ChatGPT, in plain English.
On paper.
A printed binder that walks you through setting up and using ChatGPT. Written for someone who would rather hold the instructions in their hand than watch a 47-minute video.
Includes ten ready-to-type questions and a plain-English glossary. Printed on archival paper that won't yellow in a desk drawer.
Get your free one-page plan
Three questions. The plan lands in your inbox in about a minute. No card, no sales call.
My dad got tired of me driving over to fix his printer. So I wrote him a binder — plain English, one step per page — for the everyday stuff: getting the Mac to print, downloading photos from his camera. This is the ChatGPT version of that binder.
Shawn Ivie · Founder, Plain English Company
How this works, in three steps.
Take the free one-page plan.
Three questions, one minute. We email you a custom plan written for your situation — yourself, a parent, a spouse, or a team.
Pick what you want.
Print the binder yourself for $19. Get it spiral-bound and shipped for $49. Or get the VIP bundle with a 1:1 setup call for $197.
Keep using it.
Sit down on a Saturday, open the binder, and follow the steps. No video, no jargon, no "okay so" twelve times before the actual instructions begin.
Eight sections, each tabbed and color-coded for quick reference. Over 60 pages, printed on archival paper.
What's inside the binder
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I.
The absolute basics
What ChatGPT is, what it isn't, and how to create an account without watching a 47-minute video.
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II.
Your first ten questions
Ten real questions to type into the blinking cursor on day one — drafting a thank-you note, simplifying a long letter, planning a meal.
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III.
Conversational etiquette
How to phrase a question to get a useful answer. The three sentence-starters that work and the two that don't.
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IV.
Privacy & safety
The four real risks named honestly. The five things you should never type into the box. How to turn off chat history.
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V.
When it's wrong (and how to tell)
ChatGPT can sound confident and still be wrong. The three categories of answer you should always double-check.
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VI.
Saving and finding old chats
Where your conversations live, how to rename them, and how to find the one from last Tuesday.
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VII.
A glossary, in plain English
"Prompt," "hallucination," "model," "token," "GPT" — every jargon word translated into one short sentence.
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VIII.
When to stop and call someone
The questions you should not ask ChatGPT — medical, legal, financial — and a one-page list of who to ask instead.
Pay once. No subscription.
Three ways in. The free plan tells you whether you need anything else; most people read it and stop there, and that's the intended outcome.
Where most start
Free Plan
$0
A custom one-page plan emailed to you in about a minute. Three questions, no card.
Get the planPrint it yourself
Setup Binder PDF
$19
The same binder, delivered as a printable PDF you can download right after checkout.
- check_circle Over 60 pages, 8 plain-English sections
- check_circle Formatted for 3-ring binders, 8.5×11"
- check_circle Print at home, or any UPS Store (~$8)
- check_circle Free updates when ChatGPT changes
✓ Refundable for 30 days
Most popular
Shipped to your door
Setup Binder Print
$49
The professionally-printed binder, shipped from Las Vegas. The one your parent will actually keep on the desk.
- check_circle Over 60 pages, full color, 8.5×11"
- check_circle Spiral-bound — lies flat next to the keyboard
- check_circle Archival paper that won't yellow in a drawer
- check_circle Ships in 5–7 business days · US shipping included
Ships worldwide — international shipping cost and time are calculated at checkout and vary by country.
Final sale once shipped · email first if unsure
stars Premium
White-glove · For gift-givers
stars VIP Bundle
$197
Everything in Print, plus a 60-minute 1:1 setup call with Shawn — sit alongside the parent or spouse you bought it for and walk through it together.
- check_circle The printable PDF
- check_circle The spiral-bound print binder
- check_circle 60-min 1:1 over Zoom or phone
- check_circle Same-day reply on follow-up questions
Includes the printed binder — ships worldwide, with international shipping cost and time calculated at checkout.
Final once you book · email first if unsure
30-Day Refund on the $19 PDF
Reply to the receipt for the $19 digital binder and the refund is processed the same business day. No "are you sure" page, no retention screen.
The $49 print is final sale once Lulu ships it (it's a real printed book — we can't unprint it). The $197 VIP is final once you book your consult — we hold the hour for you. Unsure which tier fits? Email first.
The eight questions we get every week, answered straight. Longer versions live at Answers.
Common questions
Is ChatGPT safe to use?
Yes, for everyday tasks — drafting emails, looking up recipes, simplifying letters — as long as you never paste in your Social Security number, bank credentials, medical records, or anything you wouldn't write on a postcard. The longer answer, with the four real risks named, is in this article.
Do I need to pay OpenAI to use ChatGPT?
No. The free version is enough for everything the binder covers. The $20/month "Plus" plan is for power users who want faster responses and the newest models. The binder is written for the free plan.
Is this for me, or for someone older I love?
Both work. About half our buyers are 65–85 setting it up for themselves. The other half are 45–60 adult children buying it as a gift for a parent. The "Who is this for?" question on the form lets us tailor the follow-up email to the right reader.
What's the difference between the $19 PDF and the $49 print?
Same content. The PDF you print yourself (or take to a UPS Store, about $8). The $49 print is the spiral-bound, full-color, 8.5×11" archival-paper version, shipped to your door from Las Vegas. Most gift-buyers pick the $49 print or the $197 VIP bundle — the printed object is the gift.
How long does the print binder take to ship?
5–7 business days for printing and shipping inside the US. Ships from Lulu's Las Vegas print facility. You'll get a tracking number by email when it leaves the building.
What if it doesn't work for me?
30-day refund on the $19 digital PDF binder — email [email protected] and we'll process it the same business day. No questions, no retention page.
The $49 print binder is final sale once Lulu ships it — it's a real printed book, we can't unprint it and reselling a used copy wouldn't be honest. The $197 VIP is final once you book your consult — we hold the hour for you and don't double-book. If you're not sure which tier fits, email before buying. We'd rather help you pick the right one than process a refund later.
Who actually answers when I write in?
Shawn Ivie — the founder. The hello@ inbox comes to one person, not a queue, not a VA. Same-business-day reply.
Is the binder also for Claude, Gemini, or other AI tools?
The current edition is ChatGPT-only. The Claude edition is in draft and lands later in the year. If you already know you want both, write to [email protected] — we keep a list and notify when each one ships.
Get help.
One person on the other end — Shawn. Same business day on every reply.
Email anything
Questions, refunds, custom orders, a problem with your binder. Replies come from Shawn the same business day, not a help-desk queue.
Open email → eventBook a setup call
60 minutes on Zoom or the phone, walking through the binder together. Included with the VIP bundle. Free 15-minute screening call otherwise.
See Shawn's calendar →30-day refund (PDF)
The $19 digital binder is refundable for 30 days — reply to the receipt and it's processed the same business day. The $49 print and $197 VIP are final sale once shipped or booked.
See FAQ for detailsStart with the free one-page plan.
Three questions, one minute, no card. The plan tells you whether the binder is right for you or whether the free version is enough.
Get my free planOr browse the answers archive — eight long-form articles answering what families typically ask before buying.