Perl and XML

Colophon

Our look is the result of reader comments, our own experimentation, and feedback from distribution channels. Distinctive covers complement our distinctive approach to technical topics, breathing personality and life into potentially dry subjects.

The animals on the cover of Perl and XML are West African green monkeys. The green monkey, more commonly known as a vervet, is named for its yellow to olive-green fur. Most vervets live in semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, but some colonies, thought to be descendants of escaped pets, exist in St. Kitts, Nevis, and Barbados. The vervet’s diet mainly consists of fruit, seeds, flowers, leaves, and roots, but it sometimes eats small birds and reptiles, eggs, and insects. The largely vegetarian nature of the vervet’s diet creates problems for farmers sharing its land, who often complain of missing fruits and vegetables in areas where vervets are common. To control the problem, some farmers resort to shooting the monkeys, who often leave small orphan vervets behind. Some of these orphans are, controversially, sold as pets around the world. Vervets are also bred for use in medical research; some vervet populations are known to carry immunodeficiency viruses that might be linked to similar human viruses.

The green monkey uses a sophisticated set of vocalizations and visual cues to communicate a wide range of emotions, including anger, alarm, pain, excitement, and sadness. The animal is considered highly intelligent and, like other ...