Customer Reviews

Second Life For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

whether you're a newbie, a long term resident, or thinking about getting a Second Life, this is the most contemporary and lucid guide to the essentials of a good life in SL. An easy, fun read that will enhance your journey into virtual environments. Perfect for educators like me as well, who are interested in teaching and learning using Second Life.

Second Life for Dummies was more than I expected!!...It means a great help for all those who begin in this fantastic world, and for those people who already belong to the Residents. Also has an excellent paperback and pages quality.Beautiful colours and easy graphics to understand step by step, all the procedures (even the more difficults)to explore this infinite World....To all the Fans.....Don t miss it!!!!!!

It's a great book and there's lots of things in it that haven't changed, however its a tad outdated in terms of, say, Advanced Options and the locations of a lot of these things, which is why i couldn't honestly give it a 5-star rating, however it's easy enough to figure out. The book is well worth the purchase if you're first starting out and want to get answers to many common questions and some advanced ones as well. It's broken up (as most For Dummies books are) into easy-to-navigate sections for quick answers, or you can read it all the way through to find answers to some questions you never even knew you had, like I did.

This the perfect product for the Second Life Beginner. Breaks it down so anyone can understand it. A must have.

I am preparing to build an island for my job and needed something that goes from basic to intermediate. More than anything I needed information on building.

This book walks you through several logical chapters of starting and advancing in Second Life. It teaches much about culture which is more important than one may think, how to build an avatar, where go to, how to shop, and how to build, among many other topics. The authors write at a level anyone can appreciate and the illustrations are very helpful.

Since this is a 2007 book (which would mean written in 2006?), there are a few nuances with some of the illustrations and instructions as things have changed a little in Second Life. The menu options and some of the commands are what I am referring to. Yet, the book is still up-to-date enough to be on target.

As mentioned, I am primarily interested at this point in building. There are basically one and one half chapters on building structures. The first chapter gives a great description of the building tools, but only a basic idea of "how" to use them. I did read and design at the same time which worked well. Anyone in second life can search for a "free sandbox" location and practice there. I personally use EdTech island, which is a place for academics. And, there are many sandboxes from which to choose.

In my opinion, the building section needs much more attention. One thing they could include is where to find textures (like brick, lodge pole, stucco, etc.) for buildings. This is quite important information since making building blocks into a structure is only one part of the puzzle. And, there are other considerations like trees, rivers, furniture, lighting, and other objects.

The building section is the reason I only gave the book four stars.

All in all, this is an excellent read though and I recommend the reader go through the book at the same time they are playing in SL as practice makes perfect.

Kudos to the authors and if there is another version, hopefully the all-important area of building will get much more attention.

This book is a great introduction to Second Life for those who are brand new to the virtual world. The directions are very easy to follow and the work is presented in an user friendly format. It would not be recommended for those already familiar with Second Life and who are looking for being able to do more advanced capabilities like that required for educators.

Dummie No More! As is with all the Dummies publications this is a highly recommended tool for new Second Life members. A MUST have for all skill levels. Once you become master of your second life pass it on to your friends! [....]

Many people drop out of Second Life because they don't immediately understand "what do I DO there!?"

This book is a great guide to quickly make the experience of Second Life meaningful for YOU.

For example, there are thousands of useful groups for personal and professional use in Second Life. The largest is our foundation's First Opinions Panel with over 12,000 members providing feedback to Fortune 500, media and academic organizations.

Like most things in "real" life, a little planning will go a long way in Second Life.

Andrew B. Mallon
Executive Director
Social Research Foundation

Anyone who is involved in "SL", this is a great book to have on hand.
It gives you a better understanding and can aid you with what challenges you may face. One of the great features of this book, you can juup to whatever section you are interestesd in, issues you face and need help improving your Second Life skills. If you are a "Newb" (newbie),or desire to enhance your activities and interaction with others...this is a book to help you through step by step.

This book showed me more than I could hope to learn...I am submitting a syllabus to teach Second Life and am asking for this book as the text. Remember me from Carefree Intellagirl and Typewriter?! Rah ;-)