# Eloquent Ruby, Second Edition: Incorrect variable name in code example (Page 90)

**URL:** <https://forum.devtalk.com/t/eloquent-ruby-second-edition-incorrect-variable-name-in-code-example-page-90/237933>\
**Category:** PragProg Customers\
**Tags:** book-eloquent-ruby-second-edition, errata\
**Created:** [17 March 2026 12:24 UTC](https://forum.devtalk.com/t/eloquent-ruby-second-edition-incorrect-variable-name-in-code-example-page-90/237933 "2026-03-17T12:24:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![yedhukrishnan](https://forum.devtalk.com/user_avatar/forum.devtalk.com/yedhukrishnan/32/7980_2.png) [@yedhukrishnan](https://forum.devtalk.com/u/yedhukrishnan)\
**Post date:** [17 March 2026 12:24 UTC](https://forum.devtalk.com/t/eloquent-ruby-second-edition-incorrect-variable-name-in-code-example-page-90/237933/1 "2026-03-17T12:24:31Z")

</div>

The code starts with this:

```auto
publisher = Publisher.last

```

But the code after uses the variable `p`

```auto
if p in {authors: []}
  puts "#{p.name} has no authors!"
end

```

It has to be `publisher`. The code examples after this also uses `p` as the variable. There is no exception. But the branching fails for the incorrect reason.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![russolsen](https://forum.devtalk.com/user_avatar/forum.devtalk.com/russolsen/32/808_2.png) [@russolsen](https://forum.devtalk.com/u/russolsen)\
**Post date:** [18 April 2026 15:31 UTC](https://forum.devtalk.com/t/eloquent-ruby-second-edition-incorrect-variable-name-in-code-example-page-90/237933/2 "2026-04-18T15:31:44Z")

</div>

Good catch! This will be fixed in the next release!