Facebook For Dummies [Paperback]

Leah Pearlman (Author), Carolyn Abram (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0470527617 | ISBN-13: 978-0470527610 | Publication Date: November 9, 2009 | Edition: 2

The eagerly anticipated update to the bestselling first edition is here!

Facebook's popularity is seemingly unstoppable. The site experienced a huge boom in registered users in the latter half of 2008. It was at that time that Facebook also underwent a radical facelift and introduced numerous changes. Packed with hundreds of screen shots, this anxiously awaited new edition presents you with a thorough update on all the exciting changes to Facebook's interface since the first edition hit the shelves a mere one year ago.

Authored by two Facebook employees, Facebook For Dummies, 2nd Edition, features unique insight and insider knowledge of Facebook that can't be found anywhere else. You'll explore optimum ways to get familiar with Facebook, tips for representing yourself online, best practices for keeping connected, how to run a business on Facebook, and more.

• Walks you through creating a profile, navigating the interface, and setting up privacy features
• Explains how to find and add friends, fill out your profile, add applications, and upload photos
• Discusses ways to join a network or group or use Facebook as a scheduler
• Addresses using Facebook to promote your business and buy ad space on Facebook

Put your best face forward and dive in to all the exciting new features that Facebook offers!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Learn to:

• Create a Profile, navigate the site, and use privacy features

• Find friends and Groups

• Add applications and upload photos to your Facebook page

• Build a fan page or get the word out about an event

Facebook secrets revealed! Keep up with friends, family, classmates, and business contacts

Is everybody on Facebook except you? Change that with this friendly guide. These Facebook experts show you how to set up your Profile, protect your privacy, find friends and family members, learn what's happening in their lives, and keep them up to date on yours. You can even improve your business life with Facebook — here's how!

• For the beginner — learn the rules, set up a Profile with your personal information, upload photos, and find friends

• Make it work for you — tailor the Facebook system to deliver the updates you want and block out the rest

• Here, you can write on the Wall — explore communication through personal posts, public comments, and photo sites

• Participate — discover and join groups that focus on activities you enjoy

• Take the lead — start your own group, plan an event, or find others who share a special interest

• Promote your business — use fan pages and ads to introduce your business to new customers

• On the go — use Facebook mobile texts to stay connected while you're out and about

• Help keep Facebook safe — report rules violations and activities that weaken the Facebook community

Open the book and find:

• What you can and can't do on Facebook

• How to find and connect with your friends

• Tips on navigating the site

• Privacy controls and how to use them

• Advice for creating the perfect Profile

• How to schedule your life with Facebook

• Ideas for a business page that gets attention

• Great applications to try

About the Author

Leah Pearlman and Carolyn Abram work at Facebook. They've created and launched many of the site's features. They know Facebook inside and out and contribute regularly to the company blog at blog.facebook.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 2 edition (November 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470527617
• ISBN-13: 978-0470527610
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #83,811 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

47 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the users' manual for the "new" Facebook, November 10, 2009

By 

L. F. Smith (E. Wenatchee, WA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Facebook For Dummies (Paperback)

This newly revised, 2009 edition is the missing-- actually non-existent-- users' manual for the "new" facebook. Some of the previous reviews were written about the first edition, which is, as the reviewers say, indeed obsolete.

This is a very good summary of Facebook's features for it intended audience, people who are new to social networking in general and new to Facebook specifically. As is the case with most of the "Dummies" books, the information is presented in small, easy-to-digest bites. It's certainly not a technical book, but it's technical enough to answer most of the questions a new user might have.

The organization is very logical, beginning with how to set up an account and leading through how to add outside applications, use Facebook on a cell phone, etc. One very good feature is that at nearly every step, the authors point out pitfalls, traps, and potential dangers and explain how to avoid them. This allows new users to end up with an account that meets their needs-- and one that doesn't expose them to inconveniences or even stalkers.

The authors are genuine Facebook experts; both of them are Facebook Product Managers with considerable experience. In my view, their tone is just right; it's authoritative without being pedantic, and light without being cutsie.

I bought this book because some friends recommended that I join Facebook. I had no experience with it at all, and this book allowed me to get started quickly and to feel comfortable using it. I recommend it highly to all new Facebook users and to experienced users who want or need a good summary of the "new" Facebook's features.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth every penny and then some......, February 14, 2010

By 

P. Adams (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Facebook For Dummies (Paperback)

Because of this book, I am no longer reluctant to post things on Facebook (a fear likely NOT shared by the younger generation). I especially like the author's explanations, repeatedly, about using the various privacy settings, and how to reveal 'only what you want to reveal' to different levels of friends and the general public. The author's insider explanation of how things are structured on Facebook was so welcome. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to participate in the Facebook experience, but was afraid to try. Participating in Facebook has helped me understand the younger members of our extended family, a little glimpse here, a sentence there - it is wonderful. It also has allowed me to share ordinary moments or thoughts that happen in our physically extended family. You now can check, see a post on Facebook that they made, and be reassured that even though you haven't spoken to them in a little while, all is still fine with them. I find that very comforting.

19 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Danger, Will Robinson!, July 21, 2009

By 

TundraVision (o/~ from the Land of Sky Blue Waters o/~) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Facebook For Dummies (Kindle Edition)

I got the Kindle download, was merrily following along until the very-entertaining writers got down to actual screens, apps, etc and ... hunh?
Reviews on Kindle fail to mention that it is woefully out-of-date. Screens have all undergone one or more major revamps since it was promulgated and many things they instruct about simply no longer exist, as in: "Cool! I can see who of my friends is online now?!... WHAT arrow in the center of the right side!?" A trip to FB online Help says: Nope! Feature: intermittent - and constantly moving around as FB's techies continue to tinker.
The book is good for general concepts - only that and nothing more. Otherwise, it frequently resembles a guide to US IRS Form 1040 based on Canadian forms.
/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer