# New editions of the "the book"

![Minimum Rust version: 1.26](https://img.shields.io/badge/Minimum%20Rust%20Version-1.26-brightgreen.svg) for the final version of the second edition

![Minimum Rust version: 1.31](https://img.shields.io/badge/Minimum%20Rust%20Version-1.31-brightgreen.svg) for the 2018 edition

We've distributed a copy of "The Rust Programming Language," affectionately
nicknamed "the book", with every version of Rust since Rust 1.0.

However, because it was written before Rust 1.0, it started showing its age.
Many parts of the book are vague, because it was written before the true
details were nailed down for the 1.0 release. It didn't do a fantastic job of
teaching lifetimes.

Starting with Rust 1.18, we shipped drafts of a second edition of the book.
The final version was shipped with Rust 1.26. The second edition is a complete
re-write from the ground up, using the last two years of knowledge we’ve
gained from teaching people Rust.

You can purchase [a printed version of the second edition from No Starch
Press](https://nostarch.com/Rust). Now that the print version has shipped, the
second edition is frozen.

As of 1.31, the book has been completely updated for the 2018 Edition release.
It's still pretty close to the second edition, but contains information about
newer features since the book's content was frozen. Additionally, instead of
publishing separate editions of the book, only the latest version of the book
is published online. You’ll find brand-new explanations for a lot of Rust’s
core concepts, new projects to build, and all kinds of other good stuff.
Please [check it out](https://doc.rust-lang.org/book/index.html) and let us
know what you think!
