Very lazy day today. Did not leave the house. I did have some errands but by the time I had the ambition to go out, the storm had hit. Good day to stay inside. No work out but I am trying to take a few days off to rest my sciatica so that's ok.
I read so many books today, I don’t know where to start.
I know a lot of bloggers read blogs. One awesome book that is a must read for bloggers is “Blog! How the newest revolution is changing politics, business and culture” by David Kline and Dan Burstein.
It talks of the power and influence of blogs. It uses political examples. Through these examples we can learn what good blogging is (honest, open) and what it is not (poorly written, blatant marketing). It talks about freedom of the press and countries and companies that try to suppress blogs. It also warns and gives examples of blogs that share insider or confidential information and what happens. Most of this advice is just “don’t be stupid”.
To quote from it:
“..most people – or at least most of the media’s coverage of business issues in blogging – are missing the fact that the real excitement here is not how much money business can make from blogging, but how dramatically blogging will reshape the world of business from top to bottom and create new sources of competitive advantage for firms that learn how to use this new medium intelligently.”
“Bloggers not only tend to be more passionate about their interests and hobbies than other people, they also have marketplace influence far beyond their numbers”.
Much of the book consists of interviews with famous people who blog. It asks their view of the Blogshpere and what is happening.
This is a highly inspirational read for anyone who blogs. We live in revolutionary times and as bloggers (and blog readers) we see history being made. We are truly cutting edge. The world is changing before our eyes.
As A. J. Liebling a great 20th century journalist said “Freedom of the press is limited to those who own one”. With blogs, anyone can.
Hi Jim,
ReplyDeleteI tried to post a comment on your blog this morning but for whatever reason the comment page wouldn't come up.
I just wanted to concur with you that you need good people around you to make a business work. As you know I've been a customer of yours for a number of years. These past few months my business has doubled largely because of my new Apple authorization, the phenomenal success of iPods, and not the least because of the help I've gotten from the two Johns: Stollery and Gaudette. If I could find good people like that I might also be running a billion dollar enterprise. (ho, ho, ho.) Actually, I'm just an ordinary fellow and amazed that I'm
still in business after 10 years.
Like your daughter I was a graduate of English lit. (at U. of Waterloo back in 1980). To this day I read a lot of books, and I've read a lot about leadership. You might want to shift to reading history if you find going to see Shakespeare at the Stratford Festival a little trying.
One of my favourite pastimes is reading American history. I am currently reading "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln," by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I would also recommend the multi-volume history of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro, and Taylor Branch's multi-volume history of Martin Luther King.
One of the nice things about operating a boutique in Toronto's Riverdale district is that i can count among my friends lots of artists, musicians, and authors. My customers are always pointing out good books to read (when they aren't buying Macintosh's, that is).
Like you I also blog. Mine is www.myleskesten.com/serendipity. When I'm not running 2 businesses, I'm writing a book, teaching a course, doing volunteer work, and lately helping to teach my 4-year-old how to ski.