Actually helpful. ( )

I quite liked this book. It covers the internet thematically (e.g. search engines, discussion boards, news) and, essentially, aggregates many types of things into one book. Yes, some of the information on Google and Yahoo is not going to be new, but I learned a lot and I'm someone who is very internet savvy. The best thing about this book is that it is a resource. It doesn't really tell you how to use the internet, but it tells you where on the internet to look if you want to start finding the best types of things. It's other great feature is having a companion website that lists all the links discussed in the book (there are a lot!). Overall, recommended if you want to become more efficient at finding quality information online. ( )

The Extreme Searcher's Internet Handbook is the essential guide for anyone who uses the Internet for research: librarians, teachers, students, writers, business professionals, and others who need to search the Web proficiently. Award-winning writer and Internet trainer Randolph Ran Hock covers strategies and resources (including search engines, directories, portals, alerting services, blogs, and social networks) for all major areas of Internet content.

Readers with little to moderate searching experience appreciate the author's helpful, easy-to-follow advice, while experienced searchers discover a wealth of new ideas, techniques, and resources. Those who train others to use the Internet find the book indispensable. As a reader bonus, the author maintains The Extreme Searcher s Web Page featuring links, updates, news, and much more. It's the ideal starting place for any Web search.

For the "serious" searcher? This book spends about 60 pages talking about Google (as if no one's ever heard of that Internet search tool before). The author points out some helpful hints along the way, but honestly the companion website (available to anyone for free) is probably all you need to know. ( )

Mary Staats' Office