Write for Us Patient-Centered Guides Work with Us I never reveal the reasons behind my choices, but I can assure all interested parties that there is always a reason. The strange animals I found seemed to be a perfect match for all those strange-sounding UNIX terms. Since the late 1980's, when I designed the first O'Reilly Animal covers, I've been deluged with questions from our customers about how I choose the animals.
People have all sorts of theories about why a specific animal is chosen for a specific topic.
I never reveal the reasons behind my choices, but I can assure all interested parties that there is always a reason. I had heard of UNIX, but I had a very hazy idea of what it was. I had never met a UNIX programmer or tried to edit a document using vi. As I started to look for imagery for the book covers, I came across some wonderful wood engravings from the 19th century. The strange animals I found seemed to be a perfect match for all those strange-sounding UNIX terms, and were esoteric enough to appeal to what I believed the UNIX programmer type to be.