WordPress: The Missing Manual

Magic can be described as quaint descriptions of things we don't understand. Science replaces the magic once we know what's going on.Every Wordpress book & instructional post delights in telling us the magic, extolling Wordpress' wonderfulness, but giving us only the magic -- Follow these incantations and the magic grants this result. The best we get is insinuations of what's going on, not how to accomplish anything but standard magical results. This book is a bit better than most, but if it spent as much time in telling the reader what the functions do as it does in telling us how great things are, it could be quite useful. It takes us close to the edge of the magic but hides the secret science that could make Wordpress live up to its potential.Like every other Wordpress book, blog, or instruction, this book gives us the incantations to produce a run-of-the-mill blog, but in every instance, it leaves us dangling when we want to know why and how. I've read hundreds and written dozens of instruction manuals. This book apparently was written by a competent beginner who is afraid to dig into the features that can make Wordpress do wondrous things. He hints at what themes can do and what differentiates them, but just in general terms, mostly having to do with coolness. Never does he give a hint as to how to select the best theme. Same with other chapters, up to the edge of magic/science but he never steps over the line into helpful explanations. Like all the others, he treats Wordpress as an adventure game, wander around looking for useful tools, rather than defining what's behind the magic.That said, this book does the magic better than every other Wordpress book I've read, so if all you want is what everyone else is doing, this book will get you there, albeit with a few frustrations.Paul LecoqAuthor: Cruel & Unusual Punishment?

WordPress: The Missing Manual is an excellent tutorial for someone who has general web site building knowledge but wants to learn how to build a site using WordPress. The book introduces the various components of WordPress in a logical and orderly manner so that a "newbie" can learn how the trees make up the forest. The books strikes a good balance in providing sufficient detail to be useful without overwhelming. Prior to reading this book, I had purchased another WordPress manual and also had done a fair amount of material related to WordPress on the web. However, it wasn't until I read this book that I felt comfortable about tackling a project in WordPress. Also, the other reference materials that I had read approached WordPress from a blog perspective and then kind of threw in "oh, by the way, you can also do more conventional websites", whereas this book balanced the two uses for WordPress. Before purchasing this book, I was concerned by review comments which indicated that the book was biased towards using WordPress.com versus using WordPress on a site hosted elsewhere. I did not find this to be the case; in fact, I thought that the author was very conscientious about explaining the differences between the two situations.

After you have becoming acquainted with WordPress, you can use this book to become really good friends with it.The book takes a logical approach. It begins slow and then progresses to more sophisticated elements. It introduces CSS in a non-intimidating way and provides a case study in creating a ground-up site. It takes you by the hand and guides you through it.It is such a kick to get something right and have it work on your site. That is what this book does for you, gives you a bit of a lift by showing you how to do this or that. Whether you want to add a slideshow or fool around with a music player, this guide shows the way.This book is part of the missing manual series, which I have found to be the best in how-to books. I go back a ways, and recall the first iMovie missing manual by David Pogue. This book upholds that tradition of first-rate instruction and bright writing. If you have questions about WordPress, this book provides the answers. Then there's the fun of just thumbing through it and discovering how to do something you haven't thought of. Worthwhile investment.

I am old fashion. I learn reading manuals or books related to a subject. I have read hundreds of them. Yes, I am 72 years old. I have written manuals too, in the Jurassic period of the personal computers. Therefore I have a right to an opinion. This is the easiest and best structured Manual I have ever read. Everything is very clear and well organized. A lot of attention to details. Mr. MacDonald has and extraordinary capacity to give you everything that you need. I love the way he takes you thru the content, always letting you know that more detailed information is ahead so you don't have to wonder. I have written many procedures myself because the manual did not have a clear information.THANK YOU, FOR ONCE I HAVE READ A MANUAL WITH NO COMPLAINS. ( Just in case: I have not the pleasure to know Mr. MacDonald)Virgilio Alvarez. Spring Hill, Fl

I've bought Matthew MacDonald's Wordpress missing manual in preparation to building my own little brochure site (I should really have placed a link here :). After reading the book, I feel that I have learned enough in order to build my own wordpress website, so I'm glad I chose this book. That said, this book is not perfect. The book stubbornly uses non-technical language and so every description becomes lengthy (too lengthy, to me, but still, it is an enjoyable read). The book's index is mediocre and is practically almost useless (but there is a listing of all mentioned 'external' web sites - nice touch). Also, the edition I have was written in 2012 and is already showing tiny aging signs (e. g. the free photos stock exchage site that is mentioned no longer exists. The twelve eleven theme that is mentioned a lot is three yrs old by now..)

I love this book. It is very good for beginners and even one or two levels up. I would recommend.

The book does just what it says on the cover, it tells you all you need to know in a simple way so you can understand.It guides you gently through all this program can do for you.

Great book. Just what I was hoping to find. Dug around for a book like this for a LONG time!!

Easy to read, is an very good 'must have' reference.