The Rough Guide to the Internet 1999 [Paperback]

Angus J. Kennedy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1858283434 | ISBN-13: 978-1858283432 | Publication Date: November 1, 1998 | Edition: 4th

Want to get up to speed online without any hassle? This bestselling guide will make you an Internet guru in the shortest possible time. In plain English, with no hint of techie jargon, it explains: sending email, browsing sports, news and travel info, shopping for the best Internet deals, downloading free software and creating your own web pages. "The Rough Guide" starts at the beginning with a description of what the Internet is and how it developed, takes you through all the steps to get online, and helps you make use of what's there. Includes more than 1100 critical reviews of web sites, and detailed instructions for road warriors connecting anywhere in the world-all in a pocket-size package.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

So you want to know about the Internet already, but you'll be damned if you're going to carry a book that calls you an idiot or a dummy? Lucky for you, Angus Kennedy has written a hip and compelling guide to all things Web-based with The Internet: The Rough Guide. Truly pocket-sized and jammed with basic, straightforward facts, Kennedy also throws in cool gems to help us all realize why we got so excited about the Web in the first place.

On the Internet, where addresses change faster than print can keep up, a new edition of an introductory guide is essential. The '99 version of this Rough Guide reflects all the latest changes and fads, and yet is substantial enough to want to keep within arm's reach. This guide is anything but bland, as Kennedy weighs in often with his razor-sharp (and accurate) opinions: on Suck, an online magazine, he says, "In a smug class all by itself, and arguably the only ezine that ever mattered" and on Underwire, MSN's channel for "women's issues," he comments, "You might wonder if you really need to go online to read this sort of stuff." "Weird" sites get a sublisting all their own, and the listing on e-bookstores isn't confined to the usual suspects. (Cult guru John Water's campy Atomic Books is one worthy find.)

Normally, print indexes of sites don't merit much--the information they provide is accessible by any search engine and having to type in lengthy URLs removes any benefit their simplicity might provide. But in The Internet: The Rough Guide, Kennedy's hit on a perfect balance of serious, tech-heavy background tutorial and a cutting-edge yellow-page guide for the 21st century. --Jennifer Buckendorff

From Library Journal

Rough Guides proves that good things come in small packages. These entries condense useful information in a nontechnical, nonthreatening format for beginners, while never condescending to their audience. Both have a mildly British tone yet remain accessible. Especially helpful are page-numbered references to useful topics covered elsewhere in the books, a nice attempt to replicate "hyperlinking" in print. Recommended for all public libraries, though the books' dimensions (4" x 53/4") may limit appeal.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 4th edition (November 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858283434
• ISBN-13: 978-1858283432
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,025,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It deserves more than 5 stars!!, June 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rough Guide to the Internet 1999 (Paperback)

This book is really intresting.Reading this book, one can have a comprehensive idea about the internet and can say good bye to huge bulky books. Therefore,I cosider the folks @ Rough Guide to be so successful in producing such a book.Finally, I would strongly recommend it for any new internet user ;-)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Resource, February 25, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rough Guide to the Internet 1999 (Paperback)

This book is definitley a must have. It's my internet bible! I strongly suggest that everyone who uses the "Net" buys this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Inexpensive, pocket-sized, pseudo-textbook - A Perfect Buy!, April 5, 2003

By 

Harinath Thummalapalli (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rough Guide to Internet 2002 (Internet (Rough Guides)) (Paperback)

I have been exposed to the Internet since 1991 when only universities or companies like Microsoft had access to it. So, I was used to surfing the Internet using FTP, Telnet, etc. When the World Wide Web came into existence in the mid-nineties, it grew faster than anything any of us could ever imagine (as we all know by now). I ran across one of the first editions of the Rough Guides about the Internet in 1997. Till then, inspite of being very familiar with the technology behind the Internet, I felt very uncomfortable about my knowledge of what the Web was all about. This Rough Guide was the reference I started using to change my ignorance about the Web. I bought every edition since then and have benefited tremendously.

So, why is this book so great? What does it offer? Well, considering that it is almost impossible for anyone to learn everything about the Internet, most people don't even bother to learn the basics. Not surprising, since you have to spend hundreds of hours reading too many books to even get a glimmer of understanding about this untamed beast called the Internet. This book addresses all the main topics in approximately 500 pages, and provides you the critical information that you need to know about the Internet in Plain English! If you like trivia, there is also quite a bit of it in this book on the history of the Internet. This book acts as a pocket reference, complete reference, listing of popular sites, dictionary and more - all for under [$$]

Being raised on British books, I thoroughly enjoy the systematic treatment of any subject that British authors tackle. This book is no exception - it is very thorough, complete and the facts are extremely accurate. Unfortunately, British books don't do that well in America (probably due to marketing disadvantages). But if you get a chance, check this book out and I am sure that you will be a fan of British books forever.

I have always bought several copies of each edition of this book that came out and gave them out as gifts to close friends and family that were new to the Internet. Every one of them has thoroughly enjoyed the new found knowledge gained through this book. I hope you have fun discovering more about the Internet by reading this book on a train ride or plane trip somewhere. Good luck!