We have it on good authority that Joe Kissell does leave his Parisian garret occasionally for fresh air, bread, and cheese, but you'd never guess it given how prolific he's been lately. In his latest ebook - a 120-page, brand-new second edition of "Take Control of Passwords in Mac OS X," you can read Joe's latest advice for choosing and managing the ever-growing list of passwords that we modern Mac users are expected to handle.

After helping you match your personality and risk factors to how long and complex your passwords ought to be, Joe walks you through all the details of setting up your Mac so it has secure passwords without requiring you to type them more than necessary. He explains the Mac's Keychain Access password management utility, and clues you in on what a keychain is and what the common ones are that you'll likely find on your Mac. He also covers setting and using Web passwords (with specifics on how passwords are stored in eight different Web browsers), how to sync passwords between different Macs and to an iPhone or iPod touch, and how to handle password-related problems.

The ebook costs $10, and it comes with a coupon for a 20 percent savings on 1Password, Joe's top pick for a third-party password management utility.

If you bought the first edition during 2009, look in your email for a free download link to the second edition. If you bought the first edition prior to 2009, check your email for an update notice or open your PDF to the cover (page 1) and click the Check for Updates button to access a 50-percent-off upgrade offer.