Create chapter-00.3-about-the-book.md

Author: nikol-ruseva

chapter-00.3-about-the-book.md

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+# The History Behind This Book
+
+The main driver and project manager for the creation of this **free open-source programming book** are **[Dr. Svetlin Nakov](https://nakov.com)**.
+
+In 2014, the SoftUni initiative was launched. In the beginning, these lessons had a larger range and covered more theory. In 2016 Dr. Svetlin Nakov completely reworked, updated, and simplified the whole method of teaching, strongly emphasizing practice. This is how the core of the **learning content of this book was created**.
+
+<!-- to update -->
+<!-- The free courses at SoftUni for introduction to programming are probably the most massive trainings ever conducted in South-Eastern Europe. Until 2017 the course in programming basics **was held over 150 times, in around 40 Bulgarian towns and cities** in person and multiple times online with over 50 000 participants. It was completely natural to write a **book** for the tens of thousands of participants at the SoftUni basic programming course -->
+Following the principle of **free software and free knowledge**, Svetlin Nakov led a **team of volunteers** and started this open-source project. At first, the idea was to create a **free book** for the basics of programming in the C# programming language and later extend the initiative with other similar books in various popular programming languages (like Java, JavaScript and Python).
+This book follows the structure of [Programming Basics with C#](https://csharp-book.softuni.org/).
+
+The project is part of the hard work of the **[Software University Foundation](https://softuni.foundation)** to create and distribute open learning content to teach software engineers and IT professionals.
+
+## Authors Team
+
+This book is developed by a broad author's team of **volunteers** who dedicated their time to give away the systematized knowledge and guide you at the start of programming. Below is a list of the main authors (in alphabetical order):
+
+> **Asya Dikova-Kirova, Daniel Tsvetkov, Dimitar Dalev, Ivaylo Ivanov, Kristiyan Pamidov, Milena Georgieva, Nikolay Bankin, Petar Ivanov, Rositsa Nenova, Svetlin Nakov, Teodor Kurtev, Tsvetan Georgiev, Vaydin Kachanov, Ventsislav Petrov, Zhulieta Atanasova**
+
+The book is based on its initial C# variant ([Programming Basics with C#](https://csharp-book.softuni.org)), which is developed by a large team of authors that has a significant contribution to the current book. Below is a list of the additional book contributors (editors, translators, others):
+
+> Aleksander Krastev, Aleksander Lazarov, Aleksander Peev, Alen Paunov, Angel Dimitriev, Daniel Tsvetkov, Denis Milanov, Desislava Dahterova, Dimitar Tatarski, Dimitar Vlahov, Dimo Dimov, Diyan Tonchev, Elena Rogleva, Hristiyan Hristov, Hristo Hristov, Iskra Nikolova, Ivelin Kirilov, Julieta Atanasova, Kalin Primov, Kiril Kolarov, Kristiyan Pamidov, Luboslav Lubenov, Mariya Nikolova, Monika Petkova, Nikolay Bankin, Nikolay Dimov, Pavlin Petkov, Petar Ivanov, Rositsa Nenova, Rozalina Zaharieva, Ruslan Filipov, Stefka Vasileva, Svetlin Nakov, Teodor Kurtev, Tonyo Zhelev, Tsvetan Iliev, Vanya Voykova, Vasko Viktorov, Venelin Bekyarov, Ventsislav Petrov, Yanitsa Vuleva, Yoana Maksimova, Yulian Linev, Zahariya Pehlivanova, Zhivko Nedyalkov.
+
+Book cover design: Marina Shiderova.
+
+## Official Web Site
+
+The book **Programming Basics with Java** is available for free at the following web address:
+
+<p align="center"><strong><a href="https://java-book.softuni.org">https://java-book.softuni.org</a></strong></p>
+
+The current book also has an [**official Facebook page**](https://www.facebook.com/IntroProgrammingBooks/), from which you can keep track of news about the books from the series "Basics of Programming", new editions, events, and initiatives:
+
+## Discussion Forum for Your Questions
+
+Ask your **questions about basic programming book** at the **SoftUni's Reddit channel**:
+
+<p align="center"><strong><a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/softuni/">https://www.reddit.com/r/softuni/</a></strong></p>
+
+In this discussion forum, you will get **proper response to any question associated with the content of this book** also any other programming questions. The SoftUni community is so big that you will get a response **within a few minutes**. SoftUni’s mentors also respond to questions. Note that you should post in English on both Facebook and Reddit and that you will receive answers also in English.
+If you have a specific question, for example, if you spend many hours on a certain piece of code and it doesn't work correctly, you can always **ask in the subreddit**. You will be surprised how friendly are SoftUni's forum participants.
+
+## License and Distribution
+
+The book is distributed **freely** in electronic format under an open license **[CC-BY-NC-SA](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/)**.
+
+The book is published and distributed **on paper** by SoftUni, and you can buy a hard copy from online bookstores like Amazon.
+
+You can find the **source code** of the book in GitHub: https://github.com/SoftUni/Programming-Basics-Book-Java-EN.
+
+International Standard Book Number (ISBN): **978-619-00-1402-7**.
+
+## The Book That Helps Teachers 
+
+If you are a **teacher of programming**, informatics, or information technology or want **to teach programming**, this book gives you more
+than a well-structured learning material with many examples and tasks. **Free of charge** with the book you receive **quality educational content** for teaching in school, in the **Bulgarian language**, by the school requirements:
+
+* **Educational presentations** (PowerPoint slides) for each learning topic tailored to 45-minute hours in schools – free of charge.
+* Well-designed **tasks** for class and homework, with detailed conditions and sample entrance and exit – free of charge.
+* **An automated task and homework verification system** (Online Judge System) to be used by students, also free of charge.
+* **Video lessons** with methodological instructions from the free course for programming teachers, which is held regularly by the SoftUni Foundation.
+
+## Reporting Bugs
+
+If you find **mistakes**, inaccuracies or bugs in the book, you can report them in the official bug tracker of the project:
+
+<p align="center"><strong><a href="https://github.com/SoftUni/Programming-Basics-Book-JAVA-EN/issues">https://github.com/SoftUni/Programming-Basics-Book-JAVA-EN/issues</a></strong></p>
+
+We do not promise to fix everything you send us, but we do want to **continually improve the quality** of the book, so that reported undoubted errors and all reasonable suggestions will be considered.
+
+## Enjoy Reading
+
+Don't forget **to write code** in large quantities, to **test the examples** that you'll find at the end of each chapter and more importantly **to solve the problems from the exercises**. You won't learn to program from just reading the book, so solve as many problems as you can find!