Customer Reviews

The Internet Research Guide

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This book is simply not well written. It feels cut-up, likely because the publisher wanted a shorter book. The author tries to cover many facets of the Internet but the writting is too vague. The reader ends up being confused no matter how hard they try to understand.

Go for the newly revised edition of this book. I don't know the quality of it, but it at least would be more up to date.

I first met Tim Maloy when I was working for my master's degree in public communication at American University. The program required me to take a course on the Internet and so, for six weeks, Tim was my guide and guru to the wonders of cyberspace. When I started Tim's course, I could barely log on. When I finished, I was designing my own web page. So when Tim told me he was bringing out a book, I felt duty-bound to spread the word among my fellow writers. For writers, there are two compelling reasons for becoming cyber-literate: inputs and outputs. If you know how to use the Internet, you'll be able to do more research in less time. The Internet is now the largest library in the world, and with a few mouse clicks, you can download reams of useful data - data that may be more recent and more pertinent than you could find at many libraries. So tapping into the Internet can make you more productive as a writer. As for outputs, the Internet can showcase your talents and help you sell your services. The `Net has democratized publishing. Any writer with a website can now share his or her work with tens of millions of potential readers worldwide. Exposure of this kind is as valuable for a any kind of writer, since none of can neglect to advertise nowadays. My own web site has been useful to me in promoting my speechwriting career, and full disclosure compels me to admit that Tim Maloy has featured my site in his book. But don't let that put you off: Tim Maloy is an entertaining author who knows his stuff and has lots of tips to offer. Buy the book anyway.

Hal Gordon (Hal Gordon is a former White House speechwriter, who has written for the top executives of many leading corporations)