NAME: “Facebook for Seniors: Connect With Friends and Family in 12 Easy Lessons,” by Carrie, Chris and Cheryl Ewin (No Starch Press, 332 pp., $24.95)
WHAT: An easy-to-follow guide for seniors or technophobes to access and use Facebook.
WHAT’S HOT: If you have enough savvy to turn on your computer and access the internet, you can join and safely use Facebook by following the directions in this comprehensive handbook. Its large-type font, leading and layout, chockablock with color illustrations for nearly every instruction, will make it a joy for seniors. After explaining what Facebook is and what it can be used for, the book walks users through the basics and, later, other features of Facebook. The authors, who all have extensive IT and/or training backgrounds, smartly stress the importance of selecting a strong password, as well as maintaining privacy and security. Like a true workbook, there are activities sprinkled throughout to practice what readers have just learned. If you forget how to complete an activity, just flip to the Solutions chapter at the back of the book for a reminder of what steps need to be taken. Although the guide wasn’t written for those familiar and comfortable with computers and social networking, it can be a convenient reference when you want to quickly remember or learn a Facebook function, such as setting up an event.
WHAT’S NOT: The book is designed to learn about and use Facebook on a computer, not the app. Some may find that there is too much hand-holding, but that’s preferable to assuming the reader already knows how to do something.
BOTTOM LINE: This book would be a great gift.
