'FarmVille for Dummies' is ready for harvest, but is it ripe for the picking?

Following up on last November's announcement, FarmVille for Dummies is now done with pre-orders and ready for the picking and perusal of the aspiring virtual farmer. The paperback and Kindle version of this book came out on Amazon last week, at a respective $19.99 USD and $9.99 USD, though Amazon currently has the paperback on sale for $12.35 USD.

The book is the culmination of the hard work and good humor of FarmVilleFreak.com's Angela Morales and our colleague Kyle Orland, so expect some bias when I tell you that this book is an A+ job, and even fun for those who don't play FarmVille. Aside from teaching you how to play, offering advice on the best ways to play, and general troubleshooting of the game, the book also has a chapter on how to recognize scams and tips to avoid addiction. Moreover, the book's final section offers the publisher Wiley's classic "Part of Tens", and for this, the authors have decided to go with "Ten Farming Personalities", "Ten Most Wanted FarmVille Items", and "Ten Go-To Crops". And it does all this while being, as the cover says, "IN FULL COLOR!"

While there's always the initial concern that a book on a social game could be outdated since the medium moves so quickly, Wiley's series of 'for Dummies' books are aimed for beginners, so if you're starting from scratch, FarmVIlle for Dummies has all the fundamentals you're looking for, plus more.

But like Levar Burton always said, you don't have to take my word for it. FarmVilleFreak.com has a PDF sample of the book where you get to read the Introduction and look at the Table of Contents. Additionally, you can preview it through the "Search inside this book" feature on its Amazon page where you'll also find the index. And if you ever do need more info about FarmVille or the workings of another social game (and you most certainly will if you play) that's what FarmVille online guides and the upcoming CityVille for Dummies book are for.

Currently, the book is rockin' 6th place in the "Internet Games" category under "Books" at the Amazon store. If you need an offline alternative, you can also purchase the book off a real shelf at a Barnes & Noble.