Tech 101: Books to Read

Some people learn by doing, some learn by watching, some learn via tutorials, some via videos, some via books. For those of you who like a good book and like to learn, here are a couple of books that I recommend. Each gives a different perspective on online markets, web 2.0, and that thing we call the internet.

The Cluetrain Manifesto by Rick Levine, Christopher Locke, Doc Searls and David Weinberger: ”  ... and your- call-is-important-to-us busy signal. Same old tone, same old lies. No wonder networked markets have no respect ... ” The Cluetrain Manifesto began as a website in 1999 (www.cluetrain.com. It’s 95 theses that articulate the state of the online market. This book is especially important for businesses trying to understand how to do business online.

Life After the 30-Second Spot by Joseph Jaffe: “Approaches that are transforming Marketing and Advertising.” Joseph Jaffe has a couple of websites but start with JaffeJuice.com. The book is about marketing and advertising that go beyond the traditional advertising models.

Naked Conversations by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel. “We live in a time when most people don’t trust big companies ...” Former Microsoft employee Robert Scoble is credited with creating the shift in attitude about Microsoft away from evil empire to that of a transparent, talkative, personal company of people. This is the book for business bloggers. It’s about how blogs change the way businesses talk with customers.

The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture by John Battelle. Not just a book about Google, The Search is about the transformations that have taken place due to the power of search and how those transformations reflect our culture.

The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More by Chris Anderson. “Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it ...” Wired editor Anderson analyzes the countless market opportunities that exist for those able to market to niches. He argues that the niches (the tail)  are more profitable than the blockbusters (the head).

These are just a handful of the books I recommend. For a longer list, and to have a look at the covers (I still judge by cover), have a look at my selection on Amazon Listmania.

And for those of you who don’t read or just need a laugh, check out this YouTube video of Middle Age Tech Support for Books.

It’s made its way around the internet several times so if you’ve watch it already, watch an interview with the creator of the skit.