I've been a big fan of Jay Conrad Levinson's books for the last number of years. His "guerilla marketing" handbook and the series of books that it spawned, are well worth reading for anyone who is interested in marketing their business.
So the "social media" title caught my attention.
The book seems to have been written mostly by Shane Gibson, though Jay Conrad Levninson's name is also on the cover. It covers a wide range of topics related to using social media tools to promote your business and also has a strong focus on measuring success. If you're already using social media to promote your business then this book will probably open your eyes to some new ideas that you can adopt for your business. If you've never used social media for business, then this will walk you through it.
Definitely worth reading regardless of your level of experience.
Amazon have been a game changing company since they first launched themselves into ecommerce offering books and books alone.
Prior to Amazon's Kindle there had been many attempts to launch ebooks, but none of them met with any real success.
The Kindle changed that dramatically.
And according to a release from Amazon in the last couple of days, the Kindle is having a very big impact on their sales, not only in terms of volume, but also breakdown:
Amazon.com is now selling more Kindle books than paperback books. Since the beginning of the year, for every 100 paperback books Amazon has sold, the Company has sold 115 Kindle books. Additionally, during this same time period the Company has sold three times as many Kindle books as hardcover books. This is across Amazon.com's entire U.S. book business and includes sales of books where there is no Kindle edition. Free Kindle books are excluded and if included would make the numbers even higher.
while the hardware device itself is doing very well, though they're not going to give specifics:
The Company sold millions of third-generation Kindle devices with the new advanced paper-like Pearl e-ink display in the fourth quarter and the third-generation Kindle eclipsed "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" as the bestselling product in Amazon's history.
Some basic figures of what you can get on your Kindle:
The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 810,000 books including New Releases and 107 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers. Over 670,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 74 New York Times Bestsellers. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle.
But you're not strictly limited to using the Kindle device, though there are limitations on what the software versions can do:
Amazon added to its growing list of "Buy Once, Read Everywhere" Kindle apps, launching a Kindle app for Windows Phone 7. In addition, the Kindle for Android app was updated to enable users to buy, read and sync over 100 Kindle newspapers and magazines. All Kindle apps let customers "Buy Once, Read Everywhere"--on Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle DX, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, Mac, PC, BlackBerry and Android-based devices. All Kindle apps are free and incorporate Amazon's Whispersync technology, which allows readers to seamlessly switch between devices. With Kindle Worry-Free Archive, books purchased from the Kindle Store are automatically backed up online in the Kindle library on Amazon where they can be re-downloaded wirelessly for free, anytime.
So is this a good thing or a bad thing for books in general?
Clive Cussler seems to churn out novels at an incredible rate. While he's unlikely to win the Booker prize, his novels are always a good read.
The most recent of them, The Spy, is part of his series set in early 20th century USA. The stories revolve around a fictional detective agency - the Van Dorn's, with the central character Isaac Bell picking up many of the characteristics of Cussler's most famous creation, Dirk Pitt.
To date there have been three Isaac Bell novels, The Chase, The Wrecker and now The Spy.
In The Spy the story centres around the pre World War One arms race. Bell gets called in to investigate a suspicious suicide and finds himself embroiled in a very complicated tale of international espionage and intrigue.
There's plenty of action, gorgeous women, though no sex, chases, death, blood and of course, a happy ending.
If you enjoy Cussler's style of writing you'll enjoy this.
Gary Vaynerchuk's "Crush It!" makes for a fast and easy read.
I read the book a couple of months ago over a couple of days, as I'd
seen someone interviewing the author and it piqued my interest.
Vaynerchuk will never win a Nobel prize for literature, but his "voice" is genuine and full of energy.
Vaynerchuk rose to fame with his online TV show - Wine Library TV and in this book he talks about "cashing in on your passion".
Whether you're already running a business or thinking of starting one, "Crush It!" will probably give you some encouragement and ideas of how you can share your passion with others and make more money while doing it.
Vaynerchuk isn't a social media wannabe guru. He's actually built a real business using social media marketing. He's not a consultant trying to sell you his ideas - he's simply sharing his own experiences and passions, which makes it a lot more interesting and genuine.
Author Dick Francis has passed away at the age of 89.
Francis, who started out as a highly successful jockey went on to write 40 bestsellers which have sold more than 60 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 20 languages.
Francis died in the Cayman Islands where a funeral will be held.
I assume Dan Brown has made a fortune from the royalties for The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons and the other novels and their film versions. That he's managed to add to his wealth with the release of The Lost Symbol is inevitable.
But is it truly deserving?
The Lost Symbol is not a great work of literature. Sure, it is readable, but so is the back of some cereal packs. Readibility is not the best barometer.
Langdon, who previously appeared in both The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, makes another appearance in The Lost Symbol.
This time round he's exploring the Masonic world in the US capital - Washington DC.
(On a positive note I suspect the tourist office in Washington will probably be thanking Dan Brown for the boost in visitor numbers.)
Langdon is summoned to Washington to give a lecture at short notice. When he arrives he finds himself pulled into the intricate web of an evil mastermind who is hellbent on unravelling the Masons' greatest secret.
The problem is that Brown prefaces the book by stating that all the symbols, science, organisations and rites he describes are real. So he's trying to base a work of fiction on scientific and cultural fact. However his "facts" are, in many cases, more "fantasy" than "reality". Be that as it may, if the thriller were a wonderful read you'd be able to forgive him. Unfortunately that's not the case. Like a bad Hollywood film, Brown is incapable of writing a thriller that actually keeps you on your toes. After the first few chapters you've probably already worked out who the mystery man really is, though you have to patiently wait until the final part of the book for confirmation. When it comes you aren't surprised or even relieved. It's more a sensation of amazement. Not amazement at his skillful prose, but more his complete inability to withhold the surprise. I don't know about you, but I like thrillers that have surprising twists. The Lost Symbol really doesn't
If you like a fairly pacy read and can't get your hands on a Cussler or Lee Child, then maybe The Lost Symbol is a good option to kill a few hours. It would be perfect fare for holiday reading, as you won't feel guilty if you forget the book in the hotel.
Practically every book's dustjacket is covered with reviews and hyperbole. It's refreshing when the book actually lives up to the hyped reviews on the cover.
In the case of Lee Child's "Without Fail" it is truly gripping.
Child is one of those writers that I wish I'd started reading earlier. I like a good thriller, so I have to admit that the character of Jack Reacher really struck a chord with me. He's an oddball character. You know he's got a past and that he's very dangerous, but Child doesn't spell it out for you. Unlike so many Hollywood style novels, Child leaves nice gaps open to your imagination.
So what of the plot itself?
Basic plot is that the vice president elect is under threat from some kind of danger. What type of danger it is isn't 100% clear, but as the plot develops and twists the number of possible sources are eliminated until the book culminates in yet another twist.
Reacher's character is dark and dangerous and thus perfectly fit for the shadowy world he inhabits.
Child populates his "world" with characters set against backdrops that are described in such detail that you can practically smell them
Overall a great read and now I have to admit to being possibly "hooked"
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Guerilla Social Media Marketing