Loose Wire: A Personal Guide to Making Technology Work For You [Paperback]

Jeremy Wagstaff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 29, 2006

EVER GET THE FEELING that technology is taking over your life and not asking you first? When you've mislaid that important file or can't connect your new camera, do you just want to hurl your computer out of the window? When your kids/friends/grandparents start talking about blogging, podcasting and RSS feeds do you nod as wisely as you can while wrestling with the urge to throw them out of the window too? The bad news is that technology isn't going away. The good news is that, by picking up this book, you're halfway to making it work for you - not against you. Loose Wire is a compilation of Jeremy Wagstaff's most popular weekly columns on personal technology from The Wall Street Journal Asia and the Far Eastern Economic Review. An ordinary person's primer on technology, Loose Wire explains - in jargon-free language and real sentences - what has happened over the past few years, from the rise of the mobile phone to phishing, to where we are heading, as well as hands-on, practical advice about how to enjoy the ride. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jeremy Wagstaff has worked as a journalist since 1986 - for the BBC, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal and the Far Eastern Economic Review. Most of that time has been spent in Asia, covering uprisings, wars, colonial retreats and the odd (sometimes very odd) press conference. No techie, his interest in technology grew out of a realization that it was changing the way journalists - and the world - work, and that following it would probably be a better idea than fighting it. Since 2000 he has been writing a technology column and has since 2004 appeared regularly on the BBC World Service. He also keeps a blog at www.loosewireblog.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Equinox Publishing (September 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9793780398
• ISBN-13: 978-9793780399
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,452,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book with common sense advice, November 2, 2006

By 

P. Baker "Gadget Guy" (Solana Beach, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Loose Wire: A Personal Guide to Making Technology Work For You (Paperback)

Jeremy Wagstaff writes a terrific technology column for the Wall St Journal. This book is a compilation of some of these columns. Jeremy has an ability to explain things clearly without technical jargon. He faces tech problems like you and I and offers common sense solutions recommending products along the way. Perhaps because he works from Indonesia he offers a fresh perspective by looking at products available from around the world and problems that average non-techies face. He makes difficult subjects much easier to understand and writes in a breezy, flowing manner that makes his columns so popular. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Advice: Make Technology Work for You!, February 5, 2007

By 

Chris Riemer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Loose Wire: A Personal Guide to Making Technology Work For You (Paperback)

I'm a fan of Jeremy Wagstaff's writing, enoying both his articles in the Wall Street Journal and the postings at his blog. He brings a dry wit and an appealing, common sense perspective to the job of writing about technology.

This book is a compendium of his articles from the past few years. It's organized in four sections, devoted to "getting stuff done" (email, productivity tools and back-up advice), "getting connected" (WiFi, mobile phones and VoIP), "getting what you need" (browsers, blogs and RSS) and "getting out of trouble" (viruses, spam and credit card fraud). There's also an entertaining "Lexicon for Luddites," with some suggested terms for the modern age. "Wantage," for example, is defined as the shortfall between your present computer's capacity and that required to run the program you just bought.

It's an entertaining and informative read for anyone who's not getting all they could from their tools. Which to be honest, is just about everybody. Consider it highly recommended.