This was one of the first books that I grabbed on my Kindle at the Business of Software Conference in 2008. I had a number recommended, and got samples during the conference, but since I’ve been blogging  a lot, and have enjoyed lots of what Robert Scoble has done, I decided to get this book.

I've followed some of Robert Scoble's writings at Microsoft and since, and I think he has interesting things to say.I'm not always thrilled with his delivery or interviews, but he makes me think.I think a lot of his presence comes through in this book, and I found that it really made me rethink what I was doing with my blog. It gave me ways to think about my audience, think about what I was writing as more than just a "about me" space, and moving me more into a"consider the audience" type of mode. I still write what's interesting to me, but I am looking to grow and expand that to grow my brand. That's not for everyone, but it does make you think.

The book is divided into sections, talking about different aspects of blogging, and there are lots of stories about how blogging has helped grow a number of businesses. By explaining what benefits they've seen from blogging, they reinforce the idea that blogging can really help you. In talking to Andy Warren, friend and business partner at End to End Training, didn't seem to like it as much as me, and he thought that the examples were of "first movers", people that got in first in some area, or grew to be the biggest and that you couldn't necessarily compete with them.

There's some truth to that, but I think there isn't one big audience in any space. There are lots of audiences, and they overlap. Multiple people can grow their brands, and gain a following, especially in this new era of RSS feeds.

The book definitely pushes corporate blogging and talks about how bringing a more human face to your company, getting away from the Press Release/ controlled communications can help you. I tend to agree since there is so much information out there, and you can't control your image as you could in the past before we were so highly connected. Adding a blog, in addition to formal communications, helps people to better understand who you are.

I definitely recommend this book for business bloggers, but I'd also for people that want to grow their personal brand. Think of yourself as a company, your products are your skills, think about how to talk about them.