishing company ...

Indeed, the Dummies series, launched by IDG books with “DOS for Dummies” five years ago, has been a worldwide success, raking in $50 million last year. “Dummies” titles have been ...

“Sex for Dummies,” just to name a few, are now bombarding bookshelves as companions to “DOS for Dummies,” “PC’s for Dummies” and “The Internet for Dummies,” etc., as easy ...