Angus Kennedy has written the two previous bestselling Rough Guides to the Internet. He also edits the weekly “Ask Angus: Computer Doctor” column in the Daily Mail. His clear and enthusiastic style shines through as if he is talking personally to the reader in a friendly yet matter of fact manner.
The book is intended for Internet novices and established users alike and sets out to inform using plain English and a light‐hearted style. There is a feast for computer users of all ages and abilities. Because reprints are published almost monthly the contents are as current as possible.
The 1999 edition contained a 1,100‐site Web directory, but in the 2000 edition this has increased dramatically to 2,000. It does not seem possible to include so much more information into the same number of pages, but this is just what Angus Kennedy has done. Comparing the Contents pages of these last two editions may lead you to believe that the books are very similar; the subject headings are almost identical but the contents have been totally updated. Graphics have been refreshed and changed, although their general format, illustrations of the actual details as shown on a computer screen, remain the same. The print and graphics are small but very clear and easily readable, although on some of the smallest graphics the reader gets an impression rather than a clear image.
The book is divided into four parts, the first part being the largest and covers “basics”. This is intended more for the Internet novice to get their teeth into before graduating to the more in‐depth subject areas further on, for example downloading, installing and uninstalling software from the Net. The remaining three parts cover the areas of the Guide itself, the Net in more detail and a directory of Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Brim‐full of “practical advice, trouble‐shooting tips, step‐by‐step tuition and the addresses of everywhere you’ll need to go” this book is given its own distinctive character. A comprehensive index and glossary of terms are included and a list of Net language for you to demonstrate that you are in the know, “iyswim!” (if you see what I mean). A special feature tucked away at the very back is “51 things to do with this book” – do not miss it!
The perspective is usefully international. Web site addresses are shared fairly equally between the USA, the UK, Australia and the rest of the world with no obvious bias except for some occasional US spellings and some prices in US dollars.
I could not resist the temptation to dip into the book at random to see what little gems would be discovered. For example, there is the recipe for tubby custard and a selection of the Net’s best reference sources. The section on creating your own Web pages I found invaluable for my own work. A small criticism – if you do dip into a section halfway through, you may need to refer to the glossary or back to the beginning of the section for an explanation if some of the terms have been abbreviated; after all we do not all know our POP3s from our IPMAPs.
I strongly recommend this guide; you will want to pick it up again and again for its range and depth of topics and its clear and comprehensive approach. Although it describes itself as a “rough guide”, it really is five‐star!
