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New Releases

Your Brain: The Missing Manual
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Buy 2 Books, Get the 3rd FREE!

Buy two books from oreilly.com and get the third free by using discount code OPC10 in our shopping cart. All orders over $29.95 qualify for free shipping within the US.

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Monthly Memo

A note from the editor

By Peter Meyers, Missing Manuals managing editor

Three things everyone agrees on: babies are cute, presidential campaigns are long, and user manuals that come with electronics and gadgets stink. Now I'm not even talking about those laughably bad translations -- "When you waste metal parts, keep away from small children to prevent from some injuries by them." No, the main offenders are the ones that read like instructions from some government agency in charge of fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Our Missing Manuals, of course, try to remedy these verbal wrongs in a way that's clear, engaging, and soothing on the brain. But what if we took our how-to writing skills further "upstream"? That is, what if we started offering our guidebook-writing services to manufacturers themselves? The short version of the pitch goes like this: You, dear manufacturer, make a great camera/cell phone/stereo receiver. We write great manuals. Let's work together.

In fact, that's what we're on the cusp of doing. We've already started a few projects in what we're calling our corporate and custom Missing Manuals line. But now we're looking to turn this endeavor into a full fledged business. That means staffing up, which brings me to the point of this month's note: We're looking for a sales manager for our custom group -- someone whose toes tingle at this whole idea and who could also work on a collection of other custom publishing projects (for example: licensing existing content). And while we're enlisting all the usual search methods (online job sites, working with a recruiter, and so on), I also wanted to reach out to you, loyal Missing Manuals fan. Know anyone who'd be a good fit? We'd love to speak with any candidates you can recommend. Just forward this email, reply directly to me, or pay a visit to our online posting. Consider it one small step forward for manual writing, one great leap for humanity.

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Top 10 Reasons to Switch from Microsoft Office to Google Apps

By Nancy Conner

Author Nancy Conner offers 10 reasons why you should consider making the leap from Microsoft Office to Google Apps.

1. The vast majority of Google's services are free, as in totally, completely, won't-cost-you-a-dime free.

2. With a Google Account, you get a lot of the same basic features as Office—like word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation, email, and calendar programs—as well as a few Office doesn't have, like a way to chat with your friends online (Google Talk) and create your own customized home page on the Web (iGoogle).

Read all 10 tips

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A Gallery of Illustrations from Your Brain: The Missing Manual

Images from Your Brain: The Missing Manual

View images from Your Brain: The Missing Manual. You can read more about the images by clicking on them to see excerpts from the book.

View gallery

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We're Wondering...

We're Wondering...

How has a Missing Manual made your life easier? What tips and tricks have you passed on to friends? Let us know:
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