Here's what people are saying about "Painless"...

NetGuide Magazine (Hot Product of the Month, Dec 96):
  "The latest generation of books about the Internet seems to be seeking
   the same thing as Internet applications themselves: lower prices and
   ease of use.  One of the new arrivals promising simple, hassle-free
   net surfing with a minimum of reading is "Dr. Bob's Painless Guide to
   the Internet", written by Bob Rankin, driver of the widely acclaimed
   Internet TourBus.

   The efficient and entertaining approach makes it a good idea for
   last-minute holiday gifts for your newbie friends."

New York Newsday (October 20, 1996):
  "This is the kind of book I'd send to my mother, who returned a digital
  answering machine I gave her because it was "too complicated" but tracked
  the closing prices of every stock in her mutual fund. Author Bob Rankin
  explains every aspect of the Internet (especially the time- and money-saving
  tricks) in just 145 plain-English pages.

  Rankin packs so much into this slim volume by emphasizing how to use Internet
  services instead of dwelling on how they work. The result is an eminently
  readable quick reference, ideal for novice and seasoned Internauts alike.

  At $12.95, Dr. Bob delivers more value per page than most of the three-pound,
  $50 "complete references" on the shelves. Visit his Web site at csbh.mhv.net/~bobrankin
  for a couple of sample chapters, then buy it for mom.

Judy Heim, Contributing Editor, PC World:
  "Most Internet books drown you in mystifying minutiae.  Dr. Bob tells
  you everything you need to know about the Net in the plain spoken fashion
  that has won him leagues of fans.

  Doctor Bob's Painless Guide has become my favorite reference guide to
  cyberspace, and I know it's the only Internet book you'll ever need."

David Hakala, Editor, Boardwatch Magazine:
  "Don't be fooled by the modest page count and price - Dr. Bob's Painless
  Guide covers every aspect of Internet communication better than any of the
  six-pounders we see each month. It takes a consummate Master of the Wires to
  say all that needs to be said - and no more - in a style that is
  infectiously enthusiastic and reassuringly authoritative. Rankin eloquently
  demonstrates that getting on and using the Internet really is easy; it
  doesn't take 1,000 pages to explain how.

  Each chapter is artfully illustrated with graphic screen captures and textual
  input/output listings. It is quite impossible to not "get it" or to get lost
  while reading this book. An equally comprehensive and comprehensible
  glossary of terms follows the main chapters.

  Then comes dessert: The Internet Mini-Yellow Pages. Here again, Rankin's
  expertise saves the reader from an overwhelming barrage of mostly useless
  data. Where other Internet directories indiscriminately list sites, Rankin
  devotes 16 solid-gold pages to the best of the most useful items: web sites
  for special and general interests, the good Doctor's preferred software for
  every application, and his top 10 recommendations for Internet service."