Daily Thoughts 12/6/2009

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Daily Thoughts 12/6/2009

Tomorrow, I will go through Library Journal's best books of 2009. This is another excellent list of books like the New York Times 100 Best Books. http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6707422.html?desc=topstory

I have been working on my Facebook, Twitter, and Linked in accounts. They are slowly growing. I still have a lot more to learn on how to use them properly. I learned that the maximum number of followers on Linked In is 30,000 people. I can't imagine the use of that many people in a personal social network unless you are a salesperson or a recruiter. It is an interesting number.

I read some more of Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence at the laundromat today.

Trust Agents Using The Web To Build Influence , Improve Reputation, and Build Trust by Chris Brogan

Trust Agents Using The Web To Build Influence , Improve Reputation, and Build Trust by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith

Chris Brogan is a master communicator using the web. He runs one of the top marketing blogs at http://www.chrisbrogan.com . His main focus is showing people how to build a following in social media using openness and trust. He is also the founder of Podcamp which is a conference on podcasting. Julien Smith is a web analyst.

The ideas in this book are actionable. Every chapter gives suggestion on how to improve your use of social media. I have already used two of the suggestions; make sure you follow less people than are following you on twitter and try to make all the sections about yourself on blogs consistent and professional.

His aim is to teach you how to use social media like blogs, twitter, facebook, and linked in to create a network. This is supposed to help you eliminate the need for resumes and cut back on using business cards.

In addition to the social media tools Chris Brogan and Julien Smith suggest philosophical and strategic outlooks for looking at business. These include looking at work as a game, jumping the gates to create new opportunities, life hacking, leverage, and digital nativism. These strategies are the strategies of the most successful producers of web content and marketing.

There is a message that marketing and communications are becoming more personal. Customer service is described as being public relations. Marketing is about being open and listening to people. Networking is about helping others achieve their goals by pulling them up.

The book is a tool to change your perspective and improve your ability to network on the web. It is the mindset of the native producer of digital content. The ideas are different and interesting. There is a lot that can be used directly from this book to succeed in building your own extensive network of contacts.

Daily Thoughts 12/5/2009

Divide and Conquer

Daily Thoughts 12/5/2009

I am reading Daniel Goleman, Social Intelligence. The writing is better than in his first book Emotional Intelligence. The examples he uses are more contemporary and easier to relate to. The grammar and style are much smoother.

Today was a day to do ordering. I looked at a lot of different review sources and websites with books on them. I am about half way through my orders. There is a lot more to do. I have been looking at lots of bestseller lists, the New York Times Graphic Novels Bestseller list, the New York Public Library recommended books page, the recommendation lists on Powell's books, Library Journal online, and a variety of other places.

I went through the list of the 100 Notable Books of the Year for the New York Times to see that we had most of them. I am going to try and fill in the ones which we don't have yet. We have more than half of them. http://www.nytimes.com/gift-guide/holiday-2009/100-notable-books-of-2009-gift-guide/list.html?em

Daily Thoughts 12/4/2009

David Laing, 1862, by William Fettes Douglas (1822-1891), National Gallerys Scotland, Accession no. PG 2041, Medium: Oil on canvas, Size: 25.50 x 63.50 cm; Credit: Given to the Royal Scottish Academy by the artist 1862; presented to the National Gallery of Scotland by the RSA 1910 and transferred to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery 1964

Daily Thoughts 12/4/2009

I spent some time ordering books this morning. I read the latest New York Times Book Review and Kirkus Reviews. I also looked at reviews from various sites again. We have a large year end cash infusion to order a variety of materials. This will allow me to order some graphic novel sets instead of individual issues and pick out some of the better quality titles I missed during the year for literature as well as get some newer computer books.

I am also starting the process of creating a "Graphic Novels Club". I just got a new library card for the club and put a bunch of Neil Gaiman's Sandman on hold. I see lots of book clubs at libraries, but no graphic novel clubs. Another name that was suggested was "Manga Lounge". I think "Manga Lounge" would work better for teenagers.

I read some more of Trust Agents by Chris Brogan during lunch time over coffee at the local diner. Chris Brogan has a real knack for describing nonintrusive methods for networking. He describes how to maximize contacts instead of pushing on individuals. This evening, I finished reading it. If you read carefully, he makes some useful suggestions for social media. I used a few of his suggestions to clean up my twitter account partially.

Me 2.0 Build A Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success by Dan Schwebel

Me 2.0 Build A Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success by Dan Schawbel

Dan Schawbel is describing how to create a complete social media presence for individuals. He calls this a personal brand. Companies, organizations, and recruiters now have a dearth of resumes and personal information available all over the internet. This book is aimed at people in their twenties who are just starting in their careers. However, most of the content is relevant to people in general.

There is a certain irony in reading this book. The word me in the title really does not say what the book is all about. It is about becoming embedded in social networks. Dan Schwebel describes how to integrate the use of Twitter, Facebook, Linked In, blogs, and other social media to create a complete image of an individual person. He also describes how to monitor and protect yourself while doing this.

Planning and long term goals are also integrated into his descriptions of social media tools. He even uses things like SWOT analysis (Strength, Weaknesses, opportunities, Threats), and checklists of goals to use when creating a personal brand.

There are many more advanced suggestions as well; creating a video resume, public relations and your image in social media, and entrepreneurial drive. This material is very corporate and entrepreneurial in nature. Donald Trump is mentioned briefly in the book which was kind of entertaining. It fits in very well with venture capital and the ideals of technology startups. Dan Schwebel says that Fast Company is his favorite magazine to read which is a favorite among young technology company workers.

I found the book to be useful. I even followed a few suggestions he made about Linked In. I found this book on http://www.mashable.com Mashable is a news site for social media.