Ebay: The Missing Manual
David Pogue many years ago noticed that programs were no longer including manuals and started his series called the “the Missing Manual.” These books are designed to be both reference guides and how-to’s on the subject covered. The author of this entry in the collection, Nancy Connor, focuses more on the manual portion to the point of information overload. The book is not designed to be sit and read cover to cover, but it’s also not well organized to find specific information. However, there is a great table of contents and index which helped me find the answers to some of the questions I tested it with. Unlike other quality manuals, her sections lacked a clear conclusion and summary. This omission made it difficult to sit and read the book, because one easily gets lost in the details and how they relate to the subject at hand.
This book is not the best book for beginners. The average person starting on eBay would have trouble finding the simple basics of buying and selling on eBay and could be intimidated by the overwhelming information. To her credit, Connors covers every aspect of eBay giving each area fair and equal attention. For example, I never understood how people can buy cars or real estate via eBay. She does a great job of explaining it. If I ever decide I want to sell my car or house on eBay, this will be a good reference to use.
Some other areas she covered that I find intriguing, though not applicable to me, includes how to make a living off of eBay and how to use the eBay forums to enhance your buying and selling experience. After reading the book, I feel like there isn’t an aspect of eBay I don’t have at least a passing familiarity with at this point. Connors covers the proper paperwork and even the details of hiring employees in your eBay business.
Like the average manual that once came with software programs, I’d recommend this book to someone how needs a reference guide to cover specific information. eBay, the Missing Manual, is an ideal supplemental book for someone who wants to move from the basics of buying and selling and make it into a hobby or a lifetime profession. If you’ve never bought and sold on eBay and simply want to get your feet wet, I’d suggest starting somewhere else.
Pros:Covers every aspect of eBay and the eBay experience.
Cons: Some aspects need more attention, and some need less.
5 out of 5 dog cows
