Press Release
January 23, 2008
Facebook: The Missing Manual -- New from O'Reilly Media: Finally! A Missing Manual to Help You Navigate the World’s Most Popular Social Networking Site
Sebastopol, CA--Facebook, the stratospherically popular social networking
site, combines the best of blogs, online forums, photo sharing, and
playful applications, to help people connect with their friends who work,
study, and live around them. No longer just for college kids and with more
than one million flocking to Facebook every week, this rapidly expanding
communications hub now attracts grownups of all ages from Gen-Xer's to
boomers and beyond. Yet one of the few things this site doesn't have is a
printed users guide.
That is, until now. O'Reilly Media's latest publication, Facebook: The
Missing Manual ($19.99) by E. A. Vander Veer, provides the crystal clear
guidance and entertaining overview that those new to social networking
need. This timely new book makes it possible for folks to embrace
everything Facebook offers--from sharing interests or vacation photos to
building new professional relationships, while remaining in touch with old
friends.
"Fads come and go, and I'm not easily impressed," says Vander Veer. "But
what Facebook does under the covers astonishes me. If readers have a
clear idea of what they want from the site and are careful about
protecting their privacy, they can get an enormous amount of benefit from
Facebook."
Indeed, now Vander Veer is a Facebook fan. "I'm a Luddite by nature, and
never expected to get caught up in Facebook on a personal level--but
that's exactly what happened. A mom's group I was involved in needed a new
online ‘home.’ There were other sites I could have used, but I figured
administering the group on Facebook would put the site through its paces.
I was actually shocked by how useful the site is for keeping up with a lot
of geographically-linked members!"
The book is packed with high-quality color graphics on every page and
provides easy-to-grasp help with specific Facebook tasks. Readers learn
about signing up, networking, shopping, joining groups, finding or filling
a job, sharing a virtual hug, playing a game, and a whole lot more. In
addition to the getting-started tips, Vander Veer offers step-by-step
instructions for customizing the privacy of the information you put on the
site.
With Facebook: The Missing Manual, readers learn how to:
- a network, based on where they went to school, where they live, or
who they work with
- Look up old friends, find new ones, and decide whom they'd like to keep
track of
- Contact members by virtually poking them, or leaving notes on their
message boards
- Get automatic updates from Facebook friends and send updates of their
own
- Participate in groups of particular interest and meet up with members
face-to-face
- Buy and sell using Facebook's marketplace and classified ads
- Find a job or hire employees by combing through the member pool
- Use Facebook as a collaboration tool to keep team members, co-workers,
clients, and projects up to date
- Play it safe by using a multi-pronged approach to ensuring your privacy
Think of Facebook as a 50-million-plus-entry searchable Rolodex. With the
useful guidance from this vital new resource, readers get a clear picture
of how they can use it to make their lives better--and a little more fun!
E. A. Vander Veer has authored or edited more than 14 computer books,
covering everything from Excel basics to JavaScript and XML. Her work has
appeared in dozens of online and print publications, including Byte, The
Writer, Salon, and CNN.com.
More information about the book, including table of contents, index,
author bio, and samples
Facebook: The Missing Manual
E.A. Vander Veer
ISBN: 0-596-51769-6, $19.99 US
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
About the Missing Manual series
The book that should have been in the box. Warm, witty, and jargon-free,
Missing Manuals have enough clarity for the novice, and enough depth and
detail for the power user.
Return to: O'Reilly Missing Manuals Press Room
