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PROS
Informative, great syntax explanation, interesting webmaster tricks, detailed explanation of the Google API.
LOWS
Can become a little overwhelming when you start to get into the heavy Perl coding aspects if you are a newbie to the language. Pointless game and prank section.
OVERALL
It changed the way I use Google. It will probably do the same for you.
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Aside from the different ways to search Google, there are a few sections about different services offered by Google. You will learn how to better search the directory, groups, images, and other services. I was happy to have the link to the Google Advanced Image Search, which allowed me to search for a specific size or type of file. I was also shocked to discover a way to look up phone numbers using Google! Simply type phonebook: last name state, and BOOM! You have lists of numbers. Google rocks.
A huge description of the Google API (Application Programming Interface) is also one of the things to be found in Google Hacks. If you are interested in manipulating Google for your own programs, this is a great book to start out with as a reference. It will explain to you the anatomy of an API result, what the XML programming code means, and how to create different queries. This is without a doubt the book to get if you are interested in learning how the API works.
The Pranks and Games chapter is both fun and utterly pointless. You will learn how to add code onto the Google URL in order to turn up with zero results no matter what you search for, learn about Google “Whacking,” and even learn about making poetry with Google.
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If you are in for a laugh on the geeky side, you and a few friends can try some of these hacks out. Some are simple, like turning up zero results, yet others like poetry and making art can be tough considering you will need to do some coding.
The last chapter of the book is all about using Google from a Webmaster's stand point. This chapter will help you a lot if you are a Webmaster starting out with a site. Google Hacks teaches you all about PageRank and how to get your site listed. This chapter also tells you how to generate Google AdWords that will be sure to deliver traffic to your site. Perhaps the most useful part of this chapter was the “25 Steps to 15K a Day” Hack. This hack gives you 26 steps, in A-Z format, about how to optimize your site to receive 15,000 hits each day from Google. Sound interesting? Well, it is. Any aspiring Webmaster should give this book a shot.
After reading Google Hacks, I can safely say I have changed the way I surf the web. If you are looking for more power and more ways to get information, Google Hacks is the book for you!
