I've long been a fan of the Rough Guide series, and Rough Guide to the Internet is no exception. Buckley and Clark open with a section about the hardware and software necessary to connect to the internet, and then explore browsers/browsing, how to use Google, how to sign up for and read RSS feeds, how to use various types of e-mail accounts, how to engage in chat. Curious about common acronyms on the 'net, or looking for a list of emoticons (those little sideways smiley or frowny faces) -- look no further. Additional chapters deal with shopping and ebay, computer security, software downloads, file sharing, and how to set up your own presence (website, blog, etc.) on the internet. The sections I enjoyed the most, however, were the 50+ page collection of "Things to Do Online" (in over 30 different activity categories!) and a 20 page section that's a nutshell history of the Internet. There's also a 20 page glossary of terms to help new net surfers acclimate to the common terminology online.

Originally reviewed for my local library's website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts/bookguide/srec/staffrec10-01.htm ( )