One of the first things people ask you when you say you’re writing a book for O’Reilly Media is: “What animal is going to be on the cover?” O’Reilly books are famous for their lovely animal drawings, in rich detail, either in black-or-white or colour. Books are sometimes referred to by their cover animal, like the famous Camel Book by Larry Wall and Randal Schwartz.
As an author, you don’t get to choose the animal on the cover. This is a fiercely-guarded prerogative of the O’Reilly Media design department. Authors and editors can make suggestions, but there’s no guarantee they’ll be followed.
Today, I got the design for the cover of the ActivityPub book I’m writing. I have to admit, I haven’t been thinking about it too much, so it was a surprise to see it, and I wasn’t really emotionally prepared. All I can say is that I’m overwhelmed and I absolutely love it.
The bird on the cover is a Nanday Conure, a South American parakeet. They are extremely intelligent; in captivity they can talk, and are prized as pets. The birds live in central South America. They breed and raise their young in separate, private nesting holes, but when breeding season is over they join into large roosts with many, many birds, connecting their small family units into a bigger flock network.
I couldn’t think of a better description of what ActivityPub is and does.
We’re going to be pushing two new chapters — Activity Streams 2.0 and ActivityPub federation protocol — to the Early Release program this week. (The early release version still has the baby bird on the cover.) If you want to read the ActivityPub book today, that’s the place to look.
Evan Prodromou's Blog 
@evanprodromou that’s beautiful!
@evanprodromou birb book
@evanprodromou I'd buy this book simply for the cover art! Of course I'd also get around to reading it eventually. Congrats!
@evanprodromou Now someone has to make an ActivityPub server or app called Parakeet .
@evanprodromou Congratulations! That's a great cover.
I agree! I love it.
@evanprodromouAt minimum, I know that I’m going to buy this book when it’s finished!
@evanprodromou
i have known a number of o'reilly authors over the years and it's one of the few publishing houses that consistently seems to be a positive experience for both author and reader.
kudos on the new book.
@evanprodromou I love that people are still having the same experience with their O'Reilly book covers. As an editor, I got pretty good at guiding authors to a suggestion that was broad enough to allow Design to do their thing, but still make the author happy. One of my favorites was "Building Microservices." Sam said he wanted "a small thing that makes big things," and that's exactly what Design delivered.
@evanprodromou Congratulations! They used a (sadly now extinct) parakeet on my first book, too.
Those designers know their stuff. 🦜
@evanprodromou hey CONGRATULATIONS 😍
@evanprodromou I was thrilled when they gave me Canada Geese, as a large flock of them kept me company across the backyard as I was writing.
@evanprodromou is that a Puerto Rican cotorra/parrot?
If only! It’s a Nanday Conure from Brazil.
@evanprodromou in Brazil this is a Papagaio, or if it's the little one, the name is Periquito.
I'm eager to read.
Congrats!
😉
@evanprodromou EXCELLENT cover. i’d almost be willing to learn PERL to be able to want to buy it.
@evanprodromou they didn't save that one for a GPT book?
No, ActivityPub is more important.