The Junior Woodchuck's Guide To The Web

I love buying computer books. I'll see one in a bookstore and think to myself, "I really should learn Photoshop." Or maybe how to create mash-ups with Sony's ACID. Or how to use Microsoft Expression Web, the program that replaced FrontPage.

And I'll buy them. Now, I have them in a bookcase right near the computer, so the next time I say to myself, "I really should learn Photoshop," I can add "...after all, I did buy the book."

"Rule The Web," by Boing Boing's Mark Frauenfelder, never made it to the shelf. I keep it where I can grab it. It is hands-down the most useful computer book I've ever bought. It's packed with information I need, it's well organized, and the hints and tips are just fantastic. I can't tell you how many questions it's answered for me - many of which I hadn't even thought to ask. "Rule The Web" literally paid for itself on the day I bought it, by directing me to RetailMeNot, where I was given coupon codes that reduced a couple of online orders by more than 20 bucks. That in turn led me to BugMeNot, a handy way to bypass the registration requirements many magazine and newspaper websites insist upon before they'll let you view the article you're looking for. Highly Recommended.