I went to my LHBS (Northern Brewer, Mpls) this morning to get some specialty grains for the IPA I'm brewing tomorrow and there's John Palmer sitting at a table with a stack of his books. Northern Brewer was celebrating the grand opening of its Minneapolis location and John was there to give a talk about protein, among other beer-related things. I walked up and told him that I practically lived in the green edition of How To Brew when I started brewing in 2005. I also told him that it was the most helpful and accessible brewing resource I've encountered to date. And since he was there, I figured I could use a copy of the 3rd edition of How to Brew, especially because John signed it
He seemed like a very nice guy. It was great to meet someone whose instruction and advice was a phenomenal resource for me when I was starting out. Hell, I still consult How to Brew from time to time!
Cheers to John Palmer!