If you’re looking to get a jump on 2009 by learning what’s what, I’ve got three books that I think will really do a lot towards educating you and giving you next steps. That’s what I love about two of these books: I felt like I could keep them open beside my laptop and change the way I do business. The other is just a good read with some great insights.
Tactical Transparency, by Shel Holtz and John C Havens
Disclosure: I’m friends with both the authors. These two have done something with Tactical Transparency worth shouting about. Holtz and Havens have written a book that goes beyond the “Kumbaya and Kool-Aid” of social media and gives leaders insight into which steps to take and when. They answer a lot of questions about when one might feel awkward or not know the right protocol. It’s an actionable book, and that seems to be a trend going into 2009. We’re done just talking about social media. It’s time to translate it to actions for business. This should be on your shelves as a textbook for understanding which actions to take.
YouTube: An Insider’s Guide to Climbing the Charts, by Lastufka and Dean
YouTube: An Insider’s Guide to Climbing the Charts is amazing! There are more ideas, more advice, and more links to further resources in this book than probably any book I’ve ever read. If you’re thinking about using video this year, either personally or professionally, then buy this book. In fact, I think this book is pretty much the text of reference for the current generation of video practitioners. The trick is this: you might not be intending to make viral videos or “climb the charts,” but the advice and ideas on here blows away everything else I’ve personally read. Get this book if you’re doing video in 2009.
Blog Blazers, by Grenier
You can’t get to every conference. You might not get the opportunity to spend some one on one time with Darren Rowse, Pam Slim, or Ben Yoskovitz, but Stefane Grenier has with Blog Blazers. Essentially a series of interviews, this book is packed with ideas to improve your blogging. Most of the people interviewed were in this with a bent towards blogs as business, so if you’re looking for copywriting ideas, this won’t be the book, but if you want good solid interviews with 40 great bloggers, this is a great book to check out. I loved reading it.
What are you reading? What else should people spend their gift certificates and cards on this year? Let’s talk books today.
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