Book: iPhone: The Missing Manual Author: David Pogue Publisher: O'Reilly ISBN: 0-596-51374-7 Pages: 392 Price: $19.99 US Level: All users Rating: 4.5 out of 5 apples

If you have never read a book from the Missing Manual series, you probably cannot appreciate how quickly and thoroughly you can learn about your computer products from one of them. I've had this copy of iPhone: The Missing Manual since it came out this summer, around the same time that the iPhone did. I've held on to it, waiting to buy an iPhone. I now have one and this book has been so helpful getting me up and running, and giving me tips and tricks for making my iPhone experience more enjoyable.

As in all Missing Manuals, there is no CD. The book's binding allows you to lay the book flat without assistance or breaking the spine. Why don't they all do that?

As usual, the Index is the book's strength. You can count on quickly finding any topic you want to learn about. Its manageable size won't scare anybody, although some of the Missing Manual books are tomes. The many color illustrations are so beautiful that you'd think you were looking at the iPhone itself. This book is easy to understand because David Pogue is a master of keeping complex ideas simple.

A personal experience, close to home: While the above review is based on the book itself, I must relate a personal anecdote: David Pogue is an avid fan of Macintosh User Groups and I've had the opportunity and privilege of getting to know him personally. I love his humor and his professionalism in everything he does. One evening as I was reading the book I saw my name listed on page 227 as one of his contacts in an illustration addressing sync conflicts that arise when you edit a phone number or an appointment since the last sync. My phone number given is fictitious, but that's definitely my name! Imagine my surprise. I felt honored. I emailed him right away and he humorously responded, "I figured you wouldn't sue me." What a guy.