501 Web Site Secrets: Unleash the Power of Google, Amazon, Ebay, and More

by Michael Miller and Michael Miller

Shows Internet users how to get the most out of Internet searches, portals, and commerce sites Covers using Google to solve mathematical equations, making search engines safe for kids, harnessing the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 076455901X
• ISBN13: 9780764559013
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Wiley Publishing
• Length: 410 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Not quite secrets

I'm not sure how finding your local weather on Yahoo! is a secret. But it is worthwhile, and as long as you look at the book as 501 helpful hints and pointers, you will do alright. The book is organized into chapters by site; CNN, ESPN, Google, Yahoo!, eBay, and more. A good Christmas present for someone new to the Internet or just getting excited about it.

Review

The book, 501 Web Site Secrets, written by Michael Miller, is a "how-to" book that contains hidden tips, or "secrets," covering 20 of the most popular Internet web sites. It is about providing the consumer with more knowledge and skill at using the most popular web sites on the Internet.Organized into 20 chapters, each covering a particular web site such as Google, Yahoo, and eBay, information is presented in small bites that fit the style of people who like their information in easily readable summaries. This style works very well.Targeted at users of the Internet, which includes just about everybody from Internet-savvy people to beginners who are just learning how to use the Internet and all that it offers, the book meets it objective-showing people different, better, or "hidden" ways to use their favorite web sites. Experienced or casual browsers will find useful morsels of information to help better utilize these popular web sites whether they are browsing for specific data in support of their research or just having fun surfing the Internet. For instance, did you know that Google can perform a search on your subject that also includes words similar to your search word? On page 123, the author reveals a way to do this: just include the tilde as the first character of your search word, i.e., if you are searching for "elderly" type in "~elderly" and Google will find pages that not only use the word "elderly" but also related words so web pages containing the words "senior" and "older" would also be part of your search results.The book's layout is easy-to-follow. Each web site is covered in a chapter by itself and the table of contents provides a quick reference to sections so the reader may go directly to the "secrets" of the web site they like the most. The author's writing style also contributes to an easy read. He uses plain language and does not use confusing, technical jargon, and his examples are very good.There is one thing, though. In future editions, I would like to see some type of spiral binding so the book may lay open when a person is using it at the computer. Different methods of holding the book open, i.e., cordless phones, clipping heavy pens to the pages, etc., were used and this was just inconvenient.Bottom line: Is 501 Web Site Secrets worth the read? Yes. Do I recommend it? Yes.Bobby