Thread: Question on structure

Pardon me for my lack of knowledge in C programming but I am puzzle at one of the example in the book:

Code:

:
struct employee2 {
    char firstName[20];
    char lastName[20];
    int age;
    char gender;
    double hourlySalary;
    struct employee2 person;   /*error*/
    struct employee2 *ePtr;   /*pointer*/
};

The book explains that a variable of type struct employee cannot be declared in the definition for struct employee. A pointer to struct employee, however. amybe included.
Can anyone help explain why it is this case. Thanks a lot.

thanks for the reply zx-1