1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A worthy addition to the old farts series., March 1, 2004
This review is from: Old Fart's Guide to Internet Searches (Paperback)
So you ended up getting your loved ones their fist computer for christmas, and you included a copy of "Old Farts Guide to the Macintosh" in their stocking. Of course they love the computer (it's a Mac, who wouldn't) but they just can't seem to get around on the internet quite as efficiently as they should.
In other words; it's been 2 months, and you're damn sick of getting calls asking where they can find cast and crew credits from the movie "The Big Lebowski", or where to find a picture of a rabbit with a pancake on its head.
That is where the newest book in the "Old Farts Guide" series comes in; "Old Farts Guide to Internet Searches" by Aaron Rosenzwig. Like the books predecessor ("Old Farts Guide to the Macintosh") this book fills a void other books seem to miss. It breaks things down in plain english. No term is mentioned with out a definition on the very same page, and no prior knowledge is assumed.
The book is aimed at the older crowd who are still intimidated by computers, and does an excellent job at explaining things that a lot of us take for granted. I know how hard it is to accomplish this task. I've worked about 5 years in phone tech support, and I have talk more first time computer users through how to use a mouse then I care to count. The way the author conveys these "basic" concepts is extraordinary. I would suggest "Old Farts Guide to Internet Searches" to anyone new to the internet.
"Old Farts Guide to Internet Searches" is available from Cocoa Nuts and is priced at $19.95. For the books ability to explain things in a easy to read manor, and for the giant void this book fills, I give it 5 out of 5 Stars
-iKen
www.2guysamacandawebsite.com
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Let This Book Be Your Guide To The Internet, February 20, 2004
This review is from: Old Fart's Guide to Internet Searches (Paperback)
Product Review
From the foreword by Brian Pinkerton to the index at the end, this is a superb book. I have to thank Aaron for writing this Internet guide. If you enjoyed the Old Fart's Guide to the Macintosh and also use the Internet, then this is the book that you MUST HAVE! It is very easy reading, and Aaron's sharp sense of direction paves an easy path through the Internet jungle. He provides easy to understand overviews of the Internet, browsers, and search engines. Aaron suggests scanning through the book and then reading it in it's entirety from cover to cover. Although all of the chapters are independent of each other, it would be well worth your while to absorb the information presented in all of the chapters.
First things first, the guide is equally applicable to the Macintosh operating system, Microsoft Windows, and Linux operating systems, and covers not only the most popular browsers (Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape), but also over a half dozen additional browsers. Aaron includes many screenshots of his examples, in order to familiarize the reader with the particular topic that he is covering throughout the book.
The book starts out by describing the Internet, various Internet Service Providers, and different types of Internet connections. A number of search engines are covered, starting with Google and continuing through a "No-Search Search Engine", called "BrainBoost", which by-passes the "key word" concept and allows the user to directly type in a simple question in plain english. Aaron covers simple searches with how to find specific types of information, such as finding friends, financial information, books, recipes, movie listings, acronyms and driving directions, to name a few. Next Aaron covers advanced searching techniques, and how to save your search preferences in Google so that you can easily customize and repeat your individualized options the next time that you search. Last, but not least, Aaron covers various types of Internet hoaxes that crop up from time to time, and includes tips on how to identify and avoid them.
After the main topics section Aaron has compiled a handy list of useful web sites, arranged into helpful popular categories, each with a brief descriptive paragraph, a comprehensive Glossary of computer terms, and an alphabetical Index at the end.
Summary
While the book is designed for an older person who is new to the Internet, I would suggest it for a someone in any age category. The book is enjoyable to read, and it is very informative. All of the technical terms are in plain english, and Aaron has left handy margins on each page for the reader to record notes. Even though I have used the Internet for many years myself, I enjoyed reading this book and I never felt bored with it. Aaron has put together a great book, and it is a valuable asset to anyone who wants to learn more secrets on how to use the Internet.
One of my biggest pleasures with this book is both the presence of an index and plenty of cross-referencing. Another really nice feature of this book is that it explains the definitions of many technical words throughout the book along the side of the pages where the word is used. These side areas also have pictures, for instance a picture of the browser window with arrows pointing to the appropriate place corresponding to the text description.
I enjoyed the book's clear sense of order, thoroughness, and accuracy. I highly recommend this book not only to us Old Fart's, but to any user, new or old, who is using the Internet. This very powerful book is invaluable to read and you are sure to keep it nearby your computer whenever you use the Internet. I look forward to more books in Aaron's "Old Fart's Guide" series. The "Old Fart's Guide to Internet Searches" is available for $19.95 from the Cocoa Nuts web site and I would rate it 5 out of 5 farts(the good kind).
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