Talking to Siri: Learning the Language of Apple's Intelligent Assistant

by Erica Sadun, Steve Sande

With Siri, iPhone 5 users can get the answers and actions they're looking for, just by speaking to their phones. But, as pioneering users have discovered, Siri takes some getting used to: it's all too easy for Siri to misinterpret and frustrate you. Talking to Siri 2/e is the solution: the concise, practical Siri guidebook for everyone. Renowned Apple experts Erica Sadun and Steve Sande help you talk to Siri in ways it'll understand, so you get exactly what you want from it. You'll discover which categories Siri responds to best, and learn how to make the most of them. Sadun and Sande reveal the best ways to set up Siri in your preferences, manage your interactive conversations, and perform tasks ranging from checking the weather to doing math. Packed with practical how-tos and real-world examples, this book won't just make Siri work better for you right now: it'll help you find new ways to use it that you never even imagined!

245 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2011

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, you know all the iPhone 4S commercials where Siri is cheerful and pleasant or the rumors that you can get Siri to respond to a query with a witty quip?

Yeah, I don't have that version of Siri. I have the snotty teenager version that pretends it's listening then freaks when asked to change a reminder.

Perhaps it's just me, that I am having trouble communicating with Siri on a basic level.

Thankfully, Erica Sadun and Steve Sande put out a little book that goes over Siri's high points and limitations (she's not programmed to edit reminders or notes and for some reason won't dictate directly to twitter or facebook at this time - and I don't care if Siri is officially an "it" the US version has a female voice). I also learned how to frame my questions using Wolfram Alpha-type queries.

Siri and I are getting along much better these days. She still won't clean her room, though.

[Andrés · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book adds little information that is not already in the "help" feature that comes with Siri. Even most of the examples are the same. The only exception is on dictation, which I've found quite useful.

[Larea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This information may be available elsewhere but this was a quick, convenient, and entertaining way for me to get up to speed with Siri. I just upgraded my iPhone 4 to iPhone 5 and I am loving it! I may even ditch my voice recorder that I carry for ideas in the car.

[Justin McDowell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was pretty cool. It was informative to learn new things that Siri could do that I wasn't aware of. It was amusing to learn all of the different ways you could have fun with Siri. I would recommend this book for an iPhone 4S or later user that enjoys using technology.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm impressed at what Siri is capable of. I'm just now becoming familiar with Siri and this book shed some light on it for me. Excellent resource for Siri (and 4S) newbies.

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just bought the second addition of this book for my Kindle app. The book is very helpful in using Siri more effectively, and I recommend it to anyone who has an eye device.

[Eric Durant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fun material, and some useful material. Not worthwhile if you read the first edition.

[Relyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was fine. I found a few useful tips and enjoyed it well enough. But, if you are on the internet and Pinterest regularly, you've already learned all of this and more.