Dating? Here's some advice on Internet dating from the book "How to Survive Dating" (Hundreds of Heads Books, www.hundredsofheads.com, $12.95), straight from people who've done it:

“If my friends knew him and he wasn’t a major scuzzball, I would probably give him my phone number. If he were kind of shady, I would give him my e-mail; very shady, a fake e-mail.”

“When you’re separated by a long distance, e-mail is really the only way to communicate. One of the advantages of communicating by e-mail—instead of by phone—is that there isn’t that awkwardness. There isn’t that dead silence when you don’t have anything to say. It also gives you something to look forward to. It’s a good communication tool, and it definitely helps build friendships.”

—Teri Burns, Syracuse, New York

“I wouldn’t give someone my e-mail address unless I’ve been dating them for a while. I only e-mail my close friends. I like talking on phones better because you can hear tone of voice and tell if you like a person.”

—Amberly Coy, San Diego, Calif.

“I don’t like instant messaging. A guy can put you on his buddy list and know every time you’re online. It’s like they’re cyber-stalking you. That’s not cool.”

“I like to use e-mail to follow up on dates; it’s much less stressful. You can just send an e-mail and say, ‘Hey, I had a good time.’”

Hundreds of Heads Books’ survival guides offer the wisdom of the masses by assembling the experiences and advice of hundreds of people who have gone through life’s biggest challenges and have insight to share.