Internet Books

Very up-to-date book. Right on top of one of the most important Megatrends of 21st century, the empowerment of the people, Shiffman helps marketers to work with all this new media available these days.
It's worth every penny!

I couldn't put it down...I received it as a gift from a friend and fellow consultant. You have nailed the challenge, precisely and relevantly. I have translated the book to apply it to my work, Healthcare (largely hospital) marketing...and while Revolution Health goes a long way towards all you recommend, we providers need to run, not walk, to keep pace. Transparency driven by third parties who take our data and compare it to others, coupled with a more knowledgable and demanding purchaser (aging boomers), followed by a growing number of wired new users (who's having babies and raising young families..)...the tools and ideas you generate are EXACTLY what we need to consider as we try to reach these key audiences.

Thanks for the exercise!!!!

Excellent book on the evolution of marketing in our fast-paced, extremely connected world. It's taken old marketing concepts and shown their evolution along with the emergence of new marketing opportunities and challenges.

This is really the textbook for marketing now.

Thank you author Denise Shiffman for your thorough research and stellar writing in The Age of Engage. I read your book yesterday in one-sitting! I appreciate your work and how you accurately frame our new online digital economy.

Great job!

This book was a good read. It did not set my world on fire because over the past year or so I've been reading quite a few marketing books on how to incorporate blogs, comment sites, and social networks into the marketing plan of a business plan. In a way, it's just another of the many books that are flooding the book market regarding Internet marketing.

The book is sweet, though. It's pretty to look at. It's well outlined and well written. And, oh, the pictures of the author I have spotted on her Amazon profile, LinkedIn profile, and her book's own Web site and blog indicate she is a knockout appearance-wise. The best parts of this book in my humble opinion are the real-world examples about how to open meaningful interactions with potential customers.

The book points out well that traditional marketing involved the following approach: static, publish, inform, link, sell, and control. And now the marketing or Internet marketing approach involves live, interact, engage, tag, socialize, and collaborate. The new approach seems to take much more time from the marketer's perspective than the old approach. But the new approach costs so much less than the old approach. And the new approach is proving to be so much more effective.

The target audience for this book supposedly is marketers, communications experts, CEOs, and business owners. I highly recommend each of these people get a copy of this book to either learn something about Internet marketing done the right way, or to reinformce what they already know (or think they know) about Internet marketing. 5 stars!

This was the fourth Angel book that I've read. So far, it's the first that really seemed to capture the characters and the spirit of the show. According to the blurb at the back, this is only Passarella's second novel (and his first solo attempt), but surprisingly it reads like it was written by a seasoned pro. The dialog is realistic (okay, Angel uses a few too many puns during the battle scenes for my taste, but a small flaw in an otherwise fantastic grasp of the character), the fight scenes intense and the plot well thought out. If you're an Angel fan who is unhappy with the quality of some of the tie-in books that you've read, here is one that is sure to please.

Joss Wheddon's "Buffy" and "Angel" both have morals to go with the adventures. In this case it is a warning of who you're talking to on the internet. How many people have a picture of some handsom man or beautiful woman, and then when you meet they end up either not being who or what they said they were, or an extreamly dangerous stalker type. But this story was also faithful to the series with spot on charactizations. I really liked the part where Cordy meets the demon in the bar, and she sees him as Doyle. It is also a rousing adventure, fast paced and exciting, any "Angel" fans will love it.

Loved it! Fans of the TV show will definitely enjoy this novel. At some points it kind of grossed me out, but I couldn't stop reading because I enjoyed at the same time. Highly recommend.

Elliot Grundy has made a deal with a demon. In return for everything he desires Elliot will help the demon to complete a ritual that will allow it to be reborn. Using Internet chatrooms, the pair are luring unsuspecting men and women into meeting with the demon, disguised as the victim’s ideal date. However, little does the demon know that an ancient cult seeks to posses and control it for their own purposes…

When Doyle’s visions lead Angel to the scene of a murder, he discovers that a man has been attacked by a demon that leaves behind nothing of the victim except for their skin. It soon emerges that this is not the first attack and that both men and women from all over L.A. are being targeted. The victims seem to have nothing in common, and the description of the attacker differs in every case. Angel has no idea who or what this demon may be.

“Avatar” was a fast-paced, enjoyable read. John Passarella manages to capture the characters exactly as they are in the TV show and ultimately produces an original, entertaining novel that maintains your interest throughout. There is no pause in the action and “Avatar” is one of the best of the Angel or Buffy books I have read so far. I recommend this book to all Angel fans.

There is a killer stalking the streets of Los Angeles, one sucks the essence from his victims leaving an empty husk. The only thing the victims have in common is the manner of their deaths and their link to the Internet. An Internet savvy demon is the last thing that Angel thought he would have to deal with - but you never say never in his line of work. As he tries to track the killer he is unaware that he is not the only one hunting the killer. A cult is on the trail too, but they plan to bind the demon. Now Angel is in the way - and they don't like that.

There are some authors for series like Angel and Buffy that make you feel like they are sitting inside their world. You get that feeling from John Passarella - it really feels like he has spent time with Buffy and Angel and really gotten inside their heads. The storyline of this novel is both gripping and seamless. It could have just as easily been an episode off the series. I agree with other reviewers here that Passarella compares really well to Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder and I can only hope that he writes more in the series.

"The Complete Guide to E-mail Marketing: How to Create Successful, Spam-free Campaigns to Reach Your Target Audience and Increase Sales" was selected as a "Notable" finisher in the 2008 Competition in the "Business" Category.

The Eric Hoffer Award (formerly the Writers' Notes Award) for short prose and books was established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing. The winning stories and essays are awarded prizes and published annually in the anthology, Best New Writing, along with the results of the book awards.

Most books that promise to be the only manual you need to succeed, do one of two things; either deliver the goods or not. Brown's Email Marketing Guide delivers and more. While some authors make a point of burying valid information towards the back of the book, Brown makes a point of introducing the material in an orderly and logical manner. Brown has put together one of the most thorough and complete books on the vast subject of email marketing. I will definitely recommend it to my friends and business associates.

and it's 5 stars for this book, since here we get clear, easy to follow, and good advices to follow, and we have good selection of experts and good advices. If you plan buy a book on e-mail marketing this one will be good choice.

Also, I need to say, that as good was this book - same bad was another this author's book - The Ultimate Guide to Search Engine Marketing: Pay Per Click Advertising Secrets Revealed

in this book, advices are or outdated, or even wrong, experts so called "advices" are nothing else but sales letters, and it is clear enough, that Search Engine Marketing is not a thing what this author knows.

But this book e-mail marketing, is clearly one of the best till now written on the topic.

With the passing of the CAN-SPAM Act in 2003, it has grown more difficult to legitimately market through email. This book addresses this issue and many others with regard to email marketing. Mr. Brown provides a comprehensive guide to marketing your business or product through email, while navigating spam filters. This book is written for legitimate businesses with legitimate products and services to sell.

Mr. Brown describes how to grow your business through your website. Additional topics covered include how to write an effective sales email, search engine optimization (SEO), and to effectively target your emails. The book includes a glossary of terms and numerous case studies.

I liked this book. It is available for just about anyone. Whether you are an online merchant or a traditional retailer. There is something there for you.

We are given an in depth history of the internet. I never knew it was first used by the military. Then there are when the first emails were sent. Totally mind boggling.

Bruce gives us the low down on four major areas of online marketing:

Paid search advertisements (pay per click)
Banner adverts
Classified ads
Email marketing

Interweaved within all this are case studies that show how the best systems work. Chapter 15 is jam packed with them too.

The author, Bruce Brown teaches how to write an effective email. He starts with the subject line then gets around to the best day to send it. We all know why Mondays are not a good day and most of us can figure out why Fridays are not another good day.

Wait till you find out which is the best day and why. The best time for sending emails are 7am-10:30am. We also get a free treat. That is website optimization tools and some web design helps. The addresses are all in his book.

As usual Bruce gives us a glossary. But because this book is such an easy read you won't need it. I think it is there just in case.

This concise book is very helpful for people who would like to know cryptography. The book uses a lot of diagrams to make complicate concepts easy to understand. One improvement the author may want to do is to fix the errors in the book.

It usually takes me a while to understand new things, this book was very informative and easy to understand. I now understand cryptography! Read this book!

The goal of this book is to provide an introduction to the basic concepts of cryptography to non-technical people, and to illustrate how cryptography can be applied in e-commerce applications. The author has succeeded admirably in this endeavor.

The first part of the book provides a gentle introduction to symmetric-key encryption and authentication, public-key cryptography, key managements and PKI. The detailed explanations are accompanied with intuitive figures. For the most part, the mathematical intricacies are omitted from the main chapters thus enabling the reading to grasp the important concepts without getting bogged down with technical details. For those interested in the underlying mathematics, the second part of the book provides a tutorial to some of the mathematics. Finally, the third part of the book describes two crytographic architectures designed by the author.

I highly recommend this book to the people with nontechnical backgrounds who are interested in learning how cryptography can be used to secure their applications. Once the basic concepts are understood, the reader can then proceed to one of the many available technical books on cryptography.

The goal of this book is to provide an introduction to the basic concepts of cryptography to non-technical people, and to illustrate how cryptography can be applied in e-commerce applications. The author has succeeded admirably in this endeavor.

The first part of the book provides a gentle introduction to symmetric-key encryption and authentication, public-key cryptography, key managements and PKI. The detailed explanations are accompanied with intuitive figures. For the most part, the mathematical intricacies are omitted from the main chapters thus enabling the reading to grasp the important concepts without getting bogged down with technical details. For those interested in the underlying mathematics, the second part of the book provides a tutorial to some of the mathematics. Finally, the third part of the book describes two crytographic architectures designed by the author.

I highly recommend this book to the people with nontechnical backgrounds who are interested in learning how cryptography can be used to secure their applications. Once the basic concepts are understood, the reader can then proceed to one of the many available technical books on cryptography.

The basics of the usage of symmetric and asymmetric cryptography are explained here step by step in a precise way visualized by clear drawings of a sender, (evil) observer and recipient. Starting with the simplest case and showing what's faulty about it, the author develops an understanding of why it needs message digestion, public and private keys and either Kerberos or a certification authority.

A small part of the book is reserved for some mathematical expostions which do not go very far. Two case studies, one awkward, one profound, round off the book.

The term e-commerce in the title is somewhat misleading. The book deals rather with B2B, the other subcategory of e-business.

A possible audience for the book are people like me, who are supposed to know what excatly a digital signature is and therfore cannot really ask someone.

A blurb on the cover from "MAXIM" exclaims "GENIUS! Highly entertaining and brilliantly deranged." I wouldn't go that far with the genius and brilliant part, but "Delete This at Your Peril" IS very funny and a bit deranged. I read the entire book in less than an hour, and although Servant is as long-winded at times as he is weird, I had some real laugh out loud moments.

The question is, does "Bob Servant," putative author of this humor opus that makes fun of Internet spammers and scammers, really exist? Or is he the bizarre creation of "editor" Neil Forsyth who holds the copyright to the book?

Not that it matters. What Bob Servant (or Neil Forsyth) does--and this has been done before, see, for example, Black Hat: Misfits, Criminals, and Spammers in the Internet Age (2004) by John Biggs--is play along with the spammers as though he is some unsophisticated rube who is falling for the con. What makes the book so funny is how Servant is able to turn the tables on the 419 scam masters from Nigeria and elsewhere and rope them into a lengthy and fruitless email correspondence, while holding out the carrot of his actually going to the bank. Servant piles it on relentlessly with misdirections and pratfalls among and with his ne'er-do-well friends and acquaintances in Broughty Ferry, Scotland.

In the first chapter, there is a certain "His Royal Highnest, [sic] Jack Thompson...the only son of late King Arawi of tribal land" who is seeking "a foreign partner" to transfer "$75m" to, "for investment," to whom he will pay 20% of the proceeds.

Bob Servant fires back with "Good morning your Majesty, I want 30%, and not a penny less."

After a bit of pulling line, Servant declares that he wants the money in lions, and he wants pictures of the lions. Thompson sends him a photo of four identical gold lions, but Servant is not satisfied. He writes, "There appears to have been a slight misunderstanding my friend, I was expecting four live lions, not gold ones."

So Jack Thompson replies, "I am buying four male lions from my friends private zoo and he has also arranged for shipment to Scotland." Thompson attaches a photo of a lion! But this isn't enough. Servant wants the lions to be able to talk. After some discussion of what the lions might be able to say, Thompson assures Servant that one of the lions can talk. Meanwhile Servant is pretending to get the funds ready to send via Western Union to Thompson. But then Servant decides he (and his buddy "Frank Theplank") also want "2 leopards, 1 elephant, 1 alligator, 2 parrots, 1 hedgehog."

At some point Thompson begins to shout: "BOB LETS GO STRAIGHT TO THE POINT. THE LIONS AND LEOPARDS ARE HERE WITH ME AT THE BACK OF MY HOUSE THEY ARE FRIENDLY AND ONE OF THE LION TALKS. BOB SEND ME THE £1700 SO I CAN COLLECT THAT MONEY AND SHIP THEM TO YOU."

Bob Servant replies by asking "What are the names of the lions?" and "What does the lion say when it talks? The bank is preparing me some forms."

To a Russian babe named Alexandra who wants to find a husband, Servant writes, "What a fantastic photo. My God, what a pair of bazookas..." She responds in part with "I do not like Russian men, their attitude to women. I want to love and be loved. Unfortunately, I have not found that in the country. I am gentle women but I am a tiger when I am in love!"

At length Servant sends Alexandra a photo of himself holding a very large, bloated carp. (Well, not himself but some old guy, whom Alex deigns to find interesting, although I don't think she got the symbolic intent of the caught fish.) Bob regales her with tales of life at Broughty Ferry with his buds, Chappy Williams and the regulars at Stewpot's Bar. And on and on and on. Finally in utter frustration (ha, ha, ha) Alexander fumes, "F-you!. To me has bothered to read your delirium."

Ah, such sweet revenge! Bob Servant has done a right bloody good turn for all of us in keeping these con artists at bay and wasting their time.

There are seven more tales in the book. One wishes there were a few more. Bottom line on the old laugh-o-meter: five stars.

I must confess to have on rare occasions engaged in what Bob Servant describes in this book. Responding to a spam e-mail message expressing interest in their "proposal" and then quickly cutting them off. It is one small way in which you can get back at the harassment and waste of time that the generators of such messages create.
However, Servant takes it to a new level, some of the messages he sends to the "mark" are so absurd that it is astonishing that they don't get the reverse scam sooner. It is also hilarious; Servant sends a message even more ridiculous than what the spammer sent him yet they respond in all seriousness, still trying to troll for the bank account information. The scams he deals with are:

*) Russian woman looking for romance
*) African trying to take wealth out of a country (three times)
*) Foreign company looking for a local agent to market their products (three times)
*) Company looking for people to work at home at a high salary

Servant has written a book containing actions that we all want to do, namely string along a scammer with your own scam, forcing them to waste their time and effort chasing an empty trail. It is a taste of their own medicine and sometimes they find it a rather bitter dose.

While I have a really good anti-spam appliance, this e-mail was received today (other than removing some details and the headers, this is exactly as it was sent):

My Dear


I am Antony. I am contacting you to be my project partner and stand as my

late Father foreign manager for transfer of US$12 million with 50kg gold. This fund is in a bank in Indonesia.

into your account for investment I intend to do in your country.

Please reply urgent to my private email @hotmail.com.

Please call me on Tel +277986


Sincerely

Antony

After reading Delete This at Your Peril: One Man's Hilarious Exchanges with Internet Spammers, by Bob Servant, it took a lot of control for me not to engage "Antony" in a dialog. I don't think that I would be able to reply in a manner befitting Bob Servant, but it could be fun.

Contents:
Introduction: Meet Bob Servant
Editor's Note: An Overview of Spam
Chapter 1: Lions, Gold and Confusion
Chapter 2: Bob and the Postie
Chapter 3: Alexandra, Bob and Champion
Chapter 4: Uncle Bob's African Adventure
Chapter 5: The Could Not Take Him, No Woman Could Tame Him
Chapter 6: From Lanzhou to Willy's Chinese Palace
Chapter 7: Bobby and Benjamin are New Friends
Chapter 8: Peter's Pots
Acknowledgements

This is a short (176 pages), extremely funny book that I wished was longer. My family thought that I was mad, as I was literally laughing out loud while reading this book.

Bob Servant has a lot of time on his hands. What he does with that time is to engage internet spammers in dialog. They want his financial information (bank routing numbers or to wire money to them) and Bob wants . . . well, he wants some authentic African recipes for his new restaurant, talking lions, gardening pots, and his Russian bride to get a job at the local pub. Each keep asking him for his money, and Bob not only ignores them, but writes some of the funniest e-mails you will ever read. The spammers, driven by money, keep the e-mails coming, until they usually sign off with an expletive after a really over-the-top e-mail from Bob. Or, unbelievably, they confess that they are trying to scam Bob out of his money. But the exchanges are, quite simply, some of the best comedy I have read in a while. Bob, from Broughty Ferry, Scotland, spins his friends, footballers, and local sights into his e-mails, which adds color to the manic adventures. For example, one person asked for Bob's personal information, only to receive an e-mail detailing Bob's problems with his postman. Bob has taken to playing pranks on Trevor, the postman, going so far as to build a hide in his garden. From this vantage point, Bob either shoots Trevor with an air rifle or "[chucks] a firework at his head." The pranks escalate to point where Bob asks the spammer for legal assistance. Smelling more cash, the spammer provides Bob with free legal advice and then tries to collect.

Each chapter is a new exchange with a different spammer. After reading Chapter 1 (a typical 419 spam), I didn't think that the stories could get any better. I was wrong. I was only disappointed when I finished this book. I realize that 176 pages is short, but this is a book that I wanted to last longer. It was that good. Adding to the e-mail exchanges, Bob includes some pictures that he has passed off as of himself. How the spammers use those pictures in subsequent e-mails is hilarious. Thanks to anti-spam software and appliances, many of these types of e-mails never get to your Inbox. However, if you ever wanted to "get even" with spammers, live vicariously through Bob Servant. The ride is wild and extremely funny.

Every day
Jamming your In-Box
Is SPAM

This book
Is about one man
Who replied

Watch Bob
Spam the Spammers
For laughs


The paragraphs below use some of Bob's examples to give the reader a sense of this book, which is really quite clever if you like this sort of thing.

[Warning: Replying to spammers can cause spam mail to increase exponentially]


Greetings to you in the name of the Most High.

A business acquaintance of mine visited your fine country of Scotland recently and recommended you as a fine and honorable gentleman who can be entrusted with a matter of the highest confidentiality and importance.

He has assured me that you are an expert in business and trade, and that you may have purchased already four golden lions, two leopards and an alligator from the only son of His Excellency King Arawi of Togo. I hope that they are thriving and bringing you much joy.

First, I will introduce myself. I am a former citizen of a Soviet country, but through good fortune and most reputable mail order organization I was able to get married to a good man from Nigeria, who owns both a textile company and a pottery barn. I also obtained for myself a PhD doctorate in Business and Finance through correspondence with major unaccredited university in the United American States.

I am sad to say that my husband is now late due to assassination by his competitors, and I am left alone with his business affairs to handle. I will also tell you that due to his relatives in the government, my husband has been able to save a lot of money which is in an account in my name, and I trust you to keep this information in confidence. My friend Bob, I am a beautiful woman of only 25 years, and I am unable to do business here with the men in Nigeria. My late husband's lawyer cannot be trusted with such matters, and I am looking to you to help me transfer 32 million Sterling pounds to Scotland, where I understand you own a Cheeseburger Business and an African Café.

I would like for us to get better acquainted and maybe you would like to become my husband. I can cook genuine African dishes, especially yam potage, Isi Ewu and Afang soup, which I am sure your customers will enjoy. We can achieve many great things together, you and I.

My dear Bob, I am so excited about this venture between us that I can hardly wait for your soonest reply. Please also send me your photo and the name of your bank and account number so I can begin preparing to transfer the money.



Modesta Spamminovitch-Upayme



This is a quick and funny read, and heartily recommended to anyone who has e-mail.




Amanda Richards, July 19, 2008

How many times have you read of, or thought of, leading scam artists on who want to use your bank account to deposit a cool 10 million dollars (and you get to keep 20 percent!) Bob Servant, a man with obviously TOO much time on his hands (well, he is semi-retired), not only has written back to countless Nigerian Bank Deposit scammers but has recorded the exchanges in a laugh-outloud book "Delete at Your Peril." I was hooting louding by the time I got through the Lions and Gold exchange.

If you want a laugh, this is a funny, funny book. Send email scams to Mr. Bob Servant of Scotland at your peril.

We run one of the most popular daily adult joke websites on the net, and as such we often feel like we've run across every tired old wheezer of a joke that's ever been written.

This book proved us completely wrong; this is a TON of the best and funniest jokes now circulating, and none of the garbage. We only wish we'd thought of this first!

I have collected all the dirty joke books from their debut in the middle 80's. The ones that have been coming out in the last 6 years or so, have been a rehash of the old ones. This one is DYNAMITE! It's gross and excellent. The jokes are new and extremely good. Any of the older jokes (Which represents the ones frome the older joke books are the best ones of the bunch.) I hope they come out with edition II.

I was fortunate enough to purchase this book while dining in Japan's finest mexican food restaurant. The owner says he is good friends with Mr. Goatskin and Mr. Foreskin.

If you hate getting constant Forwards from friends with jokes that you have to muddle through the 50 times it was forwarded before it got to you, due to the fact that most internet and computer users are oblivious to this thing call cut and paste, look no further. Our research team tells us that this book has every joke forwarded from person to person all over the world in it.

So when you get that email from a friend where the subject line reads; "FW: Ha-ha" or "FW: Thought this was funny" or "FW: LOL", delete it and buy this book and you will have all those jokes.

These jokes are funny. There are one-liners, stories, battle of the sexes jokes. It is just like the title says. This book is way better than Drew Carey's.

Never have I seen such a collection. It's not the one or two funnies here and there type of book. Every joke, every page, this one will either make you laugh or make you sick.

So funny, I made my husband highlight his favorites and then compared them with mine. Very funny! Great to review before going to parties.

This book not only is a great introduction to eBay, it's the best reference book to selling on eBay I've seen because of the extensive glossary, index and guide to those odd acronymns. It's also a realistic guide to selling -- no rose-colored classes. There are not too many illustrations in here but the ones there are a big help. This book is a keeper, I'm going to keep it within arm's reach. From the books I've seen, this one is the most up-to-date also.

This book is the third Steve Weber book I have read, the first two being "The Home-Based Bookstore" and "Plug Your Book." I was quite enthusiastic about both of Steve's earlier efforts because they were extremely helpful and Steve wrote both well. Those comments apply to this book also.

The marvelous thing about this book is that it starts with the basics and works up to advanced techniques and clever strategies. When I say basics, I mean the kind of information that someone new to eBay would find helpful. What do certain words mean? How do I, and fill in the blank. Steve covers everything you can think of as a newcomer to eBay. Yet, Steve moves quickly and someone going from occasional seller to wondering about setting up a business can move past the basics easily.

What more is there to learn? Steve provides great advice on where to find more stuff for your eBay business. He also provides guidance for evaluating quality and describing your merchandise. All this advice keeps in mind the need to satisfy customers so that they will give you positive feedback and keep coming back.

Just like those popular television commercials, this is the point where I say, but wait, there is more! Steve discusses how to track stock and where it is located. He reviews several software options to handle an expanding enterprise. Included in his advice are options for the most cost effective method of shipping. Steve then provides a lot of detail on how you can expand your customer base through various techniques for advertising your business. I think there are at least half a dozen techniques for getting your business exposed on the internet, including how to fare well with Google searches.

I am touching on just a few of the numerous topics in the fifteen chapters in this book. There are at least 140 sub-headings in this book covering more topics than I had considered when thinking about selling on eBay. With all this powerful information, Steve did something more amazing; he included input from others. [...]

As with any purchase you make, what you want to know is whether this book is worth buying. If you fancy yourself expanding into eBay as a business, or expanding a current eBay business, or you just want to know how eBay works, then this book is worth far more than its price.

One thing I always notice about self-published books is how well they are written. I was unable to find a single grammar error in this book. Therefore, not only is this book full of valuable information, but that information is nicely organized and reading about that information is a pleasure.

Self-help books often seem like they need help themselves. I have read many self-help books by people claiming to be experts in their particular field of endeavor. When you read these books, you quickly realize that the book babbles on about trivialities or the organization is poor. Worse, some of these books have errors that even a novice recognizes. To find a well-written self-help book by an author who has successfully used the techniques in that book is always a wonder. "eBay 101" is such a book.

Enjoy!

Note: The author provided me with a review copy of this book.

I read this book from cover to cover, amazed (and wishing I'd had this one with me when I STARTED on Ebay). What author Steve Weber has done with this book is to gather the information that can take sellers years to learn and created a virtual seller's encyclopedia of tips for selling successfully on Ebay.


What this means to you - the potential seller on Ebay - is the chance to hit the ground running, avoid embarrassing blunders and come across as a professional seller, minimizing fumbles and keeping your customers happy and your profit margin...extremely profitable.

For the relatively modest price of this book, you'll get the expertise of an Ebay seller who has racked up $1.4 million dollars in sales to 130,000 customers. I"m surprised by how much he was willing to disclose, the kind of secrets many sellers hold near and dear.

Not only that but Weber had the wisdom to let other top sellers and users weigh in. They have written specific articles on such important areas as taking great photos, writing top descriptions, 10 major auction mistakes and how to milk market niches for maximum profits (rare fishing lures, vintage clothing or old video games are some examples.

Before you create your first listing, Weber suggests you do some research that I'd call "due diligence" or "taking a trial run to get a feel for Ebay." How do you do this? By being a buyer and actually bidding on items or using the Buy it Now feature to purchase 10 items. I think this is brilliant strategy, allowing potential sellers to get a feel for the buyer's end of things. You'll get a feel for dealing with someone you've probably never met face to face and the sense of novelty that comes from using an online auction site. Once you've been in a buyer's shoes, you have instant knowledge that should make you a better seller.

I wish I had the space to describe all the sections and related material in this book. From registering as a user to timing your auction, expanding your business and finding inventory, Weber explains every aspect of the Ebay selling process.

Consider this: he started out with $80, bought four bags of items and doubled his investment after selling only half of those items! From there he went on to sell enough to move from a tiny one-bedroom apartment to a nice house, all by himself. He makes a convincing case for the fact that if he can do it, so can you. I'm convinced, especially since I've used similar techniques and I know they work - and work well.

PLEASE NOTE: I have had the pleasure of reading and reviewing another of Mr. Weber's books, Plug Your Book. I'm including that information here for full disclosure but I have not ever been paid for any reviews of these books and my opinion is expressly my own. Both books are wonderful. If you are a writer, bookseller or interested in exploring ways to market yourself, books or sell on Ebay, Mr. Weber's books are "must reads". eBay 101: Selling on eBay For Part-time or Full-time Income, Beginner to PowerSeller in 90 Days

This is one of the first books out with the newer format on ebay. Easy reading, easy to understand. I recomend it.

Great book! Very insightful and readable. I've been selling on Ebay for 6 years and found this book to be both helpful for the beginner and the "Seasoned" Pro. All the Tools you'll need you be successful selling online.

I am an experienced Ebay user and plan to take it to the next level by opening up an Ebay store. I found this book to be chock full of the exact kind of information that would help me jump start my sales. Full of inspiration and practical tips from real Power Sellers, this book is a must if you want to learn how Power Sellers think and sell.

Great for beginner and experienced. Covers the basics on how "IT" works, but then fills it in with rich insights from those proven successful. According to the cover, written by "eBay's #1 Rated U.S. Education Specialist". It certainly shows in her content. Beyond simply "how to", the inside scoop on the type of people who are succeeding, and in what way they have implemented eBay. Ton's of interviews and profiles packed with to-the-point insider secrets. Information on pages 138-143 was VERY helpful. Must also check out suggestions on 329.

I have been inspired by the book, The eBay Success Chronicles: Secrets and Techniques eBay PowerSellers Use Every Day to Make Millions, because this book provides insights on how to proceed with selling items on eBay and chronicles the success testimonies of others who have become Power Sellers in the business of e-trading and ecommerce.

The personal testimonies of those who have made eBay a profitable business venture encourages others of the possibilities for personal growth and development. Having listed on eBay with no success, I found this book to provide helpful hints and practical suggestions on how I too can become successful.

The do's and don'ts, proven skills and experiences of the Power Sellers enable the Readers to become better informed and also sparks ideas for setting up ones own eBay business. The author took great effort to not only interview top Sellers but to layout those interviews in a way that Readers could easily understand who they are, their contact information as well as their websites.

Web resources as well as graphical statistics through charts and graphs provide the Readers with additional resources to obtain further information on how to get started on eBay. The most intriguing part of this book was the final advice and words of wisdom from those who have made it on eBay.

The eBay Success Chronicle: Secrets and Techniques eBay Powersellers Use Every Day to Make Millions by Angela C. Adams is the perfect book for anyone interested in becoming an eBay seller. The book provides practical information in a down-to-earth format, and it is neither sensationalized nor exaggerated. Tips are provided from successful eBay sellers who are making a living and loving it. Background information about eBay as well as the Powersellers make the dream of becoming an eBay entrepreneur seem truly feasible for anyone with the desire to make it happen. The format is arranged in a logical and simple manner that will make sense to readers of every level. You won't need to know any technical jargon to enjoy the full value of the book. This is a highly recommended text, with a 5 star rating.

When it comes to growing a business on eBay, everybody has the same shot at making the big bucks, right? Wrong! For most eBay sellers, it's at best a hit-or-miss proposition. No matter what you think, the odds aren't with you--unless you have an edge. And this book gives you that edge!!

As Angela Adams tells us in her information-packed pages, you win on eBay by learning from the success stories--the ones who've discovered how to put the "power" in their selling! Yes, people out there are selling steadily and consistently on eBay. They're the mega sellers--and you'll meet them in this book. Nothing's more valuable than discovering the secrets, hints, and tricks from the ones who've "been there, done that" on eBay. These are the ones who've done their homework, developed the blueprints, and put their winning plan in action. Result: SALES SUCCESS. Angela's done all the legwork for you. Whether you're a new or experienced eBay seller, working part-time or full-time, if you're out to learn what you need to do to get that selling edge on eBay, you must have this book.

-- Robert Gardner, Ph.D.

Great book in explaining all the aspects of safe buying and selling items on eBay!!! It has helped us enormously.

If there was one book I would suggest to anyone venturing into the waters of eBay, it'd end up being this one... eBay: The Missing Manual by Nancy Conner. This one covers it all.

Contents:
Part 1 - Buying on eBay: Ready, Set, Shop!; Bidding, Paying, and Following Up; Finding - and Getting - Bargains; Power Buying Strategies
Part 2 - Selling on eBay: Sell Stuff, Make Money; Honing Your Competitive Edge; Going from Hobby to Business; Specialty Selling; Cool Tools for Sellers
Part 3 - Finding Other eBayers and Getting Help; Finding Help
Part 4 - Appendixes: Where to Learn More; HTML for eBayers; Other Auction Sites; Index

Like all other eBay books, this one covers how to buy and sell on eBay. The writing's good, but there'd be nothing special if it stopped there. Where this book earns its keep is when it goes into areas I haven't seen covered in any other book. I've never seen a book go into any detail on other resources to learn about eBay, such as call-in internet radio shows and newsletters. I've never seen a book cover HTML in a small number of pages in order to allow the seller to create better auction pages. There's good coverage on third-party sites that give you more information on how to best price your auctions. There's even material on how to evolve from buying and selling as a hobby to running a business based on eBay. Package all this up with clear writing and numerous screen shots, and you really *have* found the missing eBay manual.

To paraphrase eBay's latest ad campaign... "Whatever you're looking for, you'll find *it* in eBay: The Missing Manual"...

Best book I have read about eBay. Very comprehensive, detailed and well written. Hard work went into producing this book.
It is both for beginners and beyond.

This is a great starter book for anyone curious about buying or selling on eBay. My only issue is that the book could probably use a refreshing. eBay is a very dynamic property and this book was probably written at least a year ago.

Are you one of the millions of people who buy and sell on eBay? If you are, then this book is for you! Author Nancy Conner, has written an outstanding book that will help you get to the site, get registered, and get going.

Conner, begins by showing you everything you need to get going on eBay. Then, she shows you how to bid on eBay auctions with confidence. The author continues by showing you how to search better than the competition and bid smarter. In addition, she then shares other secrets serious shoppers use to prevail on eBay. The author also introduces eBay tips and tricks. Then, the author shows you how to hone in on your strategy for a competitive edge. Next, she shows you how to turn your eBay hobby into a part- or full-time business. Next, the author shows you how to get in on the action and create a sales niche within eBay's specialty auctions. Then, she briefly describes the software that you can use on eBay. The author continues by presenting general and specialized discussion groups, both on and off eBay, that will help you make satisfying connections. Finally, she covers a Learning Center just for newbies, a Help page, interactive help via live chat or e-mail, a centralized Services page, a site map, discussion boards, and more.

After reading this excellent book, you'll be using eBay like an old pro. In other words, this book was will help you ramp up your eBay experience--find more bargains, build better auctions, and close more sales.

Walters' comprehensive knowledge of the world of IT and incredible ability to explain complex concepts make this book a fascinating read for any gadget geek interested in how stuff actually works. And he doesn't settle for simple, surface level explanations. Instead of shying away from the details and tech-speak, Walters takes you one step further than you thought you could ever go through insightful examples and meaningful analogies.

In addition, his ability to put technological developments in context allow the reader to see the larger factors and trends that have and continue to drive change. A seemingly chaotic and overwhelmingly fast-changing industry suddenly seems logical and "trackable" after reading Walters' book. In this way, it's easy to forgive the fact that the text is a bit out of date. Everything I've read about today's technology I've easily been able to connect back to the ideas I learned here.

Truly one of a kind.

It is very cool book, I would say valuable book to build up your understanding of IT in general. It converges many technologies into one coherent pattern so you start to understand many things. I combined reading of this book with "UNIX Essentials" DVD and it nice to explore many of the conceptions in action. If you are lacking some evenness with your IT knowledge pick this one it is nicely shape your vision of it.

With 6+ years marketing management experience and an MBA, I feel this book was very helpful in understanding the many facets of technology and its evolution through time. The book is a must read for anyone who needs to build or brush up on a solid but basic understanding of technology. However, many of the newest trends in technology are only briefly covered. This is due, I believe, to the fact that many of the pervasive technologies and collaborative applications now being pushed in the marketplace didn't make the editor's draft of the book even though the published date is 2001.

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO COMPUTING is simply an extraordinary achievement. It reflects a breadth of knowledge and clarity of presentation that is remarkable. It makes every effort to distill knowledge about computers and computing in an easy, reader-friendly, memorable way. For computer users everywhere -- in organizations, schools, colleges and universities, and individuals -- this volume gives multiple ways of getting to know more about computing in its fast changing environment. First, you get to know the foundations of how computers and computing works in practical, everyday language. Second, you get a reference book that explains key terms, key workings, and key interconnections among the parts.

The most noteworthy aspect of the book is its superb coherence in presenting vast amounts of computing knowledge arranged in for easy understanding. Information and explanations in one chapter are referenced in subsequent ones, never failing to explain connections among them, with a view to present an overall picture of how computers and computing works.

Each chapter highlights technical terms related to computing and information technology, provides an overview of specific aspects as for example "An Overview of How Storage Works" (Chapter 2, p.40), and highlights in grey explanations of widely used terms such as "Disks From a User's Perspective" (p. 56). Each chapter also ends with a summary list of questions that focus on self-evaluating one's grasp of the chapter's contents.

E. Garrison Walters' book will continue to enrich the understanding of all who enjoy working with computers at work or for pleasure. I wish this book had been available to guide me in computing long before I found it, and, that I had written it ! It is a remarkable achievement!

There is a great breadth of information presented in a very lucid fashion. The material is easy to understand, and the author adds a great sense of humor.
However, with the rapid advancements in technology, the book is a bit dated. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a gain a great breadth of knowledge in the field of Information technology, in a short period of time.