Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet [Paperback]

Harley Hahn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1998

Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet is similar to no other Internet book. According to Hahn, "The Net is the next stage in human evolution. Human beings have a biological urge to connect with one another. With the Internet, we are able to connect our minds together as a species." Harley Hahn connects all users together in this personal vision and exploration of the Internet.

• Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet will change your perception of how to use the Internet to work, communicate with people, teach yourself and for entertainment
• Harley Hahn is a premiere authority on the Internet with the well-proven ability to communicate his unique vision, recognizing what is important and then showing people the best way to think about it
• What happens when millions of people participate in a global gathering in which information can be shared and preserved in a dependable fashion? You are about to find out

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet uses plain language to introduce you to all of the vital lanes of the information superhighway. The author doesn't assume readers have any knowledge of the Internet, yet doesn't insult their intelligence by providing a cursory introduction, either. From e-mail to streaming media, Hahn helps to demystify all of the important aspects of the Net.

The book predictably begins with an overall introduction to the Internet. However, its focus remains on the questions and concerns that new users are likely to have, rather than boring technical details. Throughout the book, the author stops to define acronyms as they come up and liberally uses "hint" boxes for special tidbits.

Hahn then moves on to explain all of the various protocols on the Net: the basics behind sending and receiving e-mail, ensuring safety and security, working with search engines, and using plug-in applets. This is a lot of material, but it is presented well. The book also explains how to download programs, browse newsgroups, subscribe to mailing lists, and chat with others online.

The book wraps up with a basic discussion on creating your own Web site and getting your own domain name. This book is a just plain fun way to learn tons about the Internet. --Stephen Plain

From Library Journal

This is a book for users new to the Internet who want to read about it and have meaty discussions of the basics: What is the Internet? What levels of security can you expect? What is the logic behind searching, the meaning of domain names, and much more. Hahn's book will work well as an introductory text for undergraduates new to the Internet (if there are any of those left), but there are few illustrations, and the extended text may be more than many casual adult users will want to know. Also there is almost no discussion of how to write for the Internet, how to code HTML, or how to create web pages. Not a quick-start book, this is best for larger public, undergraduate, and community college collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 422 pages
• Publisher: Que Pub; illustrated edition edition (October 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 8120315375
• ISBN-13: 978-8120315372
• ASIN: 0789716151
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,684,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a Solid Internet Educational Guide!, December 7, 1999

By 

Jim Moran - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Harley Hahn has updated his book, Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet, to provide his readers with an instructional guide about the use of today's computer and Internet technology. More than merely a primer, this book brings to light and together all the essential information the average person needs to get online and to become a more active and productive participant in the online community.

Hahn discusses a broad range of topics related to the use of the Internet. He covers computer and Internet terminology, online connection services and options including Web TV and DSL, the operation and use of popular Web browsers and other related Web programs, he offers insightful information about the selection and use of domain names, using e-mail at home and away, understanding of the significance and use of Internet addresses, using search engines, conducting online research, talking with other people online, online safety concerns, and a host of other online issues.

Of special interest to his readers, Hahn offers pointers about downloading software programs off the Internet and installing them. This is an important concern in light of the recent trend of manufacturers to market and distribute their own software online. Plenty of resources are offered to get people online and ready to create Webpages and to download clipart, MP3 music files, sounds, HTML editors, Web browsers, compression programs, and other essential programs! Hahn provides one of the better glossaries available today for a book this size - 27 pages in length! A sampler directory of Websites is included as well!

Internet businesses, students in the classroom, and others will appreciate Hahn's attention to detail given to make productive use of the Internet. Readers will glean fresh understanding, develop their own online strategies, and come away with greater appreciation and knowledge of how things work and what the Internet can accomplish for them. This is a solid educational tool!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nobody does it better than Harley Hahn., March 5, 2000

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

Hahn's previous books have sold more than 2 million copies. This is not an accident. Hahn's writings are always interesting and clear: it's impossible to find even one paragraph that's cluttered with jargon or difficult to understand. This book is comprehensive: every essential aspect of the Net is explained in vivid and step-by-step details. Snug between these two covers you'll learn it all: What can be accomplished on the Net. What hardware is needed to connect. How to skillfully use electronic mail. How to find and to participate in Usenet newsgroups and mailing lists. How to search the web effectively to find what you're looking for. How to protect your privacy and your family. How to make a web site. And more and more and more. It's all explained with patience and humor, and loads of amusing surprises throughout the book. Weighing in at 80 pages longer than the previous version, this new second edition is a must-have upgrade. It contains three entirely new chapters titled Music on the Net; How To Do Stuff; and Harley Hahn's Internet Sampler. This last chapter, containing URLs of interesting web sites, is a supercondensed version of the popular book Harley Hahn's Internet And Web Yellow Pages. Hahn maintains an ever-growing web site with more information about the book and many interesting features. When you arrive at the back cover of Harley Hahn Teaches The Internet you won't find the typical advertising hype. Instead you'll see a letter from Harley, written in a personal tone, which promises "I will show you how to use the Internet well and enjoy the experience." The Internet is a powerful tool for communications, and it is more. It's a unique tool, a very personal tool, and whenever we understand how to make it work for us, then using the Net becomes an experience that is creative, enjoyable, enlarging, and connecting all at once. There are a number of excellent writers teaching about the Internet, but nobody does it better than Harley Hahn.

Michael Pastore, Reviewer

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rev with Harley and get on the 'Net, April 28, 2000

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Harley Hahn Teaches the Internet (2nd Edition) (Paperback)

The growth of the Internet and the World Wide Web(WWW) is exponential and the time frame of a new iteration of tools to access them is measured in fractions of a year. While there is a limit to all exponential curves, it will be some time before the Internet growth curve begins to level off. This situation can be very intimidating to the beginner, and there still are many whose forays onto the Internet have to date been only tentative. If you are in this group, then this is the book for you.
While the Internet is vast and unregulated, the basic tools for accessing it are easy to understand. There has been a great deal of convergence so that most of the actions that can be done are built into the latest iterations of the major browsers. A browser is the program that is used to access the WWW, including all of the multimedia components. In this book, Harley Hahn uses his wry, humorous style to explain what the actions are and how to perform them. Topics such as e-mail, basic file transfer, mailing lists, safety and security; Usenet and searching for information are well covered. As an unregulated medium, the Internet is a true bastion of free speech. Therefore, like all places where one can speak their mind or show their body, there will always be something, somewhere that will offend you. Hahn takes a very even handed approach to these matters, pointing out that the Internet is a judgement-neutral medium where you have control over everything you see. If you do not like something, click a button and it is no longer there. His approach to all matters is refreshing, candid and honest, doing his best to overturn some of the fallacies concerning using the Internet.
This book contains the best explanations for beginning Internet explorers that I have ever seen, and if you need something to get you started, then it will do you good.

Published in Journal of Recreational Mathematics, reprinted with permission.