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 Remember to Play Your Wild Cards!
Google Pocket Guide, 2003
By Tara Calishain, Rael Dornfest, and D.J. Adams
Published by O'Reilly and Associates, Inc.
ISBN: 0-596-00550-4
Paperback, 129pp
The search engine Google, born on September 7, 1998, derived its name from a word invented by a nine-year-old child, Milton Sirotta, nephew of American mathematician, Edward Kasner. As with precocious children like Milton or the giant bean stalks of English fairy tales, it is difficult to keep up with Google's rapid development. Until I read the Google Pocket Guide, by Tara Calishain, Rael Dorfest and DJ Adams I was unaware of all the things Google has learned to do. Now, in addition to finding Web pages that contain keywords, Google helps me find telephone numbers, solve mathematical equations and cook -- Google can convert cups to pints or just about anything to anything else. Using google maps, I can look at the crater, Giordano Bruno, on the dark side of the Moon, fly to Mars or see my house and yard in a satellite picture that seems to have been taken from only few hundred feet away. The pocket guide is full of information about how to use features I never knew existed. Did I mention Google Images? After reading Google Pocket Guide, I want to read more books about Google. I would like to read Google Hacks, Google: The Missing Manual and Google Maps Hacks.
In addition to describing all the things Google has learned to do, the Google Pocket Guide explains how to make searches more efficient (Part II), "explains how to interpret Google's results pages and URLs, and set preferences to influence what those pages contain" (Part III), and goes into advanced functionality like Language Tools, Groups, Directories and News (Part IV).
The authors say, "Knowing how to be specific with your search criteria is key. That's what this book is all about." To remember this I think (ASAP=ASAP) the key to getting results ASAP is being As Specific As Possible. For instance, instead of searching every Web site on the Internet, limit your search to educational sites by using special syntax (also referred to as advanced search operators). For example, when I search for "plenoptic camera site:edu" Google will return results from educational sites only. The authors also suggest using basic Boolean operators like NOT, represented by the minus sign, AND and OR. Did you know that Google limits queries to ten words and ignores the rest?
Tara Clishain, Rael Dornfest and DJ Adams have delivered a lot of information in only 129 pages. This book is a great starting point for anyone wanting to know Google better. This is a link you might find useful: http://www.google.com/help/features.html.
Google is fun:)
Michael Morgan
 Google Pocket Guide
Book Review: Google Pocket Guide
By Gregory West
Editor, SCUG Report
Sarnia Computer User's Group - www.scug.ca
By Tara Calishain, Rael Dornfest, and D.J. Adams
Published by O'Reilly and Associates, Inc.
Category: Internet Search Engine.
ISBN: 0-596-00550-4
Format: Paperback, 129pp
U.S. $9.95 / CAN. $15.95
For many, surfing the Net is a matter of going to Google (or any other search engine) and simply typing in a name, a phrase, or any relative brief statement that will hopefully bring them the desired results for their search. However, for a lot of people today, surfing the Net is a very cumbersome job, and nets very few exacting effects. In fact, many surfers will find the results to their search in the millions - yes millions of web pages that are offering the right answer to a desired query. At first, this is fun to see all those pages, but after a few scrolls down the item list of possible correct sights, one soon gets discouraged and the sites that have no real information regarding the initial request.
So, how does the serious surfer get the information they request in Google? How does one eliminate a few million hits down to a more manageable search? It is not easy, yet with the help of Google Pocket Guide you will be able to narrow down and zero in on the item you are searching. As the authors claim, "The Internet is not a library" as many now believe. In fact, the authors point out that "So search engine - not even Google - knows everything." But with the guidance of this easy-to-follow pocket guide, you can certainly target your search to a much more manageable result, thus saving you hours of frustration and possible failure to disclose any relevant information you desire.
The book takes you from a "Simple Example" to an "Advance Search" guiding you along in each step to successful searches. The table of contents is clearly marked out, the main parts are in BOLD text for a quick and easy reference. You are taken on a quick tour of the relevant ways in which Google works, using syntax, wildcards, exacting query wording, phrase searches, basic Boolean, and much more. Part III, "UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOU GET", goes into detail about interface language, search language, SafeSearch Filtering and more...this all sounds quite technical, but the Google Pocket Guide explains all this technical stuff in very easy-to-follow language, and it gives you the basics of how and what Google is doing while you surf. Part IV highlights Google's other services and features that can save you even more time and narrow your searches to specific areas, such as News, Images, Browsing Groups, Stock Trading, Searching Article Archives and much more.
For the more adventurous surfer Google Pocket Guide explains how to find Technical Definitions, Consulting Phonebooks, Directories of Information, Finding Weblog Commentary. The Google Toolbar is a great add-on to your web browser and the how-to-install is easily explained herein. Don't forget to check out the "Googling with Bookmarklets". These Bookmarklets "are like bookmarks but with an extra bit of JavaScript magic added. This makes them more interactive than regular bookmarks; they can perform small functions like opening a window, grabbing highlighted text from a web page, or submitting a query to a search engine."
As you can see, surfing the Net is changing and Google is at the forefront of this change. Surfing with the guidance of the Google Pocket Guide is not only extremely efficient, but also it is fun to check out all the various features that make surfing a much more efficient and enjoyable adventure. Happy Googling!
Gregory West is the Editor of SCUG Report www.scug.ca and affiliated with the Association of Personal Computer User Groups www.apcug.net.
Great reference!
The Google Pocket Guide is a small subset of the main google book.
this is a handy refernce in its own right.
Just buy it
Like all great products, the ability to start using it should be instant, but the possible features up for usage should be very deep.
Google makes it simple for anyone to do a search. This book helps make it simple for anyone to do a GREAT search.
Well worth the money.
 What's next - an operating manual for my toothbrush?
You've got to be kidding. I saw this and numerous other volumes at the bookstore about using Google and I laughed out loud. I had to pull this one off the shelf and see if it was a joke. After spending about 30 minutes flipping through it (that's about all it takes to get from front to back) I realized just how jealous I was becoming for not having thought of writing such a book first. The formula is simple - cull through readily available information on the Internet and repackage it in a friendly format for all the rubes with disposable income burning a hole in their pocket (come to think of it - isn't that the O'Reilly business plan?). What is so ironic is that Google was developed to be EXTREMELY easy - a true search engine for the masses. Its fundamental appeal is its ease of use, making guidebooks such as these silly at best, sad at the very worst. Take my advice, save your money and go treat yourself to a pizza.
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