All of a sudden Twitter has become part of the modern vocabulary. We follow, we post @messages, and most of all, we tweet. Somehow, all of this has become crucial to success. If you’re not on Twitter, you might be missing out, or so we’re told over and over again in 140 characters or less. But what does it all mean? And how does it all work?

If these are questions you have to ask, that’s OK. The short answer is that nobody has any idea. The long answer is that Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein, two experts in online communications, think they’ve figured it out – and can help you, the modern man, keep up with the times. The Twitter Book is a comprehensive study of this relatively new technological phenomenon. With diagrams and screen shots, it features easy step-by-step instructions on how to set up an account, and then more detailed information on how to maximize the benefits of the tool (if we’re calling it a tool, now, too). This is what you’ve been waiting for: an actual, physical, tangible book all about one of the web’s most ephemeral applications and how it can help you succeed. Let’s all tweet “hooray”!

The Twitter Book, $24.99. See oreilly.com for more information.