bash Cookbook

Colophon

The animal on the cover of bash Cookbook is a wood turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) and is named so because its shell looks like it was carved from wood. The wood turtle can be found in forests and is very common in North America, particularly in Nova Scotia through to the Great Lakes region. The wood turtle is an omnivorous and lazy eater; it will eat whatever crosses its path, including plants, worms, and slugs (a favorite). But this isn’t to say wood turtles are slow—in fact, they can be quite agile and quick to learn. Some researchers have seen wood turtles stamping on the ground to mimic the sound of raindrops, which lures worms out to their certain death.

Wood turtles are threatened by human expansion into their territories. They nest on the sandy banks of rivers, streams, and ponds, which are prone to erosion, damming, and use by outdoor enthusiasts. Roadside fatalities, toxic pollution, and the pet trade have also taken a toll on the wood turtle population, so much so that in many states and provinces, they are considered a threatened species.

The cover image is from Dover Pictoral Archive. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont’s TheSans Mono Condensed.