PC Magazine Best of the Internet [Paperback]

Don Willmott (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0764544748 | ISBN-13: 978-0764544743 | Publication Date: January 13, 2004 | Edition: 1

With millions of Web sites out there, how do you find the good ones? Ask your friends at PC Magazine!

Forget those laundry-list catalogs that give you hundreds of URLs and nothing more! Don Willmott, PC Magazine contributing editor, has personally checked out thousands of sites and provided thoughtful summaries of about one thousand that are worth your time. He even sorted the sites into logical categories so you can find what interests you, then selected the best of the best in every one. And just in case that's not enough, he crammed each chapter with great tips, useful downloads, and stuff that's just plain fun.

A few of the categories you'll find
* Special search engines
* Gadget resources and tips
* Techie sites
* Film reviews
* Fun with fast access
* Current events Weblogs
* Fantasy sports leagues
* Home improvement
* Kid-safe sites and resources
* Alternative health
* Small business resources
* Executive recruiting
* Adventure travel
* National security

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

With millions of Web sites out there, how do you find the good ones? Ask your friends at PC Magazine!

Forget those laundry-list catalogs that give you hundreds of URLs and nothing more! Don Willmott, PC Magazine contributing editor, has personally checked out thousands of sites and provided thoughtful summaries of about one thousand that are worth your time. He even sorted the sites into logical categories so you can find what interests you, then selected the best of the best in every one. And just in case that’s not enough, he crammed each chapter with great tips, useful downloads, and stuff that’s just plain fun.

A few of the categories you’ll find

• Special search engines
• Gadget resources and tips
• Techie sites
• Film reviews
• Fun with fast access
• Current events Weblogs
• Fantasy sports leagues
• Home improvement
• Kid-safe sites and resources
• Alternative health
• Small business resources
• Executive recruiting
• Adventure travel
• National security

About the Author

Don Willmott is a contributing editor to PC Magazine and the genius who compiles the popular Backspace humor page. For four years he managed the magazine’s Web site, penned a weekly online column about the digital lifestyle, and wrote the quarterly Top 100 Web Sites feature. Don has discussed Internet topics on ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NPR, and others.

Product Details

• Paperback: 456 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (January 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764544748
• ISBN-13: 978-0764544743
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,011,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars lots of good ideas, February 16, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: PC Magazine Best of the Internet (Paperback)

There are so many interesting sites listed and suggestions for ways to save money in here that I think it'll keep me busy exploring for months. Even if you think you know your way around the Web you'll find something new. I'd also suggest it for people who are new to the Web and don't appreciate all that's out there beyond the usual sites that everyone knows. And the "weird" section cracked me up.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Long-winded and too close to the straight and narrow, May 5, 2005

By 

Steven B. (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: PC Magazine Best of the Internet (Paperback)

Many of us have the sinking feeling that the Internet is starting to resemble television. As the saying goes, "There are 500 television stations, but nothing's on." Estimates vary about the number of Web sites on the Internet. By some estimates, there are 300 million. Which means there are 300 million Web sites and nothing's on. Most of the Web sites aren't worth visiting.

The author of "Best of the Internet" wants to direct you to the Web sites that are worth going to. To that end, he has assembled some 1,000 Web site names and descriptions into 19 categories -- reference, communicating, computing, entertainment, news, sports, hobbies, family, education, health, lifestyles, religion, finance, careers, shopping, travel, government, and the weird.

If you are willing to trudge through this book's 420 pages, you will find more than a few good Web sites. I found a number of good online stores, for example. But the problem with this book is that the author mostly presents the tried and true. He doesn't stray from the beaten track. You discover Web sites that you could probably find on your own or already know about.

I thought the book book presented far too many corporate Web sites. Do I need to know that Disney.com is a good family-oriented Web site? The author could have searched a little farther for eccentric Web sites that are of interest to families. I find corporate Web sites dull and uninspiring, but many are listed in this book.

Another thing: The Web site descriptions are long-winded. By the time you read some of these descriptions, you could have visited the Web site on your own and decided for yourself whether it is worth visiting.

I hope if the author revises this book that he cuts back on the Web site descriptions and gives us more Web sites instead. How about 2,000 Web sites next time instead of 1,000, with fewer words to describe each Web site?

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Best of the Internet by PC MAGAZINE, February 6, 2007

By 

Fritz A. Toellner "ChicagoSwede" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: PC Magazine Best of the Internet (Paperback)

The list of websites dates back to 2004 which is a generation ago in Internet time. Half of these websites are already closed down or at least out of touch or simply outdated. The book is a waste of money and should no longer be offered for sale as anything as an antique