Finding the right names and values for small code snippets is a surprisingly challenging task. Sample content like foo bar and lorem ipsum gets boring quickly -- and can be confusing to readers who aren't yet familiar with them. It's better to have self-contained code snippets that can be clearly understood without any external context.
Crafting appropriate themed content that fits cleanly with the theory being demonstrated is fraught with danger. Code snippets shouldn't contain an egregious quantity of tangentially-related setup code just to justify their theme. Themes also shouldn't be unnecessarily flashy to the point of distracting from the important conceptual explanations.
Many authors opt to stick with a small set of themes they know to be flexible and work well. I personally go with names of fruit, such as counting amounts of them. While sticking with the same theme repeatedly is reliable, it can get boring for the reader fast.
That's why, at risk of distracting ever so slightly from code content, most chapters in Learning TypeScript use an overarching theme for most or all of its code snippets. Most of the themes are fairly straightforward, such as historical authors or inventors. Others are a little more subtle and act more like easter eggs.
Criteria for Inclusion
I also paid special attention to the gender and race makeup for people referenced in the book. Most software textbooks are significantly skewed towards white men in their quotes. Some don't include a single quote from any group underrepresented in tech! Learning TypeScript inverses that ratio: the vast majority of its references are to people who belong to groups underrepresented in the tech industry.
Most referenced people are not young (below retirement age). I worry that someone who seems great at time of publishing may turn out to be a negative figure later on (see: Elizabeth Holmes; J. K. Rowling). Still, there are a few pre-retirement figures in whom I have high confidence and I couldn't resist including.
I also included a few small jokes or references to games, movies, and other media. Those are not mentioned here. Consider them easter eggs for you to discover as you carefully scrutinize the book. 😉
Including hidden easter eggs, there are about 150 references in the book.
All References
In order of their first book appearance..
Chapter 1: From JavaScript to TypeScript
Theme: Artists
- Georgia O'Keeffe: p. 6
- Lizzo: p. 7
- Beyoncé: p. 8
- Augusta Savage: p. 10
- Frida Kahlo: pp. 10-11, 21 (quoted)
Chapter 2: The Type System
Theme: Singers
- Aretha Franklin: p. 17
- Chain of Fools and Respect: p. 18-19
- Ella Fitzgerald: p. 18
- Whitney Houston: p. 19
- Carole King: p. 21
- Joan Jett: pp. 22-23
- Tina Turner: p. 24
- Queen Latifah: p. 25
- Cher: pp. 25-27
Chapter 3: Unions and Literals
Theme: Scientists and Researchers
- Mark Goldberg (my dad!): pp. 29-30, 34, 37
- Susanne Langer: p. 30
- Marie Curie: p. 31
- Grace Hopper: p. 32
- Hedy Lamarr: p. 32
- Rosalind Franklin: pp. 32-33
- Hypatia: p. 34
- Ada Lovelace: p. 35
- Tony Hoare: pp. 36-37
- Barbara McClintock: p. 37
- Rachel Carson: p. 38
Chapter 4: Objects
Theme: Poets
- Mary Oliver: p. 44, 48
- Sappho: p. 44, 47
- Sara Teasdale: p. 45
- Emily Dickinson: p. 45
- Lucille Clifton: p. 46
- Sarojini Naidu: p. 47
- Maya Angelou: p. 47
- Sylvia Plath: p. 49
- Lady Lazarus and Tulips: p. 49
- Rita Dove: p. 50
- Her Kind and The Double Image: pp. 51-54
- Fukuda Chiyo-ni: p. 55
- Elizabeth Bishop: pp. 55-56
Chapter 5: Functions
Theme: Singers and Songs
- Ball and Chain: p. 62
- I Will Survive: p. 62
- Higher Love: p. 62
- Go Your Own Way, The Chain, and Dreams: p. 62
- Greensleeves: p. 63, 66
- Chandelier and Sia: p. 63
- Photograph: p. 64 (don't worry, it's a demeaning reference)
- Set Fire to the Rain: p. 64
- At Last!: p. 64
- Alicia Keys: p. 65
- Lady Gaga, Bad Romance, Just Dance, and Poker Face: p. 65
- Ella Fitzgerald: p. 65
- Strange Fruit: p. 66
- Juice: p. 67
- Shake It Off: p. 67
- What's Up?: p. 67
- Call Me: p. 69
- Jolene: p. 69
- The Chain: p. 69
- Heart of Glass: p. 71
- 21: p. 71
- Come On Over: p. 71
- The Bodyguard: p. 71
Chapter 6: Arrays
Theme: Soldiers
- Artemisia: p. 75
- Boudica: p. 75
- Zenobia: p. 75
- Aqualtune: p. 77
- Blenda: p. 77
- Clarenza and Dina: p. 78
- Deborah Sampson: p. 78
- Harriet Tubman: p. 80
- Joan of Arc: p. 80
- Khutulun: p. 80
- Cathay Williams: p. 80
- Lozen: p. 80
- Nzinga: p. 80, 81
- Tomyris: p. 80
- Archidamia: p. 81
- Rani of Jhansi: p. 81
- Amage: p. 82
- Amanitore: p. 83
- Æthelflæd: p. 83
- Ann E. Dunwoody: p. 83
- Gudit: p. 83
- Cathay Williams: p. 84
- Tomoe Gozen: p. 84
- Ching Shih: p. 85
Chapter 7: Interfaces
Theme: Authors and Books
- Sara Teasdale: p. 88
- Emily Dickinson: p. 88
- Sappho: p. 88
- Rita Dove: p. 89
- Frankenstein: p. 94
- Beloved: p. 94
- Oroonoko: p. 95
- Outlander: p. 95
- The Handmaid's Tale: p. 95 (chapters)
- Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice: p. 96-97
- Emily Brontë and Wuthering Heights: p. 97
- Ethan Frome: p. 97
- The Awakening: p. 97
Chapter 8: Classes
Theme: Teachers
- Miss Frizzle: p. 103-105, 110
- Marva Collins: p. 108 (quoted)
- Laura Ingalls Wilder: p. 109 (quoted)
- Clara Barton: p. 114
- Anne Sullivan: p. 122
- Savitribai Phule: p. 122
Chapter 9: Type Modifiers
Theme: Comedians and Comedies
- Lucille Ball: p. 125
- Bea Arthur: p. 126
- Betty White: p. 126
- Mean Girls: p. 130 (movie ratings), 131
- Grace and Frankie: p. 132-133
- I Love Lucy: p. 135
- The Golden Girls: p. 135
- Broad City: p. 135
- Community: p. 135
- Moms Mabley: p. 136
- Stella!: p. 137
- Maria Bamford: p. 138
Chapter 10: Generics
Theme: Assorted 🤷♂️
- Meryl Streep: p. 141 (quoted), p. 151 (roles)
- Spaceballs: p. 148 (referenced)
- Deborah Moggach: p. 149 (quoted)
- Lost: p. 150 (numbers referenced)
- Eartha Kitt: p. 150 (quoted)
- Lily Tomlin: p. 150
- Katharine Hepburn: p. 152 (quoted)
- Ingrid Bergman: p. 154 (quoted)
- Pearl Bailey: p. 155 (quoted)
- Frances McDormand: p. 156-157 (roles)
Chapter 11: Declaration Files
Theme: Comedies and Comedic Characters
- Sandy Cheeks: p. 166
- Wanda Venus Fairywinkle-Cosma: p. 166
- Liz Lemon: p. 168
- Seinfeld: p. 176 (referenced)
Chapter 12: Using IDE Features
Theme: Science Fiction
- Leela (Futurama): p. 185
- Leela (Marathon): p. 186
- Durandal: p. 190 (quoted)
Chapter 13: Configuration Options
Theme: Activists
- Mary Astell: p. 206
- Ida B. Wells: p. 206
- Sojourner Truth: p. 206
- Tawakkul Karmān: p. 206
- Malala Yousafzai: p. 222 (quoted)
- Rosa Parks: p. 223-224 (quoted)
Chapter 14: Syntax Extensions
Theme: Activists, continued
- Bella Abzug: p. 2
Chapter 15: Type Operations
Theme: Conservationists
- Biruté Galdikas: p. 261
- Jane Goodall: p. 261
- Dian Fossey: p. 261