To my surprise, I was greeted one afternoon by a paperback book of considerable heft on my doorstep. Initially believing it to be the Pachyrhinosaurus monograph I had ordered, I tore open the package with considerable glee, only to find the unexpected content within: Kyle Orland’s Wii for Dummies. Its yellow and black cover instantly recognizable, I briefly recollected my younger days with DOS for Dummies back when people still used DOS. At any rate, after getting high on that new-book smell, I began leafing through the tome, eager to find some obscure morsel about my favorite motion-controlled console.

To be perfectly honest, if you’re a regular reader of this site, you probably don’t need to read Wii for Dummies, but Orland immediately declares that the book is not for you, anyway. Instead, it’s for first-time Wii users, or people who don’t yet have a Wii but are considering purchasing one. I would also add that the book is more specifically for people who never, or almost never, play video games. Weighing in at a robust 314 pages, Wii for Dummies covers every aspect of the console you could possibly need;everything from finding a system, to opening the box, to wandering around the Internet Channel, to what Virtual Console games you might like.

The usual Dummies series trademarks are here, including Tip, Warning, and Technical Stuff icons, and “The Fifth Wave” comics that introduce each chapter. All of the figures and photographs, most of which are screen captures, are crisp and easy to decipher.

What impressed me most about the book were the “little thing” chapters. These are things gamers like me wouldn’t normally look at, but I found myself paying the most attention to them. Orland dedicates a section to peripherals, both first-party and third. He talks about each sport on Wii Fit and how to succeed at each (there are tennis and boxing subtleties I wasn’t aware of). He also discusses how BMI isn’t that great of an indicator of health, and goes on to outline various Wii games for the non-gamer, the party gamer, and the casual gamer.

Everything you could possibly want to know about the Wii is in this book. What’s more, it’s an entertaining read, and not some boring technical manual. Kyle Orland is a good writer and throws in a few puns now and then. And while I didn’t learn too much new information, that’s not to say a lot of people won’t: Wii for Dummies is an excellent book for the new Wii owner, or those looking to buy a Wii. In fact, I think my father-in-law would love this book, as he is considering the purchase himself.