Useful even for those with zero experience
924558
I bought this book because I am interested in writing. I am not sure what to expect as I am not really that familiar with memoirs. I like how the author started off with an eye-opening introduction. I also love the fact that this book comes with a gift--fifty subjects and life-story writing ideas. A complete go-to book even more inexperienced writers like me.
1914288
Having never written a lick of Javascript in my life this book provided a good introduction of what node.js is, how it can be useful, and covered some of the more popular modules/extensions.  Additionally the coverage on what tools and resources are available in the node.js community provides a good launching point for further learning.  The book does a good job explaining the basics with plenty of examples making it ideal for someone new to server side application development.
4747437
Although I'm not sure that I would suggest this to someone who is an absolute beginner, this book has a lot of practical advise of what NOT to do, from someone who apparently made these mistakes himself at one time.
4542545
As a novice book marketer, i desperately needed some direction and this book provided it for me. I would not necessarily recommend it to someone with experience in marketing books and looking for an edge or uncovered ground. But for the beginner, my situation, it was extremely helpful.
2144141
This is really a good book for those who are just starting out. He talks about things, ;like tools and techniques, that other books take for granted. This book is worth the money because you will find yourself with many takeaways that really help you become competent at this craft. he also has some good ideas for tools and setup I haven't seen elsewhere. This book, combined with some youtube videos and you are good to go.
3113034
I am relative novice when it comes to using web services but I have some experience with PHP. I found the examples in this book very useful for illustrating how to get up and running quickly while giving a good foundation for more experimentation. The Author does not give away all of the answers to building a complete Amazon app which I found to be be nice because it made me think of other more imaginative ways to use them.
4627224
I was given my Kindle as a Christmas gift, so purchased this book to help this  senior "non techie" get started.  It has been a great help, but did not answer all my questions, reason for 4 star.  It's worthwhile for a novice and certainly opens the many opportunities the Kindle offers.
526214
As a beginner in finance, I also find this book is quite useful.
I've try to gain some intuitive understanding about security analysis and also read some other books.
After I read this one, I just throw others immediately without any hesitation
687592
A useful beginner's tool to help someone understand a language for which there are too few resources. Knowing nothing of the Czech language and anticipating a one week trip to the Czech Republic, I purchased this tool. It was difficult to use at first, especially because of some difficult Czech consonants. But with some persistence, patterns began to emerge and I learned enough to dramatically enhance my trip to an unfamiliar place. This does not pretend to be the only resource one needs and I did use others (including a grammar, a dual language reader and a couple of children's books), but this resource was the backbone of my effort. It is a little too repetitive but the advantage is that it keeps the learning fresher.
1057299
The author targets newbies and, in all sincerity, there aren't that many technical tips that are worth reading for seasoned programmers. Yet, most of the soft-skills tips apply provide an interesting reading even for very experienced people. In fact I would say you hardly find technical material here you can't easily find online. I really feel the non-technical sections are what make this book worth the money.

I confirm the writing style is very down to earth, the format, with many small and self-contained section, make it the very readable. It's your call to read it either cover to cover or in a linear fashion, the book allows both approaches.
1647607
I admit it, I know next to nothing about electronics. I've built logic circuits in a computer systems course, and I know the basics of electrical wiring, but beyond that I haven't a clue as to how most things operate. I've mainly used this book for reference as I haven't had a whole lot of time to sit down and run through it as if it were a course. But I still find it quite helpful explaining the basics and different odds and ends when I go to look them up. Based on the couple chapters I've read, I'd say this is great for a high schooler or someone looking into electronics for the first time.
2523651
not all you need, but good to learn some basics
54900
I've been writing professionally for close to a decade. This is how I make my living -- I've ventured into self-publishing on occasion before, plus I've published blogs, freelanced, written for print and more. Reading this book was still incredibly useful for me, despite prior knowledge.

Sure, there were things that a really experienced writer or publisher or entrepreneur would be very familiar with. It's incredibly in-depth, especially for anyone just starting out. But it's also got plenty of information for anyone not coming at these topics cold. In particular, I found the sections laying out how to effectively size up different platforms, like Kindle versus Nook, clearer than any other similar material I've ever read.

I'm going to have to stock pile copies of this book to give out to new writers. It's great.
2875618
A useful text which caters for the beginning editor/proofreader or those who might want to update their skills.

The book begins with an introduction to the publication process, including a list of all the jobs that are involved - very useful for the newbie. Proofreading/editing marks are described in detail along with examples of marked up text. There is also a comprehensive bibliography and very helpful index.

Included are valuable examples of documents like an author's questionnaire (used to describe the job to make sure the editor is on the same wavelength as the author requesting the editing); the production schedule which will accompany the manuscript throughout the editing process; the publisher's brief and many others.

I can't think of a single way to improve this text - it's a practical and informative training manual, written in a clear, easy comfortable style. It's been around for 14 years, updated every year or so, and I think it will be around for many more years to come.
4427994
The book, as the title indicates, covers all the basics of using Windows 10. The screen captures and step-by-step instructions on doing any task is helpful. It's not going to be much use to an experienced computer user, but for a beginner, it's very helpful
4022675
I recently received this as a gift, and was pleasantly surprised. I learned quite a lot from reading it.

When I graduated college and moved into my first apartment. I starting accumulating a few tools, but didn't always make the best choices. And there were a few I didn't buy because I didn't know they existed, but which would've made work easier if I had known about them. This book explains what tools you need--  and which is the best version of each one. A really useful guide for anyone moving into their first apartment or house, but it would also be useful for anyone who uses tools. A lot of practical information here, and easy to understand.

I intend to look over my Christmas list-- this will be a good idea for the people who I haven't been able to think of what to get them. A useful gift, at a really good price.
25630
This is a pretty good guide for those who have no experience with the newest Windows operating system. It will teach you how to install Windows 10, how to customize it, how to use it for multitasking, what are the most helpful features, and so on. Each chapter of the book is well-written, well-explained, and contains screenshots which should make things much easier for you as a beginner.