Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity Review

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(More customer reviews)This book contains some valuable universal truths presented in an interesting way. I would classify it at as a "Leadership Lite" book worthy of downloading to your Kindle or stashed in your briefcase to be read on an airplane.
I love "fun to read" leadership books versus the "utilitarian", "old fogy" "Harvard Business Review" style and this book is fun to read. I still read the utilitarian books...I just suffer through them. What makes this book good is the stories to illustrate points are the author's own.
Here are my top eight takeaways from Ignore Everybody.
1.The more original your idea is, the less good advice people will be able to give you.
2.Good ideas alter the power balance in relationships that is why good ideas are always initially resisted.
3.Your idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be alone. The more the idea is yours alone, the more freedom you have to do something really amazing.
4.The price of being a sheep is boredom. The price of being a wolf is loneliness. Choose one or the other with great care.
5.Being good at anything is like figure skating - the definition of being good at it is being able to make it look easy. But it never is easy. Ever. That is what the stupidly wrong people conveniently forget.
6.Your job is probably worth 50 percent of what it was in real terms ten years ago. And who knows? It may very well not exist in five to ten years...Stop worrying about technology. Start worrying about people who trust you.
7.Part of being a master is learning to sing in nobody else's voice but your own...Put your whole self into it, and you will find your true voice. Hold back and you won't. Its that simple.
8.The biggest mistake young people make is underestimating how competitive the world is out there.
I recommend this book with one reservation. The captions in the cartoons are racy to say the least and not suited for the corporate environment or youthful readers. If the racy cartoons were toned down or removed I would have immediately sent a copy of this book to all of my clients. If they were toned down or removed it wouldn't be Hugh MacLeod's style either. So my clients will have to buy this book themselves.
Dr. James T. Brown PMP PE CSP
Author, The Handbook of Program Management


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Hugh MacLeod's acclaimed blog Gaping Void draws 1.5 million visitors a month, and his ebook, How to Be Creative, has been downloaded more than a million times. In Ignore Everybody, he expands his thoughts about unleashing creativity in a world that often thwarts it.

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Blogs. Wikipedia. Second Life. and Beyond (Digital Formations) Review

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(More customer reviews)I read this book as part of my graduate studies in communication at the University of Utah. I stumbled upon the author, but when I read this book, I knew I was on to something.
Bruns covers a lot of ground in this book, providing a good overview of the current state of online information production. The book focuses on collaborative information production and how this is disrupting "industrial" forms of content creation. Anyone familiar with Bruns' previous book, "Gatewatching," will find this book to be an excellent extension of that work.
Bruns' key discussion in "Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond" is how the audience has moved from users to "produsers," a term he coined. Scholars and general observers alike will find his analysis helpful and well written. Most of the book is composed of insightful case studies. It's definitely worth a look.

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We—the users turned creators and distributors of content—are TIMEÂ's Person of theYear 2006, and AdAgeÂ's Advertising Agency of the Year 2007. We form a new Generation C. We have MySpace, YouTube, and OurMedia; we run social software, and drive the development of Web 2.0. But beyond the hype, whatÂ's really going on? In this groundbreaking exploration of our developing participatory online culture, Axel Bruns establishes the core principles which drive the rise of collaborative content creation in environments, from open source through blogs and Wikipedia to Second Life. This book shows that whatÂ's emerging here is no longer just a new form of content production, but a new process for the continuous creation and extension of knowledge and art by collaborative communities: produsage. The implications of the gradual shift from production to produsage are profound, and will affect the very core of our culture, economy, society, and democracy. Building on an analysis of key sites including Wikipedia, Flickr, YouTube, and Second Life, it explores the intellectual, technological, and social implications of produsage, as well as the legal and economic models employed by produsage projects. In doing so, the book highlights the implications of produsage for our culture, democracy, and society.

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Feed (Newsflesh, Book 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am reviewing an Advance Reading Copy provided by the publisher.
The year is 2039 and bloggers have taken over the world. Twenty five years ago the Kellis-Amberlee virus went live. Infected humans and animals began reanimating after death--some underwent spontaneous change--to become walking feeding machines. With an appetite for the truth as insatiable as a zombie's diet, Georgia--George--Mason and her brother, Shaun, have climbed the ranks of news bloggers around the world. Their ratings have everything to gain from their recent invitation to join a senator's political campaign. Now they're on the road providing coverage of what's promising to be the campaign trail for the next President of the United States of America. There's only one problem: wherever they go, KA begins breaking out, putting the team at risk. Will they survive to see their candidate win the Republican ticket?
Feed is Seanan McGuire's third published book, but first under the pen name Mira Grant. Fans of her October Daye books will recognize some similarities between the two series. Mainly, these are minor--writers will invariably develop quirks that nuance their writing. Georgia is an independent, no-nonsense workaholic with a license that requires her to carry a gun and a disease that makes it impossible for her to cry. Clearly Grant likes writing strong female protagonists. They lean toward the flinty end of the spectrum and stop just short of growling when not amused.
It might appear at first that the inability to cry is going a bit overboard. It isn't necessary to literally remove a reaction stereotypically associated with the female gender to show how tough she is, but Georgia makes it clear how frustrating Retinal KA really is. She wants access to that human reaction and is frequently reminded of the deprivation, however much reliant she is on it when the situation requires stoicism. Here is a character fighting against two polarities. Her tears were stolen and without the necessary moisture, she can't even "tear up" about it. Add to this being adopted by parents making the gesture for the ratings and Georgia's developed into a very sympathetic character. She's had a difficult life--who wouldn't, growing up in a world where fear of contagion has kept people indoors and glued to their computer screens? What makes her--and her fellow bloggers, Shaun and Buffy--different is knowing when to put fear and terror aside to keep living.
How they earn that living is very interesting. When established media proved untrustworthy reporting the first outbreak, the world turned to bloggers. Bloggers spoke for the common good--as much to inform themselves as the frightened public. They helped make sense of the unexplained chaos breaking out across the nation. Enter Shaun and Georgia, sponsors willing to fund their efforts, and After the End Times was born. Grant manages to build a convincing news body which isn't too far from the truth. Some people already rely enormously on the internet and trust amateur bloggers for any number of needs. Grant's astute observations integrate this relationship with her own universe to mesh into the working framework of her narrative.
Grant's characters are solid; her universe well-established. It's so established that readers may become as exasperated over the meticulous mention of blood testing kits and procedure as the characters were to get tested. Grant has thought of everything--not just the small details to consider when and how an outbreak could occur. Feed is politics-heavy, not just because George and Shaun are on the campaign trail. Kellis-Amberlee is cause to reconsider things like the death penalty (why kill someone when a dormant virus goes live at death, thus endangering the public at large), gun control laws, pet ownership, and public gatherings. Playing in the backyard now depends on the danger level your neighborhood has been zoned for. Presidential candidates are made or broken on a campaign trail riddled with archaic practices now seen as brave instead of expected.
I do have one, and only one, thing to nitpick about. George's relationship with her brother Shaun was a bit too unrealistic for me. I say this only because I have a brother and we're pretty inseparable, but would never share the same bed with each other, let alone the same room. I suppose it's a bit immature of me, but I couldn't relate to certain aspects of their relationship and so didn't appreciate how close they were as much as I could have. Other readers (who have siblings) may feel otherwise--I can only hope they do. After all, this is a fault of my own. About as close to understanding as I came was realizing they also had a working relationship that functioned best under those circumstances. And in the end, they were a strong pair. I can't complain too much.
With Feed, Mira Grant proves she's an author to be reckoned with. The book may be lengthy (almost 600 pages), but we have to remember it's the first in a self-contained trilogy. There's such a large and complex story to tell--a lesser book would not be this involved. If readers haven't already started paying attention to Seanan McGuire because of her October Daye books, Feed will do the trick. There may be similarities between it and her other books--mysterious murders, resilient and accident-prone female protagonist with ready access to pain medication and a constant need for good night's rest, deranged bad guy, suspect good guys--but you also can't let yourself miss a book where one of the main characters runs around in a chain-mail shirt for fun, can you? And, there's a kitty. You can't beat kitties.
I do not know when its sequel, Deadline, will be out, but I'm looking forward to it. I hear it has epileptic teacup bulldogs.

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How to Do Everything with Your Web 2.0 Blog Review

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(More customer reviews)Do yourself a favor: don't judge this book by its (awful) cover. I've had this book by my side every step of the way while setting up my very first blog, and I have to say it has been a huge help. Stauffer's style is direct and engaging, not cutesy. He tells you what you need to know to get started, without a lot of fluff.
I wanted to write a review here because I think this books deserves a big audience, and because the Amazon listing tells you little about what's covered. So here's what's inside:
"Web 2.0 Blog" covers four different blogging platforms: Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, and Expression Engine. So if you're interested in one of these four, you'll find the book very helpful. If you are trying to decide which of the four to go with, the book is even more helpful, as you can compare them feature by feature. For instance, you'll see that while Expression Engine seems quite powerful and flexible, it's obviously more complicated than the other three. Stauffer does a good job of helping you weigh the pros and cons of each.
The book covers quite a lot in a 450 pages, and it does it very well. There's even a basic introduction to XHTML and CSS, giving you a peak at how each blogging platform works under the hood. Other topics covered in depth are:
- RSS feeds
- Photoblogs, podcasting, audioblogging, and adding video
- Working with social bookmarking sites such as Digg and Technorati
- using wikis to collaborate with readers
- adding a forum to open the discussion beyond comments
- community and group blogs
- sending e-newsletters to your subscribers
- getting traffic and monetizing your blog
Highly recommended.


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Incorporate the hottest new Web technologies into your blog! How to Do Everything with Your Web 2.0 Blog makes it easy to choose the blogging tools that are best for you and master the basics of blog design and template manipulation. You'll learn how to add different Web 2.0 services to your blog, including images, video, audio, forums, tags, wikis, and even money-making features. It's time to take your blog to the next level and get more hits, more fans, more friends,and more customers.

Learn about different blogging tools, including Blogger, TypePad, WordPress, and ExpressionEngine

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Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Documentation Review

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(More customer reviews)Anne is a technical writer who has done a considerable amount of work with FLOSS Manuals in documenting the OLPC laptop, and is obviously well-versed in both open-source documentation and social media. The book is designed to give technical writers and other information developers an overview of the tools and techniques available now for documenting products and communicating with end-users through social media and other non-traditional methods.
As a technical writer and community manager, I am exactly the target market for this book, so it is no wonder that I think it is an excellent resource that is long overdue. What surprised me was the depth with which she covered her subjects, the extensive yet highly selective quality of references in the book, and the sheer number of strategies that I hadn't yet encountered even as a professional in this area.
The most important point Anne makes in the book is that documentation as we know it is changing dramatically. Practically all of the basic tenets of technical documentation are in question. Users depend far more often on advice from random strangers via mailing lists, community forums, and search engines than they do on the technical documentation that comes with the product. I have seen this to be true even for highly technical concepts and tools. This is not news to anyone who has ever used Google to find the answer to a technical question rather than looking in the docs, but it was fascinating to see that phenomenon addressed in such a way that my opinions of it were actually changed. Like many technical writers, I have a lingering fear that I will someday be obsolete and that my job of communicating technical issues to users of technology will be taken over by amateurs in ad-hoc communities. Anne gently reminds us that it is the quantity of information that is skyrocketing, not the quality, and that our jobs as technical communicators are more important than ever in making that information "findable", even if that means abandoning what we traditionally think of as documentation. What I took away from this aspect of the book was the overwhelming necessity to make human connections, even in technical documentation, an idea that resonates strongly with my own role as a community builder. Chapter 3 spells it out best as "Defining a Writer's Role with the Social Web".
The book catalogs the available tools and strategies from several different viewpoints based on documentation strategy---in other words, use cases---rather than simply providing an annotated list. Anne specifically points to references and in-the-trenches stories that underscore her points in a very effective way. The subject that brought me the most "aha!" moments was that of wikis. I use wikis on a daily basis, but there were certain aspects of them that I had overlooked. There were so many interesting references in all sections that I felt compelled to stop reading the book and follow them, which is not a criticism of the writing but rather of the sheer amount of information out there. The consistent, confident, professional tone kept me riveted to the book, but I am now going back over every page and following links.
I highly recommend this book to both technical communicators and those involved in social media and community. My copy is going straight to my boss' desk.

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Conversation and Community: The Social Web for Technical Documentation, industry expert Anne Gentle's new book, brings the tools of the Social Web to technical documentation. She looks at the most important Web 2.0 tools, including blogs, wikis, micro-blogging, and syndication, and shows how they can be used to foster conversations and a community with your customers.Through examples and her own hard-won experience with these technologies, Gentle provides practical guidance for technical communicators, marketers, and anyone who wants to use the Social Web to interact with customers.

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Build a Website for Free (2nd Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is awesome! I am currently trying to create my first website, and have had ZERO training in this area. I was considering taking a college course in web development, but after reading this book there is no need! I learned more in this book than I did in several of my undergrad classes :) Most of all, it is extremely well organzied and easy to understand. I am brand new to web development and I feel that I have a fundamental grasp on the basics just after the one weekend I spent reading this book. Most of all, it gives some fabulous websites to check out that are very resourceful. Best of luck!


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Build yourself a state-of-the-art website.It's incredibly easy...and it won't cost you a dime!You need a website. But you don't need the hassles that usually go with building one or the expense of hiring someone else to do it. Here's your solution: Build a Website for Free! You'll learn how you can use new Web 2.0 technologies to create a site that's impressive and effective. And here's the best part: You'll do it all with software and tools that won't cost you a dime!Plan, organize, and design a site that really works, using tools you can find for free

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Social Media at Work: How Networking Tools Propel Organizational Performance Review

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(More customer reviews)A great guide for building, accelerating or transforming your organization's Web 2.0 strategy.
Don't miss out on the social media revolution sweeping the corporate world.
There are great case studies along with tips to build your Web 2.0 strategy.
It's a bible for Web 2.0 at the workplace!

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The definitive guide for using social media to build more effective organizations
Today's networking technologies-wikis, blogs, and social networking sites-are changing how we build professional relationships and work collaboratively. In this insightful book, three organizational development experts from Oracle Corporation offer executives down-to-earth strategies for leveraging the power of social media to build more effective and agile organizations, engage employees, and sustain competitiveness.
Offers practical advice for using social media (wikis, blogs, and social networking sites) to increase organizational effectiveness
Presents proven recommendations for building teams, accelerating learning, and fostering innovation by adopting social networking tools
Shows how to tap into the power of social networks to improve organizational performance
Demonstrates how social media will help organizations thrive for years to come by drawing on case studies from companies like Intel, Cisco, Nokia, and others

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Blogs, Wikis, MySpace, and More: Everything You Want to Know About Using Web 2.0 but Are Afraid to Ask Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is a handy guide to Web 2.0. Burrows explains what exactly is Web 2.0 and how to make the most of it. He describes earlier websites as static and Web 2.0 as interactive. In each chapter, Burrows addresses some new interactive, exciting way the Web in now being used. For example, Burrows has a chapter about blogging. He explains what blogging is, the evolution of blogging, how to start a blog and websites where you can actually get started. He uses the same approach in chapters about creating podcasts, sharing videos, social networking and more.

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For both internet gurus and online novices, this handy mini-encyclopedia explores the useful and interesting sites—big and small, popular and obscure—that make up Web 2.0, the new online community. From YouTube and Flickr to eBay and Facebook, each website and online application is explained through step-by-step screen shots and examines what each site does, why people use it, how to get started, and any special features. Simple yet thorough definitions for commonly usedinternet elements—such as tags, bookmarks, blogs, and podcasts—are provided as well as little-known usage tips for expert surfers. Grouped by type, this detailed guide also offers dozens of alternative URLs that cover similar online territory, but with their own unique takes.

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RSS for Educators: Blogs, Newsfeeds, Podcasts, and Wikis in the Classroom Review

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(More customer reviews)Whatever happened to Web 1.0? Readers of John Hendron's (2008) book, RSS for Educators, will quickly realize the speed at which web technology has evolved. From its humble Web 1.0 beginnings of one-way, read-only applications on the information highway, we now have two-way, read-write RSS (Really Simple Syndication) apps and tools in a new revolutionary freeway of innovations of computer commuters networked by information using blogs, podcasts, newsfeeds, and wikis. This can be about everything, be from anywhere, happen everywhere, and on all kinds of devices (Wesch, 2008)
For someone who has an older one-way computer background, John Hendron's book is an eye-opener not only for techies, but also especially for educators who must merge into the new-era of Web 2.0 information travels. The new features of this highway are succinctly defined with helpful diagrams picturing Client/Server/Local User paradigms to help us understand where we are located in this interactive information highway called the Internet. For someone who had little background on Web 2.0, this book was very readable with new technologies clearly explained. Much of the author's discussion of blogs, wikis, etc. seamlessly interact with his classroom experience as a teacher and liaison to district administrators and parents, in bringing them together to experience and benefit from the slew of technologies available to help them communicate and better education.
The strength of the book is in its balance of presenting Web 2.0 technologies in a readable but also very technical fashion. Teachers can quickly make progress by using the recommended websites to start blog accounts, wikis, etc. A brief range of the most popular and powerful technologies are presented for the consumer to choose from depending on his/her situation. Whether it is blogs, wikis, podcasts, VoIP, or newsfeeds, the author usually surveys the most effective tools, always giving attention to both platforms, whether it is PC or Macintosh. His only weakness is his unhidden bias for Macs. However, the detail of his interaction with the technology is fair. His treatment of these is up-to-date and current.
In relation to Wikis, John gives helpful examples of using wikis for department meetings, notes, minutes, and even curriculum development. Here is where the "Ah Haa" moments echo where he provides specific uses of wikis from his own educational experience. The technology of Web 2.0 is not confined to the classroom, but transcended by things like videoconferencing, and also usable in teacher business as well as district business. The two-way roads of technology are expanding to the many facets of education.
When it comes to blogging, the author adequately surveys the popular blog resources available to begin web 2.0 applications. Again, both PC and Macintosh platforms are represented. The section does seem overly technical for educators, but as an educator with computer background, I found it very helpful. What I appreciate about Hendron's treatment is the balance of adequate technical help with the creativity of the Web 2.0 applications. Especially eye-opening were the classroom lesson plans using blogging technology to accomplish educational objectives. What administrator would not drop his/her jaw to see this kind of technology used in the classroom to engage and bring much needed collaboration to the classroom using technology? The lessons were replete with collaborative ideas using engaging technology. The only criticism is that the lesson plans did not include a single math lesson. This reviewer is a secondary math teacher.
In the final analysis, the esoteric technical title of the book is actually a rich and readable ride into the revolutionary Web 2.0 technology of not the future, but the present. It's explained clearly across both platforms and surveyed across the most popular tools. This is an excellent primer on information travel for Web 2.0.


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A powerful technology, but a simple concept, RSS ('Really Simple Syndication') makes it possible to easily access frequently updated content on the Internet. RSS allows you to 'subscribe' to content and have updates automatically delivered to your computer. Many Web 2.0 tools, including blogs, podcasts, and wikis, have been made even more useful with the advent of RSS technology.
Let expert John Hendron show you how to use a news aggregator to harness the power of RSS for a variety of purposes, including classroom projects, professional development, and keeping students and parents informed.
* Learn how to use free and inexpensive software such as Garage Band and Audacity to manipulate audio files and create podcasts.
* Explore the pros and cons of various blogging platforms.
* Have your students blog, and use RSS to deliver their assignments to you automatically.
With RSS and the Read/Write Web, the possibilities are endless.
A glossary and an extensive list of online resources round out this essential guide to the power of Web syndication.
Topics include:
-Web 2.0-technology integration-curriculum design-curriculum design-blogs-wikis-newsfeeds-podcasts-professional development
Also available:
Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools - ISBN 1564842347 Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education - ISBN 1564842479
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is the trusted source for professional development, knowledge generation, advocacy and leadership for innovation. ISTE is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving teaching and learning by advancing the effective use of technology in PK-12 and teacher education. Home of the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET), and ISTE's annual conference (formerly known as the National Educational Computing Conference, or NECC), ISTE represents more than 100,000 professionals worldwide. We support our members with information, networking opportunities, and guidance as they face the challenge of transforming education.
Some of the areas in which we publish are: -Web. 2.0 in the classroom-RSS, podcasts, and more-National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) -Professional development for educators and administrators-Integrating technology into the classroom and curriculum-Safe practices for the Internet and technology-Educational technology for parents

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