Author: Guy Hart-Davis
Publisher: Wiley
Pages: 240
ISBN: 978-1394225255
Print: 1394225253
ASIN: B0CF3WFTWM
Audience: Everyone
Rating: 5
Reviewer: Ian Stirk

This book aims to get optimal answers to your questions from ChatGPT, how does it fare? 

Is there a hotter topic in computing today than ChatGPT? I suspect not. So, there’s sure to be a great demand for a book that produces optimal results from ChatGPT.

The book is aimed at beginners, having little or no knowledge of ChatGPT, but having some basic computing knowledge (e.g. browsers, web apps, computing devices). 

Below is an exploration of the topics covered.

In many ways ChatGPT acts as a junior assistant, quickly producing useful answers to your questions. I suspect everyone can gain something by using ChatGPT. The world of ChatGPT is moving rapidly, so you can expect some parts of the book to be dated already – but the core concepts will still be relevant. This includes how to access ChatGPT, where you can access ChatGPT via the Bing browser. 

The art of using ChatGPT is knowing how to ask it questions correctly, these questions are called prompts. Is there a better way of learning than by example? Perhaps learning by making mistakes is more instructive, but typically takes much longer. The author has done most of the hard work by providing you with optimal prompts to get the answers you require, for various types of industry/role-based questions. In answering your questions, ChatGPT typically generates new original content, not regurgitation of existing web/search content. I’ve included some of the book’s prompts to give you an idea of its content.

The book opens with a look at how to set up a free account so you can use ChatGPT. There is also a paid account, which offers more options. The simple ChatGPT interface is described, before moving on to look at some of the best ways to ask questions (prompts) so you will get the best answers (e.g. should you use slang). Sometimes, ChatGPT can make awful mistakes in its replies, these are called hallucinations, these are a pertinent reminder to double-check any output from ChatGPT. Details are provided on installing ChatGPT on an iPad or iPhone or Android device.

ChatGPT can be used to improve your chances of getting a job. You can submit your CV/resume to ChatGPT, and it can offer tips for improvement. If you’re still not happy with some sections, you can ask it to rewrite those parts - this is possible because ChatGPT remembers the previous prompts and answers in each session. You can also ask it to make it more formal, or funny, or suit a certain type of audience. 

To get ChatGPT to query some text that you enter, you need to press Shift+Enter to expand the prompt window, and then enter the text you want ChatGPT to query. Example prompts, taken from the book, are given throughout this review, for example:

• Write a resume using the following information

• Read that resume, identify any omissions, and tell me how to improve it

• Customize my resume to suit this job description for the job_title position

There’s a useful section on preparing for an interview. You can ask ChatGPT to act as the interviewer for a certain type of job, asking you questions. It can also give details of helpful answers.

It’s possible to use ChatGPT to help manage your work and schedule. It should be noted that this isn’t fully automated currently, due to the lack of integration of ChatGPT with other software (e.g. Office 365), however, you can expect tools to appear to correct this. In place of the integration, you need to copy information into the ChatGPT prompt window. This lack of integration might be viewed as a good thing, since ChatGPT access to your file system, email system etc, might be used for nefarious deeds.

Examples of the sorts of tasks you can expect it to be able to do almost in the balink of an eye are:

• Summarize the following message in 50 words

• Can you find me a flight from Houston to LAX after 4pm today

ChatGPT can create various business documents, including advertising copy, memos, letters, business plans, social media posts, and proposals. Again, because ChatGPT doesn’t have access to the file system or email etc, you’ll need to include the appropriate text within the ChatGPT prompt window. Similarly, any output will need to be copied/pasted into a new document on the file system etc. It is possible to use dictation to enter text into the prompt window, which may improve productivity.

• Write a slogan for a new product, a pencil that sticks to the car windscreen so it’s always on hand
• Proofread the following article and identify any spelling errors, punctuation problems, or grammar issues

Many of us need to conduct research as part of our remit. ChatGPT can help with this, including: summarizing articles, analyzing data, suggesting research questions, and designing experiments. 

• Summarize URLname
• Below are 10 customer reviews, do a quick sentiment analysis on them
• I need to design an experiment for the below research question, please help me define the objective of the experiment, and a hypothesis based on the objective

There’s a useful chapter on communication and knowledge sharing, including using ChatGPT to draft new emails and responses. Additionally, translation between various languages is supported. One useful tip to check the validity of translation, is to translate text from language A to language B, then take the generated text and translate it back into the original language to see if it retains its meaning.

• Read this message and write a polite reply saying no

• Translate the following message into German

• I want you to brainstorm with me. The topic is: how can we increase sales per customer

Next, there are several chapters that are specific to certain roles, namely: Web Development, Programming, HR and Training, Sales and Marketing, Teachers, Students, Creative Writing and Fiction Writing. In each case, targeted prompts are given and discussed. Below are some (of a great many) targeted prompts for these chapters:

• Analyze the following website from a design point of view. Tell me what the website does well and what it does more poorly. URL 

• Create a 500-word web page to explain the purpose of onions in cooking. Encode the webpage in HTML

• The following code doesn’t run. Please review it and tell me what is wrong

• Refactor this code to make it easier to read and easy to maintain

• Draft a job description for a Risk Analyst position with our financial services firm. The applicant needs a degree in accounting and five years’ experience

• Create a job ad for a Content Manager Specialist. Here is the job description:

• Write a press release for crisis management. Someone hacked into our network last night and compromised our subscription data. Reassure customers their credit-card information is encrypted and is not at risk. We are working with law enforcement to identify the perpetrators

• Draw up a six-month marketing plan for Penultimate Protein Pro. Our target audience is fitness enthusiasts aged 18 to 60. Focus on online channels and the leisure industry

• Create a lesson plan for the Advanced English Literature: The 18th-Centuary Novel course we were talking about earlier.

• My class is studying American Presidents. Create a quiz containing 20 trivia questions on this subject. Include a table with the correct answers after the quiz.

• I solved the equation 3x + 5 = 14 and got x = 3. Is this correct?

• Create an outline for a 10-slide presentation on Food Safety Basics

• Write the plot for a science-fiction short story with a hero called Drumhead Smith who must fetch something important from a far-off planet containing scary life-forms

• Read this story and identify any spelling errors or language issues

Personally, I find the ChatGPT-generated programming code to be generally very good. Being a developer, I increasingly refer to ChatGPT when I want some initial code.

The penultimate chapter provides prompts to help with Home Efficiency and Enjoyment. It’s very general in its scope, and should find a wide audience.

• Create a meal plan for Monday through Friday, all food must be gluten-free

• Recommend a well-received book on the Albigensian Crusade

The book ends with a chapter on relationships, and personal development, sure to be of use to everyone. 

• What vaccinations should I get before going to India?

• How can I tell whether I’m ready to have a committed relationship?

• As a supervisor, how can I motivate my team of employees?

Conclusion

This book provides a very useful introduction to ChatGPT and how to ask the right prompts to get the best answers. It is easy to read, interesting, and fun! It covers a wide range of topics, giving plenty of tips along the way. The author has done most of the initial work for you, providing a great many targeted example prompts that you can adapt. 

There are so many different areas where ChatGPT can be of use. ChatGPT can be your personal assistant, helping improve your productivity, and giving you new ideas. Remember, you will need to double-check any responses since ChatGPT occasionally makes awful mistakes.

After using ChatGPT for a while, you might wonder at how this predictive text tool can produce intelligent responses. Is it showing signs of intelligence (not consciousness)?

Highly recommended.

Related Review

ChatGPT For Dummies (Wiley) 

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