Is there a way to use 1:1 and get the whole subject in focus? How about 1:1 and being able to autofocus? The one tutorial I read said to manually set the lens to 1:1 and then move closer to the subject until it comes into focus. Is that the best way to use the lens?
Often, when you're doing macro photography and you're very very close to your subject, you're dealing with depths-of-field that are razor-thin, often in the
fractions of millimeters!
I used a macro depth of field calculator (
link). Using a magnification of 1:1 and an aperture of f/2.8, I get a depth of field of 0.22 millimeters! That's about the width of 4 human hairs! (assuming the width of a human hair is about 0.05 millimeters...it varies)
If you increase the aperture to f/22 to "maximize your depth of field", you get a depth of field of 1.76 mm (that is 7/100 of an inch!).
Or, if you decrease the magnification to 0.5x (by moving the camera farther away from the subject), at f/22 the depth of field is 5.28 millimeters!
Anyway, the point of all this is that with macro photography, you're working with razor-thin depths of field. It can often be very very hard to get "the entire subject" in-focus. photo_chick suggested some things you can do to get more of your subject in-focus.
Because of these razor-thin depths-of-focus, it is very very hard to get what you want in-focus. Let's say you're trying to focus *only* on the pistil of a flower (that's the middle / center part of the flower). If your focus is off by just a couple millimeters, then your pistil is out-of-focus!
You can start with your camera's auto-focus. But it's probably not going to be accurate focusing down to the millimeter.
You can try manual focusing, which many macro photographers do. However, are your fingers sensitive enough to caress the lens's focus ring until you get precise millimeter-level focusing? Mine aren't.
What do macro photographers use for manual focusing? You put your camera on a tripod and use a
focusing rail. Here are some pictures of cameras on focusing rails:
Using a focusing rail, you will physically move your camera back and forth along the rail, millimeter by millimeter, until you get your macro subject in-focus.
One other tip for macro photography is you can light your subject with a ring flash. Canon, for example, makes a Macro Ring Lite:
Or, if you already have an external flash, you can simulate a ring flash by using a Ray Flash:
I'm sure others will have better tips for macro photography. Macro photography opens up a whole new world of possibilities for you. Plus, it gives you a LOT more ways to spend more $$$$$ on MORE camera equipment!
Really not much depth of field even at f/22. The lens is an older/used model and I wasn't sure if it was me, an aged/used and abused lens or if it was just the way it is. As I was getting closer to get it in focus, moving away just an itty bit and just when I thought I had it... I moved just ever so slightly and poof, focus was gone. I can see where that focus rail would come in real handy. I thought I was pretty steady but I could see through the viewfinder how much I was moving. 
