What do you think?
Rate this book
Facebook For Dummies
Facebook is certainly one of the hottest sites on the Web. Not only does it help people get connected and stay connected with family and friends, it is increasingly being used by businesses to connect with their customers. If you've thought about getting into the Facebook community, Facebook For Dummies is a great tool to help you maximize the experience. Written by a pair of Facebook insiders, this handy guide shows you how to create a profile, communicate with friends, play with Facebook applications, and explore the unique ways Facebook can improve your business. You'll find out who's on Facebook, how to protect your privacy, how others use the site, and how to tailor the system to meet your needs. Find out all about:
Creating a Facebook profile that enhances your real-world relationships Sharing photos and messages with friends Joining networks for your city, school, or work Managing the amount of information you share Understanding and using synchronous and asynchronous messaging, private and public communication, and active and passive interactions Taking advantage of free and paid ways to use Facebook for business Whether you want to connect with friends already on Facebook or be the first on your block to join, Facebook For Dummies will smooth the way!
Creating a Facebook profile that enhances your real-world relationships Sharing photos and messages with friends Joining networks for your city, school, or work Managing the amount of information you share Understanding and using synchronous and asynchronous messaging, private and public communication, and active and passive interactions Taking advantage of free and paid ways to use Facebook for business Whether you want to connect with friends already on Facebook or be the first on your block to join, Facebook For Dummies will smooth the way!
360 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2008
211 people are currently reading
336 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
not-to-read
September 22, 2021[Original review, Mar 18 2018]
It is, isn't it? I'm out. #DeleteFacebook
__________________________
[Update, Dec 4 2018]
Cassandra the Information Technology Wobbegong agrees with me! In fact, she's even prepared to go a step further.
__________________________
[Update, Jan 20 2020]
(Click on image to read article)
__________________________
[Update, Jan 31 2020]
From QualityLand (my translation):
[Update, Sep 19 2021]
Headline from this article. Well, whoda thunk it?
It is, isn't it? I'm out. #DeleteFacebook
__________________________
[Update, Dec 4 2018]
Cassandra the Information Technology Wobbegong agrees with me! In fact, she's even prepared to go a step further.
__________________________
[Update, Jan 20 2020]
(Click on image to read article)
__________________________
[Update, Jan 31 2020]
From QualityLand (my translation):
"I'm going to start with the most important thing. On the internet, nothing is free. If you don't pay for a service, somebody else is paying. And that somebody else is not paying because they love humanity. They want something out of it. Your time, your attention, your data."__________________________
"Wow," said Peter. "Like, just wow! As I speak, I can feel how this totally new information is coursing through me and widening my horizons!"
"Fine, fine," said the Old One. "Arrogance. The privilege of youth. So if you already know that, why don't you act accordingly, hm?"
[Update, Sep 19 2021]
Headline from this article. Well, whoda thunk it?
February 14, 2016
You'd have to be a "dummy" to gain anything from reading this book.
May 9, 2011
Who'd have thought that even dummies would need a 330-page book to tell them how to use Facebook? But this casual Facebook dummy learnt a lot, to add to the superficial know-how he'd acquired without really thinking about it.
So now I can tell you the difference between Pages and Profiles, Lists and Groups, and how to advertise a page (not that I expect I'll ever want to do that). I know a bit about searching on Facebook, tagging photos, and how to adjust privacy setting for apps you use.
I also absorbed some Facebook company culture, through the glimpses into their own lives offered by the authors, present and former Facebook staffer. A lot of it seemed to involve organised games of ultimate frisbee. The authors are so relaxed about privacy that their own Facebook pages are used to illustrate the book.
Although it was only published last year, some of the details of the site are already out of date, and you can never be quite sure which until you're checked.
So now I can tell you the difference between Pages and Profiles, Lists and Groups, and how to advertise a page (not that I expect I'll ever want to do that). I know a bit about searching on Facebook, tagging photos, and how to adjust privacy setting for apps you use.
I also absorbed some Facebook company culture, through the glimpses into their own lives offered by the authors, present and former Facebook staffer. A lot of it seemed to involve organised games of ultimate frisbee. The authors are so relaxed about privacy that their own Facebook pages are used to illustrate the book.
Although it was only published last year, some of the details of the site are already out of date, and you can never be quite sure which until you're checked.
May 8, 2013
When you read a 'For Dummies' book, you get what you expect - a complex subject covered comprehensively in such simple language that a novice could easily understand it. And that's the problem...
See, Facebook as a platform is so intuitive and easy to use that all but the dumbest dummy can figure out how to navigate the site without any help. Of course, I work in social media, so I'm biased - however, the point still stands. Facebook for Dummies only really covers the basics, from adding a profile picture to posting your very first status - something that my grandmother figured out how to do without the help of a book.
I'm not saying that it's not a good read - I mean, I enjoyed it, and I didn't learn a thing. It's well-written, and the Dummies style of illustrating warnings, technical information and key points to remember is as useful in Facebook for Dummies as it is for any other book in the series. I just think that, on this occassion, they oversimplified it just a little bit too much.
For example, an entire chapter is dedicated just to the messaging system - to be fair to Abram, there are multiple entry points to most of Facebook's features, but detailing them all in long paragraphs is unnecessary for all but the most novice Facebook user.
On the plus side, the chapter on privacy settings would come in handy for even the most seasoned Facebook user, and privacy is a hot topic in the rapidly expanding world of the internet and social media.
But is it worth reading? Not really - it's largely a lesson in common sense, and with the pace that Facebook rolls out updates and design tweaks, it might not even be that for long. It's your choice.
See, Facebook as a platform is so intuitive and easy to use that all but the dumbest dummy can figure out how to navigate the site without any help. Of course, I work in social media, so I'm biased - however, the point still stands. Facebook for Dummies only really covers the basics, from adding a profile picture to posting your very first status - something that my grandmother figured out how to do without the help of a book.
I'm not saying that it's not a good read - I mean, I enjoyed it, and I didn't learn a thing. It's well-written, and the Dummies style of illustrating warnings, technical information and key points to remember is as useful in Facebook for Dummies as it is for any other book in the series. I just think that, on this occassion, they oversimplified it just a little bit too much.
For example, an entire chapter is dedicated just to the messaging system - to be fair to Abram, there are multiple entry points to most of Facebook's features, but detailing them all in long paragraphs is unnecessary for all but the most novice Facebook user.
On the plus side, the chapter on privacy settings would come in handy for even the most seasoned Facebook user, and privacy is a hot topic in the rapidly expanding world of the internet and social media.
But is it worth reading? Not really - it's largely a lesson in common sense, and with the pace that Facebook rolls out updates and design tweaks, it might not even be that for long. It's your choice.
October 11, 2008
Navigating a virtual world
One of my on-line acquaintances invited me to join Facebook late last year. Initially I hesitated, but then I figured it was worth checking out. I’m so pleased I did: a number of my friends from other online communities have a presence on Facebook and for a few of us it is the easiest way to communicate, share updates and photographs.
But wait, folks, that’s not all! By now, I can navigate my way around Facebook , have tried many of the applications and possibly tested the tolerance of some of my friends as a consequence.
One of my other (Amazon and Facebook) friends reviewed this book, and I just had to read it as a consequence. I’m delighted that I did: not only are the authors clearly women of taste and discernment as is evidenced by them also being part of the (fluff) Friends community, they have provided a book with heaps of information for those of us who are still print oriented enough to feel comforted by guides. Many users of Facebook will get by just fine without referring to this book. Others may want even more. For myself, I now know more about some of the functionality and applications and feel more in control of my Facebook experience as a consequence.
The virtual world is no substitute for the actual world, but it has an appeal of its own. So excuse me while I duck off to feed and race my (fluff) Friend.
One of my on-line acquaintances invited me to join Facebook late last year. Initially I hesitated, but then I figured it was worth checking out. I’m so pleased I did: a number of my friends from other online communities have a presence on Facebook and for a few of us it is the easiest way to communicate, share updates and photographs.
But wait, folks, that’s not all! By now, I can navigate my way around Facebook , have tried many of the applications and possibly tested the tolerance of some of my friends as a consequence.
One of my other (Amazon and Facebook) friends reviewed this book, and I just had to read it as a consequence. I’m delighted that I did: not only are the authors clearly women of taste and discernment as is evidenced by them also being part of the (fluff) Friends community, they have provided a book with heaps of information for those of us who are still print oriented enough to feel comforted by guides. Many users of Facebook will get by just fine without referring to this book. Others may want even more. For myself, I now know more about some of the functionality and applications and feel more in control of my Facebook experience as a consequence.
The virtual world is no substitute for the actual world, but it has an appeal of its own. So excuse me while I duck off to feed and race my (fluff) Friend.
August 31, 2013
Poor. When I follow the text, what it says I'll see--ain't. What I can do is guess and ask questions of Facebook's Help section, but I certainly can't recommend it for novices. Locate this book in a bookstore, and try it there with your tablet. When the book's failures become readily apparent, quietly put it back on the shelf and rejoice over the money you've saved. To the comment that you can't expect it to be perfect, I say then you shouldn't be writing or publishing it.
December 8, 2009
This book did not help me in any way. I am more proficient at using Facebook than what the book describes. For anyone who has never used Facebook then I would suggest looking through it, but if you havew created a profile, then you probably don't need this book.
August 19, 2013
This book can be informative for a beginner using Facebook, but unfortunately the information is outdated at the moment you start reading it. Yes, I learned some things, but it is not worth it to buy the book with a version of a couple of months old.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2014
Definitely a good read to learn the basics of Facebook account set up and applications. I learned how to set up my account, create a web page and find friends to communicate with online. Good basic tool to establish your social media presence.
November 8, 2022
I quit Facebook in 2012 (or thereabouts) and have just returned to it after a decade away. It has changed A LOT! Now, I am the kind of person who doesn't love help screens or YouTube videos to learn something new; I like books. And Facebook for Dummies is basically the only book I could find that seemed able to bring me up to speed quickly.
And it definitely did. It's about as good as any Dummies book I've ever read: it's accessible, it's generally accurate (though, like others, out of date in various and sometimes significant ways), it's not very expensive to buy. It's also got some of the same problems as other Dummies books: it's cutesy, and it's terribly repetitive--the same information might appear in a dozen different places in the book.
All that said, here are the things I found really helpful as I reacquainted myself with FB: Chapter 3 offers an excellent and very useful and exhaustive tour of the Facebook Home Page (probably the best chapter in the book). Chapter 4 has lots of good info about how the News Feed works, and shows off lots of features and stuff that I was then motivated (and able) to play around and experiment with. Chapter 6 is a good reference for settings and privacy; I used it to work my way through the complex web of settings in Facebook and make sure I got them set up just the way I wanted them. Chapter 7 is a decent introduction to the iPhone/iPad/Android apps--but seemed to me to be more out-of-date than most of the rest of the book.
I skimmed most of the remaining sections, in part because they're repetitive, in part because they pertain to specific areas of Facebook that I don't care about, and in part because some of the info covered is pretty darned obvious. (There does seem to be a lot of padding in this book!)
Finally, if the Dummies folks/authors should happen to read this: Chapter 1 is great--I particularly love that it provides a more or less objective, detailed description of what Facebook is meant to provide to its users. But it would be great if the various features and functions that are mentioned here were explained (at least a little bit) right away, because I wanted to try them out right as I read about them.
And it definitely did. It's about as good as any Dummies book I've ever read: it's accessible, it's generally accurate (though, like others, out of date in various and sometimes significant ways), it's not very expensive to buy. It's also got some of the same problems as other Dummies books: it's cutesy, and it's terribly repetitive--the same information might appear in a dozen different places in the book.
All that said, here are the things I found really helpful as I reacquainted myself with FB: Chapter 3 offers an excellent and very useful and exhaustive tour of the Facebook Home Page (probably the best chapter in the book). Chapter 4 has lots of good info about how the News Feed works, and shows off lots of features and stuff that I was then motivated (and able) to play around and experiment with. Chapter 6 is a good reference for settings and privacy; I used it to work my way through the complex web of settings in Facebook and make sure I got them set up just the way I wanted them. Chapter 7 is a decent introduction to the iPhone/iPad/Android apps--but seemed to me to be more out-of-date than most of the rest of the book.
I skimmed most of the remaining sections, in part because they're repetitive, in part because they pertain to specific areas of Facebook that I don't care about, and in part because some of the info covered is pretty darned obvious. (There does seem to be a lot of padding in this book!)
Finally, if the Dummies folks/authors should happen to read this: Chapter 1 is great--I particularly love that it provides a more or less objective, detailed description of what Facebook is meant to provide to its users. But it would be great if the various features and functions that are mentioned here were explained (at least a little bit) right away, because I wanted to try them out right as I read about them.
Read
June 15, 2021It didn't present answers to the tough questions. I wanted to set up a visual presence for a ministry and I could find nothing that dealt with the ins and outs, how to's. Generally speaking, for the beginner, it's a wealth of knowledge.
July 3, 2025
Very informative informaiton about how to use Facebaook. It helps with privacy notices, tagging people. It also helps you with blocking people and changing your profile picture. If you have any questions about facebook this is the book you need to read.
August 18, 2020
Now, I know how to Facebook, I can do anything with it. U should try it to read the book.
August 16, 2023
Facebook
I liked finding new parts of Facebook. I would recommend it to my sister. I knew a lot of it, but it was helpful.
I liked finding new parts of Facebook. I would recommend it to my sister. I knew a lot of it, but it was helpful.
February 21, 2009
I hate to give a bad review about anything, but this book is not worth the cash. Luckily I was given a gift card, but if you're interested, check it out of the library.
The problem with so many computer books is that by the time they come out the program's been updated. This book came out last year, and facebook looks quite different, just a few months later. As a Fb rookie but computer nerd, I could translate from the old to the new, but a computer rookie would be totally lost.
So, don't buy it. There were a few tidbits and explanations of a few things that helped, but not that many. At least it counts against my woefully low book total for this year.
The problem with so many computer books is that by the time they come out the program's been updated. This book came out last year, and facebook looks quite different, just a few months later. As a Fb rookie but computer nerd, I could translate from the old to the new, but a computer rookie would be totally lost.
So, don't buy it. There were a few tidbits and explanations of a few things that helped, but not that many. At least it counts against my woefully low book total for this year.
October 13, 2010
This was a great book. But since I read it, I've already read another Facebook book, which is, itself outdated! Stop changing, FB!
August 4, 2008
Very helpful, but even though it's got a 2008 copyright date, parts of it were being outdated even as I read it (goodbye, Limited Profile; goodbye, network pages; goodbye, basic layout...).
March 9, 2009
I learned a few new, cool things.
June 30, 2009
Didn't really tell me anything I couldn't have figured out in pretty short order anyway.
Read
August 10, 2010For the truly Facebook challanged! Some of us just don't get all the stuff going on here. I'm still confused, but getting there.
October 6, 2011
By the time I got around to reading this one, Facebook had changed so much that I needed to buy a new book. So I didn't finish it.
March 15, 2011
Better for reference than straight reading
Read
June 3, 2016This is a no brainer, read the entire book in less than a day
July 30, 2011
Helpful, wish it covered more for businesses.
Read
August 9, 2011As others have said, I'm finding it helpful in some ways, but it is outdated already. New edition please!
September 27, 2011
Not really that helpful since most of the screen images have changed and are not applicable.
May 27, 2012
There are some tips but expected more and had to buy another book.
July 16, 2012
Very funny
June 2, 2013
Read this for fun. I love Dummies books.
September 26, 2013
Dummies books are always helpful but often out of date before published. Does not reflect current changes will be helpful in general understanding.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews