SEBASTOPOL, Calif. -- Just about everyone knows the appeal of digital photography today: it's instantly gratifying, endlessly creative, easy and fast to share digital pictures with others, and--to top it off--it's less expensive and less wasteful than traditional film photography. But digital photography can be overwhelming, since not everyone is familiar and comfortable with concepts like JPEG compression, EXIF tags, file format compatibility, image resolutions, FTP clients, and so on.

Enter Digital Photography: The Missing Manual (O'Reilly/Pogue Press, US $29.99) by Chris Grover and Barbara Brundage, with an introduction by David Pogue, weekly tech columnist for the New York Times and creator of the Missing Manual series. It's the book that should come with every digital camera. Perhaps the term "godsend" is a bit strong, but new digital camera users throughout the world will agree that it's a much-needed book whose time has come.

"The cold reality is that while digital photography is full of promise, it's also been full of headaches," observes Pogue. He created the Missing Manuals to help non-geeks master technical subjects and is famous for entertaining his readers in the process. This latest book in the series will help people cut through all the technical jargon and teach them not only how to use a digital camera but also how to take better pictures, move the photos onto a Windows-based PC, edit them, print them, and share them with their friends and family.

In full color throughout and brimming with the solid advice and good humor that are trademarks of the Missing Manual series, Digital Photography: The Missing Manual is a complete course in digital photography, including:

• How to choose the right digital camera -- or understand and operate the camera you already own

• Tried-and-true tricks from photography pros for taking better, more memorable photos in every situation -- from school performances to underwater photography

• Real-world tips for storing, organizing, and searching for digital photos on the computer and with online photo services like Kodak Gallery, Shutterfly, Snapfish, and Flickr

• Simple and creative ways to edit photos, such as removing red eye, cropping out extraneous buildings, and adding colors and impressive special effects

• Where to find the best programs and web sites for sharing digital photos -- in print, online, and via ESP. There's even a section on creating photo books, calendars, coffee mugs, and dozens of other cool things with digital photos

Everyone who has (or is ready to purchase) a digital camera will master digital photography in a snap with these countless secrets for taking, editing, and sharing stunning, professional-quality digital photos.