News You Can Bruise for 2013 September 9 (entry 0)

(2) Mon Sep 09 2013 13:39 RESTful Web APIs!: After about a year of work, my and Mike Amundsen's new book RESTful Web APIs is going to the printer. It's a replacement for RESTful Web Services, a book that's now seven years old. The replacement may be overdue, but it's only been in the past couple years that technology and attitudes have advanced to the point where I could write the book I wanted to write.

In fact, there's one subfield (profiles) where you could argue this book is premature. The way RESTful Web Services was a little premature in describing an OAuth-like system before OAuth was released. But I don't think we can wait any longer.

Back in February I discussed the differences between APIs and Services. That hasn't changed much, though we have added more stuff:

• A chapter on Linked Data, the Semantic Web approach to REST.
• A chapter on CoAP, the fabled "RESTful system that doesn't use HTTP", designed to connect embedded systems over low-power networks.
• An appendix that explicates the Fielding dissertation from an API designer's perspective.

This post is mainly my way of asking you to pre-order your copy of RESTful Web APIs through my O'Reilly affiliate link. That's a hypermedia-driven change in resource state which will get you the book in a couple weeks, and get me some extra cash. (I estimate about $1.70 extra. Don't do this if the shipping charge on a physical book is prohibitive, or whatever.)

But this post is also a back-door way for me to brag about what a great book Mike and I have written. You don't have to take my word for it. Here's the blurb we got from John Musser of ProgrammableWeb.

A terrific book! Covers a lot of new ground with lots of valuable specifics.

Here's Steve Klabnick of Designing Hypermedia APIs:

The entire time I read this book, I was cursing. I was cursing because as I read each explanation, I was worried that they were so good that it would be hard to find a better one to use in my own writing. You will not find another work that explores the topic so thoroughly yet explains the topic so clearly. Please, take these tools, build something fantastic, and share it with the rest of the world, okay?

You get the picture. I've tried to recreate the relevatory experience a lot of people got from RESTful Web Services, on a higher level, in a way that gives access to more powerful tools. Time will tell if I've succeeded, but I don't think I, or anyone, could have done much better. I'm really proud of this book, and I hope it helps you.

Comments:

Posted by Tikitu at Wed Sep 11 2013 07:25

Is there a way we can (pre)order only the ebook version, and still get you your affiliate payment?

Posted by Leonard at Tue Sep 17 2013 16:51

No, pre-orders are only for the print book.