It's been over a decade since I co-wrote the first edition of SAS For Dummies. In case you're not familiar with the Dummies series, this style of book is aimed at a novice audience -- no previous knowledge about the topic is assumed or required. Dummies books are written with a friendly, sometimes almost folksy, tone. I've heard from many people who love this style of learning. And I heard from others who told me (politely) that they wouldn't be caught dead reading a Dummies book.
As you probably know, SAS can be a complex topic. As I said in the SAS For Dummies introduction:
Although this book is titled SAS For Dummies, you absolutely need some smarts to get solid results using SAS. However, the overarching message of this book is that you don’t need to be an expert at using software. You just need to know what questions to ask, what data is needed to provide an answer, and how to interpret the results.
That's also the approach of these SAS Support Communities. It's a place where SAS users of any experience level can ask questions and find their answers here. Sometimes the biggest challenge is just deciding what to ask and how to ask it. That's the thinking behind this special New Users board -- it's a safe place to ask naive questions, and experts are committed to guide you to the answers that you need. No judgement -- even for dummies.
All you need to be successful is an open mind and a willingness to learn. Who knows? Maybe before too long, you will be the one answering the questions.
Best of luck in your SAS journey!
Chris Hemedinger
Head of SAS Online Communities
