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Google doesn’t have an official manual, so Google: The Missing Manual steps in. The super search engine has a multitude of features many don’t know about. The authors do a first-rate job of describing its features and demonstrating how to use them.
When I start a search, Google is often the first place I go. Over time, I’ve learned of its new features and applyied tricks here and there. I have found the words to a song when I could only remember a handful of words. The song is no rock ‘n roll hit or anything played on the radio. It’s a geography song I learned in third year Spanish in high school. Using a few of Google’s tricks, the full lyrics appeared quickly.
Heck, save money with Google. A search engine that saves money? Indeed. Froogle is the word, nice play on frugal there. Enter the item and it provides results with prices. I use it for comparison shopping to ensure I get the best deal. Thanks to Froogle, I located a hard to find item for my niece’s birthday gift.
The book covers every trick I’ve learned and read about and taught me a few more. A call comes through, but the person doesn’t leave a message. The CallerID shows the phone number and a company name, but it doesn’t ring a bell. When I enter the phone number in Google, it provides three results (boy, talk about bad luck as a couple of companies who had the phone number went out of business) and it dawns on me it is the new family doctor, which is why the number is familiar. The company appearing in CallerID is the telecommunications company provides the services. In some cases, teleco names show up instead of the business or residents’ names.
The Google API (application program interface) is not covered although it is mentioned as a resource. The purpose of the book is to show how to use Google from a non-programming and non-techie perspective. The authors have accomplished the goal. They briefly cover using Google on Web sites as a search tool and for Ad Sense.
Those looking for hard-core Google tips using the API obviously won’t find it in this book. This is a book for all the non-programmers and non-Web designers. Scanning the book takes little time and it’s an excellent reference since it’s well organized in five parts: techniques, unknown Google, search tools, Google for Webmaster, and an appendix with resources. Also extra nice is the authors’ coverage of other browsers besides Internet Explorer when referencing browser-based tools that work with Google.
One of the reasons the company is popular is for its simplicity. Its home page has hardly anything other than its logo and a search box. The book continues the theme by keeping it simple.
VITAL STATISTICS:
TITLE: Google: The Missing Manual
AUTHORS: Sarah Milstein (Editor), Rael Dornfest
PUBLISHER: Pogue Press
PUBLICATION DATE: May 2004
ISBN: 0596006136
FORMAT: Paperback
PAGES: 311
PRICE: USD: 19.95, CAN: 28.95, UK: 13.95
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