Between The Covers

January 18, 2012 06:46 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 12:38 pm IST

The Complete IDIOT'S Guide to Face Book, Make friends with the Social Newtork. Author: Mikal E. Belicove and Joe Kraynak.

The Complete IDIOT'S Guide to Face Book, Make friends with the Social Newtork. Author: Mikal E. Belicove and Joe Kraynak.

What Technology Wants

Kevin Kelly

(Penguin, Rs. 599)

Can we think of life without technology today? No way. From the moment we wake up to the moment our eyes shut at night, we are surrounded by and are dependent on technology.

But is it a good thing? Is it natural or are we going against the principles of Nature? Where is all this leading to?

These thoughts form the fulcrum of this tome, which introduces a brand new view of technology. It suggests that technology, as a whole, is not a jumble of wires and metal but a living, evolving organism with its own unconscious needs and tendencies. Kevin Kelly looks through the eyes of this global technological system to discover “what it wants.” Using vivid examples to trace technology's long course, Kevin tries to find the path that it is taking.

Three practical lessons are put forth here — by listening to what technology wants, we can better prepare ourselves and our children for the inevitable technologies to come; by adopting the principles of pro-action and engagement, we can steer technologies into their best roles; and by aligning ourselves with the long-term imperatives of this near-living system, we can capture its full gifts.

Intelligent, fascinating, innovative, and optimistic, this book looks at how man and technology mesh to produce increasing opportunities for one and all.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Facebook (Second Edition)

Mikal E. Belicove and Joe Kraynak

(Alpha, Rs. 699)

Facebook has become an integral part of the lives of those who let technology rule it. Wall, News Feed, privacy, photos, locations, invitations, chat — the options are overwhelming.

This user-friendly guide walks you through FB's array of options and helps you set up an account you'll enjoy using. In it, you get:

Easy information on signing up, creating your profile, and finding your first friends.

Insider information on interacting with others via Walls and News Feeds — and the differences between the two.

Simple steps for sharing photos and videos, initiating and participating in group and video chats, sending event invitations and more.

A fun look at FB games and other apps that make the social network so popular.

Tips for marketing your business, products and services via ads, fan pages, FB's other promotional outlets.

Great On The Job: What to Say, How To Say It; The Secrets of getting Ahead

Jodi Glickman

(St. Martin's Griffin, Rs. 655)

People Skills… ask me how important it is!

How does one ask for help at work without sounding dumb? How does one get useful feedback from colleagues? How does one please one's boss without getting too gushy and obvious?

Ticklish at times, but possible, says Jodi Glickman who launched Great on the Job, a communications consulting firm. The client list includes Harvard Business School, Wharton, The Stern School of Business, Merrill Lynch, and Citigroup.

Now, for the first time, Glickman puts her three-step training programme in book form. Armed with case studies, micro strategies, and example language, the writers helps readers learn communication skills that can be practised and implemented immediately; it will give them the ability to communicate well, which is often the most important precursor to success in the workplace.

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