I have it on good authority that it’s not a case of misspelling (mis-spelling? Not miss pelling, though, which would have to be ms pelling in our politically correct world. But I digress…), nor of a shaky finger on the F. And neither does IFF stand for International Falconry Forum or International Flavors and Fragrances, although it could possibly be – but isn’t! – Identification Friend or Foe, applied to those who like or dislike our books.
When used in logic within philosophy or mathematics, IFF means “if and only if”, and as the name of John Hunt Publishing’s new imprint, it is most apt. Inspired, even. It sums up and brings across in one syllable the intent of the imprint to produce quality books on philosophy and science, books that are not for specialists only, but for the general public.
It’s the extra F that makes all the difference. It’s not just “if”: IFF forms a two-way truth. Water boils iff (if and only if ) its temperature is 100 deg. C. And when the temperature of water is 100 deg. C, it boils. In other words, water will definitely boil at 100 deg. C. (The truth of one depends on the truth of the other).
This is different to “If it’s hot tomorrow, I will go swimming” since I could change my mind, and I could also do other things. Now if I add IFF to such a mundane occurrence, there is a big change to what I am saying: “I will go swimming tomorrow if and only if (iff) it’s hot.” In that sentence, I am saying that I will definitely go swimming if it’s hot; and I won’t NOT go swimming.
(It goes without saying that the definition of IFF is slightly more complicated, so for those well versed in the subject I apologise for the potted version, which is due to restraints of space.)
It would be nice to apply IFF to Iff-Books and its authors in some way. But I am aware that other publishers have popular philosophy and science imprints that have good authors writing for them. I can, though, use one F, knowing that if an author is published by Iff-Books, the book, the author and the subject will be good.
If I had a glass of wine in my hand now, I would drink to that.
