Brett Kelly, a champion of simple living and a member of the LifeRemix network, has authored a terrific 80-page guide to using Evernote (one of my all-time favorite digital data applications). Evernote Essentials is a “comprehensive setup guide and a sizable collection of tips, tricks and best practices to help the Evernote newbie get up to speed quickly and show the seasoned Evernote veteran a thing or two about how to become Evernote ninjas.”

I like to think of myself as a hardcore Evernote user, and even I learned a great deal from the guide. I like the conversational tone, the detailed screenshots, and the real-world examples illustrating all the ways Evernote can work for you. Here’s a chapter breakdown of what the guide offers:

• Evernote Anatomy — Explanation of the basic structure of the service.
• Installation and Configuration — How to setup and personalize your Evernote account.
• A Quick Tour of the Main Evernote Window — Navigating your way through the Evernote interface.
• Adding Stuff to Evernote — Instructions for the myriad ways you can save notes, clips, etc.
• Evernote Organization 101 — Learn to expertly tag data so that you can quickly retrieve it.
• Evernote Search: Seek and Ye Shall Find — In my opinion, the best chapter in the document. Kelly gives some amazing tips for retrieving data in this section.
• Evernote on the Go — Instructions for using Evernote on your smart phone.
• Evernote, Email and You — Advanced techniques for using Evernote with your email service.
• Evernote and Satellites in Space — You can save data from satellites and other amazing GPS tricks, and Kelly shows you how.
• Tagging for Superhumans — Nested tags, sorting, and maintenance tips for the advanced user.
• Evernote for Bloggers — How to create blog posts directly from Evernote.
• Evernote for Programmers — Using Evernote as a coding encyclopedia.
• Evernote for Foodies — Yummy tips for managing recipes, restaurant reviews, equipment information and other topic-specific data saved in Evernote.
• Evernote for Covert Double Agents — A humorous chapter detailing how to use Evernote to successfully compile information someone or a specific topic.
• Evernote as an Address Book — How to use Evernote as a personal information manager.
• Evernote as a Simple Photo Sharing Service — Detailed visuals and explanations for how to create an online photo album you can share with others.
• Evernote as a Task Manager — One of my favorite uses for Evernote, instructions for creating a GTD-style to-do program.
• Evernote as a Filing Cabinet — Learn to save scanned documents directly to Evernote.
• For Longtime Users: Regaining Control of Your Evernote Database — Advice for managing your notes when you have large numbers of data in your account.

If you are a current Evernote user, or are looking for a way to better store your digital data, I recommend checking out Evernote Essentials. The guide is $25 and comes with the guarantee that if you “don’t feel like it delivers the real deal, then contact [the author] within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.” Best of all, you can save the guide directly to your Evernote account.

Just to let you know, we don’t receive any kickbacks or revenue from Evernote Essentials or Evernote — I’m really just a huge fan of both. Learning advanced techniques for using Evernote can greatly improve the way you organize the information in your life.

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