Google Search and Tools in a Snap Review

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(More customer reviews)Yet another book about how Google works, and yet one with a different enough slant that it fills a niche... Google Search and Tools in a Snap by Preston Gralla.
Contents:
Part 1 - Find Anything with Google: Start Here; Searching with Google; Finding Pictures with Google Images; Searching Discussion Boards with Google Groups; Specialized Google Searching
Part 2 - Unleash The Power of Google's Special Tools: Searching Your Computer with Google Desktop; Getting Maps and Directions with Google Local; Creating Your Own Google Home Page; Googling Anywhere with the Google Toolbar; Using Gmail, the Best Email on Earth; Discovering the World with Google Earth; Creating Your Own Blog with Google's Blogger; Reading News, Blogs, and More with Google Reader; Managing and Sharing Pictures with Google's Picasa; Chatting and Talking with Google Talk; Google Tools and Services
Index
Like all other Google books, this one has the prerequisite "how do you search in Google" information. The explanations are clear and short, and the annotated screen shots help to tie the discussion to the product. Where this books differs a bit from others is that it spends a lot more time in the other Google offerings that aren't necessarily search-related. For instance, there's a pretty good discussion about how Google Local (also known as Google Maps) works and how you can utilize it. I had forgotten that Google came out with an online RSS reader in Google Reader. I may have to check it out this time. Include in other features like Blogger, Picasa, and Talk, and pretty soon you find yourself spending more and more time in the Google universe of tools. Which is probably just how Google wants it to be...
Hardcore techies probably already know most of this, and as such might not get much here. But the niche I see it thriving in is the "Uncle Joe/Aunt Mae" area. For your run-of-the-mill user who doesn't live on their computer (I'm assured there *are* people like that!), it's likely that many of these features are not on their radar. They've heard about "blogs" but don't have a clue as to what they are and how they work. The "in a Snap" approach will make it easy for them to venture outside their comfort zone and try a few new things that might otherwise remain a mystery to them.
If you're tired of being the "computer guy" (or "gal") in your family, this might make a great gift for that "special someone". You know what they say about giving someone a fish as opposed to teaching them *how* to fish...

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These days, nobody really wants to learn everything there is about a product like Google Tools. And even if you did, who has the time to endlessly tinker and play with it until you figure everything out? You just want a book that will quickly show you how to do things with Google Tools, like perform power searches, find pictures with Google Images,find onlinebargains with Froogle, use theGoogle Toolbar, and discover the world with Google Earth.Google Search and Tools in a Snap does just that. Organized into a series of well-organized, bite-sized, quickly accomplished tasks, the book lets you zero right in on the one particular task you want to accomplish, quickly figure out what to do, do it, and then get back to using the plethora of Google Tools.

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