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I like to read, a lot and learn a lot via reading books. With that said, I really wish that Christopher Barger had written The Social Media Strategist four years ago when I was getting into the space. What took you so long Barger?

Not only does the book offer things that you should be doing out of the gate, but also offers what you should be doing as you look to expand your program.

If you are a college student or someone getting into the social media space, you should read this book. If you’d like to get a copy for less, click here (Amazon affiliate link) where a new copy is under $16.

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Have you ever stopped doing something because something inside you said to stop? If so, you flinched.

Want to get away from that? Check out this free book from Julien Smith.

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I am very happy that the folks over at McGraw Hill sent me a copy of this book to review. While many books challenge you to change your way of thinking, not many offer real world examples of companies that have done it and are thriving. The book is worth picking up if you work in corporate America and want to be “that guy,” when it comes to an idea that catches fire.

If you want to pick up a copy for less, click here (Amazon affiliate link).

Exactly one year ago today, I read Arik Hanson’s blog post on the 26 books that he planned to read over the course of the year. It inspired me to give it a whirl and see if I could read that many. When the dust and grime from the books settled, wound up reading 31 over the course of the year. You might ask yourself why anyone would devote their time to finishing a book and start a new one every two weeks and it is a perfectly good question. For me, it was a number of things starting with the fact that I just like to read and as a former English major reading that much did not seem too daunting. Reading 31 books helped me think more clearly and get to sleep that much easier as I wasn’t distracted looking at every blog post, Facebook status or Tweet while killing brain cells staring at the TV. Heading into 2012, I am hoping to read 35 books and hope that you’ll challenge yourself to read more than you normally would. I also welcome any suggestions for books that you think I should read this year as well in the comments below.

Below is my list of fiction, non-fiction and business books that I read in 2011 along with reviews that I did on many of them. Each book is also linked with an Amazon affiliate link that will save you some coin if you decide to pick up a copy while earning me a few cents towards some cold refreshing adult sodas.

2011 Reading List

Business Books

• Content Rules – Chapman/Handley – Review
• Social Media Case Studies – Fine – Review
• Enchantment – Kawasaki – Review
• Evil Plans – MacLeod – Review
• Social Media ROI – Blanchard – Review
• Thank You Economy – Vaynerchuck – Review
• Brewing up a Business – Calagione – Review
• Enterprise Social Technology – Klososky – Review
• Killing Giants – Denny – Review
• Likeable Social Media – Kerpen – Review
• Welcome to the Fifth Estate – Livingston – Review
• Launch – Stelzner – Review
• ROI of Social Media – Powell – Review
• Super Mario – Ryan – Review
• Smart Business, Social Business – Brito – Review
• Humanize – Notter/Grant – Review
• Find your Next – Kates – Review forthcoming

Non-Fiction

• Life Inc. – Rushkoff – Review
• Assholeology, the cheat sheet – Illuminati – Review
• The Perfect Storm – Junger
• The Expectant Father – Brott
• Medium Raw – Bourdain
• On Becoming Baby Wise – Ezzo (Thank you Stephanie Wonderlin for putting me onto this for Baby Espo along with some entertaining Twitter trolls)
• The Power of Positive Thinking – Peale

Fiction

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets – Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix – Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Rowling

Happy reading and be sure to offer some books that you think I should peep out below.

Image - Artotem

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This video book review takes a look at Maddie Grant and Jamie Notter’s Humanize (Amazon affiliate link). The book is a must read for any budding executive or person looking to incorporate a human side to a business. My favorite part about the book was the underlying references to the Matrix and changing the way that folks are wired to think.

Don’t read this book if you are satisfied with the status quo, don’t care or aren’t a human. Do read it if you are looking to be challenged and expand your way of thinking.

Disclosure – I received a copy of the book for review from Maddie. 

I did a lot of head shaking while reading Michael Brito‘s new book Smart Business, Social Business, a Playbook for Social Media in Your Organization. Now this shouldn’t be read as a nod of disapproval, but rather a mixed bag of agreeing and wondering why more businesses aren’t looking at social outside of its own little silo.

The book is geared to two main audiences; the first is the social media practitioner with the other being a C-suite member looking to turn social into more of a business function. It is also a very quick read that is chock full of real-world case studies and practical business advice for becoming a social business. Below is my full review of the book:

If you want to check it out and save a few books, you can also click the Amazon affiliate link below:

I read a ton of business books, but it is rare that one speaks to me in a truly personal way. So when the folks over at Portfolio passed along a copy of Jeff Ryan’s Super Mario, How Nintendo Conquered America (Amazon affiliate link), I was ecstatic to take a look. You see I was born in 1981 and grew up playing Nintendo games. I remember all the awesome codes and tricks to getting a new console when blowing into the game corroded the connection for the game to the console (thanks Toys R Us for the great customer service and my Aunt Sharon for saving the boxes way back when).

Needless to say, the book took me back to my childhood. One thing that I didn’t realize stomping on Koopas and hopping down virtual drainpipes was that as I beat on the control pad, Nintendo was becoming a part of Americana in a way that was really never done before in the toy market. The book also offers a great insight into how the home gaming industry wars that we see today were influenced by Nintendo and thier lack of action and double dealings. Below is my full video review.

This book is perfect for gamers, business students, young executives or a child of the ’80s.

A few weeks back, Wiley sent me over a copy of Michael Stelzner’s latest book Launch (Amazon link) to review for my blog. While I initially thought the book would be on social media since I know Stelzner from his blog Social Media Examiner, I can safely sat that I was wrong. The book was more of a manual for small business owners to build up their business via strategic content, below is my full review:

I read a lot of books and to be honest most of the social media tombs rehash the same info over and over again. I am glad to say that when I read Geoff Livingston‘s Welcome to the Fifth Estate, this was not the case. In the book, DC’s blogging guru takes a philosophical look at the new realm of media that we are in now and offers reasons and best practices for brands looking to get into the game. Below is my full review:

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The big question here is are you ready to join the 5th Estate?

Click here to get the book for under $13.00 (Amazon affiliate link)

What does it mean to be Likeable? We all know that Facebook has the Like button, but what does it truly mean to be liked?

In Dave Kerpen’s new book Likeable Social Media, the question is explored and validated with real-world examples of companies excelling in the space.

When I first talked to Dave about the topic in mind-to-late 2010 about the premise and what Vistaprint was doing with the company’s Facebook page, I had no idea how he was going to translate the case studies into actionable tidbits that didn’t read like every other social media book. After getting my review copy a few weeks back I was very pleased to see that the examples, were not obtrusive and flowed in the prose.

I found a few examples worth stealing and think that you will to, below is my full review of the book:

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If you want to pick up a copy of the book, click here (Amazon affiliate link) to get one for under $14 – a steal if you ask me.

Back in my English major heyday, I was reading 36 books a semester from various authors. While some could captivate you, others well they could not and were quickly tuned out. Fast forward nearly a decade since that last college class. I still find myself reading a lot from blogs and eBooks to soft and hard cover, mostly of the business variety.

Unfortunately the authors I read today often miss that “it” that I loved reading in college. Sure I tell myself that these books aren’t fiction so the data and concepts are more important than the “it.”

Curious as to what the “it” is?

Well the “it” was the storytelling and captivating prose of some of my favorites from Hemmingway and Poe to Tolkien and Twain.

Sure many of the books I have read have a good story and flow, but most are steeped in business and theory and I’ve never been able to find one with that perfect mix.

Well all that changed while reading this new eBook from Danny Brown entitled the Parables of Business. In this 36-page read, Brown breaks down general business strategies for growth, social media and innovation all through the age old art of storytelling that would make Aesop proud.

I suggest grabbing a copy here, if you are a small business owner, a newbie to the social space or if you are just looking for a good read.

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Crowdsourcing may be one of the more interesting aspects of the social web. In Enterprise Social Technology from Scott Klososky, the principle was put to use in creating the book from the text to the cover art.

The book does a good job of showing how businesses can implement both social technology and crowdsourcing. One downside is that at times the text doesn’t flow too smoothly, which can be attributed to the crowdsourced nature.

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What do GoDaddy, Intuit and Sam Adams have in common?

If you guess that they killed a giant, well then you were correct. In this vlog video book review, I take a look at Stephen Denny’s Killing Giants. The book’s focus is on how you can out think and out maneuver the giants in your industry to maximize your market-share.

Have you slayed a giant yet?

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A few months back I checked out Assoleology, the Cheat Sheet. It was a quick read that had me laughing my face off cover to cover. I suggest checking it out if you are looking for a good laugh or would like some life advice with a grain of salt or a desktop conversation starter.

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I recently picked up a copy of Sam Calagione’s Brewing up a Business. While I thought that the book was going to bee about brewing beer, it was more about a small business done good while growing into a force in the craft brew space. If you are a beer fan, entrepreneur or business book junkie (I don’t judge), check out the book. If you want to get it for less and help me make some money to buy more Dogfish Head, click the link below (Amazon Affiliate Link):

http://amzn.to/ihuU6H

For a full recap on the business implications of this book for small business, check out my post here on the Vistaprint Micro Business Blog.