When setting out to read a piece of imaginative literature, such as Don Quixote, Hamlet or Catch-22, it is imperative to skip the translator's or editor's introduction. The point of reading such literature is to discover something for oneself and only after self-discovery is it insightful to compare personal discoveries with alternate opinions. On the other hand, when reading a work of non-fiction, it is absolutely necessary to read the author's preface. Nonfiction is an effort to uncover or review a set of facts or hypotheses. The author sets out his/ her plan and intention in the preface. A nonfiction book is evaluated against the author's stated goal. Did s/he hit the target? The authors describe the book as "both a primer and a review of standards and standardization." Standardization Essentials is clear enough and short enough to be a primer, but complete enough to be a useful reference for experienced professionals in the standards community. The authors enumerate a diverse group of professionals as the target audience including business management students, which needs a bit of expansion.
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