Markdown was created as a simple way to write in an easy-to-read format that could be converted to HTML; it is a text tool that allows anyone to create Web pages without knowing any HTML.

While basic Markdown may not be sufficient for creating books, extensions such as CommonMark and Pandoc can take up that slack.

Markdown doesn't do everything we might want, but what it does do simplifies writing greatly. The writer can write, using only a small set of syntax rules, while Markdown does the formatting. If you use text for your drafts, it can take you a long way in simplifying the work. Even the drafts can look good.

This book is an introduction to basic Markdown. Knowing how to use basic Markdown will carry over into the use of extended packages such as CommonMark and Pandoc. Here, then, we'll cover basic Markdown syntax with examples to show you how you can use it right away. I think that you will be pleasantly surprised at just how much basic Markdown can do.