Is there an easy way to select the side of a disk-shaped object? I have downloaded a few models from a site that the presenter in a YouTube tutorial mentioned. The ZIP files contained several formats like 3DS, but since Blender seems to understand only "obj", I used that format. The problem is all models I downloaded from that site are one giant object without any texture. That is, a table is one object, and a chair is one object. 

So, I think I need to select a logical part of the object and apply different textures. The presenter seems to have applied a metal texture to the side of the table and a wooden texture to the top surface, but he did not explain that part. So, I am not sure how to select the side of the desk object.

Other than manually clicking all the faces on the side, is there an easier way to select the side of a disk-shaped object?
In Face select mode you can select areas bounded by seams. 

At some time or another you are probably going to have to UV unwrap your models to add "image" textures so why not start now :)

Once the seams have been added then you can select individual areas bounded by seams with the L key. see screenshots below