Friday, October 23, 2009

Blogging @merica

ABOUT THE BOOK
This book was written by Aaron Barlow. The direct focus of this book is the new public sphere. Blogging is becoming a new public trend that is an easy and convenient way to share information. This is the second book that Aaron Barlow has written about blogging, his first was entitled The Rise of the Blogosphere.
WHY I CHOSE THIS BOOK
I chose this book as I was interested in blogging and it was a topic that I knew nothing about. I also chose this book because I know that blogging is becoming a social norm and a job requirement. I wanted to be as up to date as I can be for my career. I believe that this book is very beneficial because I can understand the different ideas and motives for writing blogs. From this book I gained several insights about blogging from within an organization, the different political issues and how to deal with the press, and how blogs interact with popular culture and society.
OVERVIEW
The book is about how blogging is affecting our culture and how to deal with the changing social norms. This book was written to continue what Aaron Barlow had written in the first book. He tries to identify how blogs themselves work and how they are changing the cultural landscape of America. The book begins by explaining blogs where they came from and briefly why they are taking such a strong hold in America. His next chapter which discusses blogs in society first covers the negative images that bloggers have and how they are trying to correct that problem. Blogs are now also a way for businesses to communicate with their consumers. The third chapter discusses blogs from within the organization, which explains how they can be used as a good or a bad thing. The fourth chapter discusses the political issues and the press; it talks a lot about the free exchange. The fifth chapter is a blog in popular culture and explains how it is becoming a trend and how it is emerging considerably. The final chapter explains the online community and online utilization: the Christian blog.
This book is written for anyone who wants to expand their knowledge. This book explains blogging and how it is changing our culture. It also explains to the reader why it is so popular and how to use it effectively. I believe that if anyone is interested in this topic this book is a good read. It can be easily understood by several different audiences. Whether older people are reading it to help them to understand the current technology or whether it is being read by someone who is just beginning their career and wants to stay ahead of the curve this book caters to their needs.
SIMILAR BOOKS
The first one that I found several good reviews on is ProBlogger by Chris Garrett and Darren Rowse. This book explains how to make an income by blogging and how low entry barriers can help those with a low income. Another book that I found is The New Influences. This book is written by Paul Gillin and it discusses ways to relate to the customers on a new level. Another book that I believe is very similar is Clear Blogging which was written by Bob Walsh. It is a very basic way of explaining blogs in non-technical terms so that those who have no idea where to start can get a good grasp on them. The key competitive set is a way to determine strengths and weaknesses and find strategies that provide you with a distinct advantage over your competitors. I believe that for this book the key competitive set includes giving a clear definition of the concept, an in depth look at how to apply it to the upcoming business trend, and ways to make your blog in a good format.
VALUE ADDED
This book gives information for those who work in a small business or a large corporation as well as for those who want to blog for their own personal reasons. This book also heavily discusses political blogs, community blogs, personal blogs, and other reasons why individuals would have blogs. Also it gives us an understanding of what to expect on these kinds of blogs.
RECOMMENDATION
I find that this book is a good read for any generation, who is interested in blogging. I have not read any other books on blogging so it is hard to tell what degree I would rank it. However, I believe that this is a good book and a great read for anyone interested in blogging. I have found several good reviews on this book from professionals. I would rate this book a 9 out of 10 for anyone who is interested in gaining wisdom on the issue of blogging.

4 comments:

  1. Thanks for the positive comments. As blogging becomes more and more an accepted part of our public discourse, I hope my book will be followed up quickly and often.

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  2. It sounds like an interesting book. I have felt behind in technology especially in my age group. This book review blog is the first blog I have ever made and honestly I had to ask my sister to help me figure out the blogger site. I definetly feel like I would benefit from reading your book, but at the same time am not convinced a blog will improve my life. There are so many social media outlets now that it is hard to keep up with all of them.

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  3. I'd love to become more efficient and professional at blogging. I think I could really use this info!

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  4. I think that a blog is an excellent way to do cheap, insightful marketing research. If you are talking about a subject that other people are talking about, a blog is a great way to link up and join the conversation!

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