It's 2009... learn like it!

So here we are, a new year. Unsurprisingly, we're getting lots of questions here at the Labs about what's coming in 2009. What books are in progress? What about Rough Cuts and Safari... what's going on there? And where, oh where, is Head First EJB?

Yeah, it's definitely true, we've got some great books coming out in 2009. To mention just a few, you'll see Head First Networking and Head First Programming, and keep an eye out for an improved and updated second edition of Head First PMP, just in time for the updated PMP exam coming out later this year. We've also got another exciting title, Head First Data Analysis, that's going to give you a Head First look at data in a way you'd never expect. Should be really cool.

But what I think we're most excited about around here is the expansion of our product formats, not just our product offerings. Safari has offered Head First books for a while, and late last year, you got a glimpse of Head First both as a Rough Cuts (early access) contender and a fully-digital PDF. So whether you're online at work or stuck on a long plane ride, you can catch up on Ajax or learn what centripetal force is really all about. In 2009, though, we're going to push well beyond simple "convert that paper page to a non-paper page."

Head First is about learning in the most effective manner possible, and that's not always a book. In fact, in some cases, one person might love a book, and another might really just want to go play a little more XBox. In light of that, 2009 is the year of Head First in some really new, really innovative formats. First, you'll see us hard at work on releasing some online versions of our books. That's not just a PDF, or even a digital copy of the page... we tend to be OCD about going above and beyond around here. Instead, we're creating a completely new digital interface where you can learn, interact, exercise, and achieve through the Head First methodology... all in a digital environment. Stay tuned... this will be one of the most exciting developments of 2009, I can promise you.

Not only that, we're working hard to bring you in-person events. No, Skeptical Girl and Kim won't mud wrestle, but we are bringing the innovative learning principles of Head First to a live environment. Project-based learning, lots of games and interesting exercises, a true learn-by-doing attitude, and instructors who aren't about "Did you catch my name? Do you know who I am?" and more about "Let's learn how to DO something today" will be the cornerstones of these in-person events.

Yup, 2009 is gonna be a blast, because we want to make learning the new pink (or orange, or black, or... well, you get the idea. Want more details? Keep hanging around the Labs site. Lots more content to come, from blogs to videos to teasers of these new formats.