In 2009, Google created this thing called Wave. Google tried to explain what Wave is for, but their explanations and blog fall a little short for me.
That’s why I’m glad authors Gina Trapani and Adam Pash chose to demystify Wave by writing and publishing The Complete Guide to Google Wave. While it explains lots about what Wave can do, Trapani and Pash did something Google didn’t do well – they began at the beginning. Take the following passage, for instance.
Google Wave is a group collaboration tool which makes it easy for several people to work together on a single document on the web. Google Wave combines some of the best features from modern web applications you already know and love—such as email, instant messenger, wiki’s, and forums—into a single, hybrid interface. As such, it’s difficult to describe what Google Wave is in only a few words. The Google Wave team bills Wave as “what email would look like if it were invented today.”
The first chapter, Meet Google Wave, contains more insightful and clearly written explanations that explain what Wave can be. If Wave confuses you, you’ll probably appreciate this first chapter as much as I did.
I like the book as a whole. It’s organized as a wiki, a living document that the authors can update when necessary. And if you’re the book type, you can buy the ebook or paper book right from the website, completewaveguide.com.