I have a Google alert set up, which is how I knew that the L.A. Times just published an article on Mauna Kea, and that it mentions the book I co-authored with David Byrne (the one who is not of the Talking Heads).

Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know about Mauna Kea — One of the best books on Mauna Kea, written by Onizuka Visitor Information Station manager David Byrne and Big Island writer Leslie Lang, is Mauna Kea: A Guide to Hawaii’s Sacred Mountain, published by Watermark Publishing (tel. 866/900-BOOK; www.bookshawaii.net). The book has everything from the cultural history of the sacred mountain to her natural history, even great insights on the scientific value of the dormant volcano. Plus, the authors give you valuable tips on how to make the most of your visit to truly one of the wonders of the world.

Do you use Google alerts? They can be an incredible tool.

When I’m researching something to write about, I’ll set up a Google alert for awhile on that topic. It is very handy, and efficient, to receive an email with just about everything that’s recently been written on a topic.

I also have a handful of others set up — on my name (in quotation marks), and on each of my book titles. I like to know where these phrases pop up around the web. And I have a couple alerts set up for topics I like to follow.

It takes only seconds to set up a Google Alert. Try it!