There are a couple of ways to use this book, depending on your preferences and experience.

If you're a Twitter newbie, you can start reading and working with Chapter 1 and keep going until you reach the index at the end. Everything falls in sequence as you build experience and knowledge

This book also works like a reference. Start with the topic you want to find out about. Look for it in the table of contents or in the index to get going. The table of contents is detailed enough that you should be able to find most of the topics you're looking for. If not, turn to the index, where you can find even more detail.

After you find your topic in the table of contents or the index, turn to the area of interest and read as much as you need or want. Then close the book and get on with it.

Of course, this book is loaded with information, so if you want to take a brief excursion into your topic, you're more than welcome. If you want to know the ins and outs of building an online store, read the whole chapter on storefronts. If you just want to know how to post a product on your site, read just the section on adding products. You get the idea.

This book rarely directs you elsewhere for information — just about everything that you need to know about is right here. If you find the need for additional information on related topics, plenty of other For Dummies books can help.

Aside from the topics you can use right away, some of this book is skippable. I carefully placed extra-technical information in self-contained sidebars and clearly marked them so that you can steer clear of them. Don't read this stuff unless you're really into technical explanations and want to know a little of what's going on behind the scenes. Don't worry; my feelings won't be hurt if you don't read every word.

I'm making only one assumption about who you are: You're a computer user.

Inside this book, you find chapters arranged in five parts. Each chapter breaks down into sections that cover various aspects of the chapter's main subject. The chapters are in a logical sequence, so reading them in order (if you want to read the whole thing) makes sense. But the book is modular enough that you can pick it up and start reading at any point.

Here's the lowdown on what's in each of the five parts.

Those nifty little pictures in the margin aren't there just to pretty up the place. They have practical functions:

Yes, you can get there from here. With this book in hand, you're ready to build your own robust and useful Twitter application. Browse through the table of contents and decide where you want to start. Be bold! Be courageous! Be adventurous! Above all, have fun!