Customer Reviews

Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World's Top Bloggers

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I found "Blogging Heroes" to be a really inspirational book that introduces the reader to many of the pioneers of blogging. As someone who is not a hard-core technical person, it was refreshing to learn the variety of blogs and get a glimpse into their world from the inside. You will probably recognize several of the blogs and enjoy finding out their origins and what motivates the people that breath life into them.

Some of the blogs profiled started as magazines first; others were born online. Some are run professionally by trained journalists; others are run as hobbies during spare time. All of the profiles, though, were interesting. I often found myself at the end of each chapter thinking, "That is so cool. What that person did!"

As you read the book, you'll easily notice patterns in the advice, motivations and other factors that were keys to these bloggers' success. By the end of the book, you'll have a very concise list of what to do if you want to get started blogging (or improve your current blog).

Michael Banks style is great. "Blogging Heroes" is very easy to read with each of the 30 chapters devoted to one interview. I read the book one or two chapters each night before bed. It was perfect for that kind of reading- chapters are under 10 pages long; so, you can always finish one in about 10 minutes.

I recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn more about the world of blogging from a personal level.

I "had" to burn the rest of a Borders gift card, so aimlessly wandering the aisles I picked up Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World's Top Bloggers and started thumbing through it. I have just started reading but so far this book of interviews with top bloggers is really good.

For you BLOGGING addicts . . . you will get two things out of the book. One, articulation/affirmation for some the practices and approaches that you already integrate into your blogging. And, two, a few nuggets and aha's that will seem so obvious, but you never knew.

For you BLOGGING newbies . . . you will get two things as well. One, you will benefit from the real-life experiences from real-life-bloggers about art and practice of blogging. And, two, it becomes painfully clear how NOT imposing blogging can be. These are pretty much regular Joe's who have found a way to share their knowledge and opinions and a significant number of people who care to read them.

Not everyone should/cold be a blogging hero. There will be some limitations based on focus area, writing ability, intent and in my case, gray matter, but regardless of your blogging status, this is a good read.

"Blogging Heroes" by Michael Banks has fascinated me since I first saw its intriguing cover. After I started reading it my enthusiasm grew, and I decided to pick up tips from each blogger. Bank's smooth writing helps. The nice thing is that each blogger tells his own story, so as a reader you can pace yourself and absorb each person's ideas. The depth of reporting is terrific. But the book is more than a reporting achievement. It is also a historical one, for in the future these people will be considered pioneers in their field. As for a blogging novice like me, the book inspired me to start my own blog. Previously, I had heard a lot about blogging, but I never felt moved to do anything with it. Banks writes with such passion and knowledge, and his interviewees certainly show it. I thought it was time for me to try it. I'd recommend the book to anyone who has wanted to enter the world of blogging but never had the spark to get started. This book will light that spark!

This is an inspirational book, giving you insight into the world of blogging pioneers, thought leaders, and passionate bloggers. Reading the book expanded my ideas and concepts of what blogging can do and how it can be a major factor in your personal and business online persona. A must read in my book.

Do you want to know a lot about blogging? Would you like to be a great blogger? Are you just curious about blogging? Do you want to know something about where blogging came from, where it is "now", and where blogging is headed? If you can answer yes to one or more of these questions, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BOOK. One small word of warning: Do not read the summary at the end of each chapter and assume it captures all of the important information and details in that chapter. Although the summaries are good, they definitely leave out some very key information. You may want to add your notes to each summary and investigate all or at least more of the internet location suggestions. I've read some about blogging and visited a number of blogs over the past few years. This book is just a fantastic summary and information source on blogging!
Congratulations Michael Banks! You have done a fantastic job with this book and I will be alert to investigating all other titles which you have or will pen. Please note: My review is totally independent and unsolicited, however, I will accept any percentage which you may want to share..... ;-)

When Michael contacted me for to do an interview for a chapter in his new book, I wondered if it would be just another book on blogging. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the other 29 experts he contacted all over the spectrum of the blogging experience, with some names that I consider blogging heroes of my own! The advance copy I read demonstrates that Michael understands the various ways that blogging can be used for fun, for profit and to change the world. Kudos on a fantastic manuscript that has become a must-read for every blogger! - Joel Comm, Author -
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This was an intriguing book to pick up at the bookstore and thumb through, although less fulfilling to read. Most of the bloggers are full-time paid, and most of them report on the very latest up-to-the-minute breaking news in their mostly-technical field. Most of them give you pretty much the same advice: Write about what you care about, and don't use black hat SEO techniques.

Frank Warren, of PostSecret, is the only completely out-of-the-box blogger covered.

I'll take comfort from the assurances that if I keep putting good content out into the blogosphere, Google will eventually find me. I'll add a few new writers to my RSS feeds. Elsewise, my blogging life will not change as a result of this book.

Good to have read; find it at the library, or buy it new or used according to your book budget.

"Blogging Heroes" is one of those rare reads that takes you completely by surprise. I had purchased this book hoping to get a few tips and quite honestly was not expecting too much. By the conclusion though I have walked away much smarter about the topic of blogging - who the major players are and how to create, maintain, or grow a successful blog. The author provides a great formula for his book - he interviews 30 people known for blogging, provides a description of their background and work, asks them a series of questions concerning success factors and challenges, and highlights each interview at the end of each chapter. From this I was able to get an overview of blogging, who the major contributors are in diverse subject matter, identify success trends that I plan to use on my blog, and finally receive a list of great blogs and books which were presented in the book. Definitely worth the price and time to read - recommended.

This book examines why these bloggers got into blogging, how they manage their blogs, and reveals the single most important element of each blogger's success. Also reveals techniques for publicizing blogs, using blogs for marketing , and getting others to participate. The subjects share tips on selecting topics, research, writing, dealing with problems, and more. Excellent book.

I picked this up while one of my random strolls through the local bookstore. I have my own wireless networking & security blog, so I thought learning more about top bloggers would be interesting.

The book is structured as a series of 30 interviews, each with a well known blogger. I was familiar with several before reading the book, although most were outside of my area of specialty.

There were a wide variety of different topics were represented through blogging (tech & gadgets, parenting, automotive, community art, etc.), which proved that successful blogs can be built in almost any niche. The variety of topics pushed my own view of blogging much wider, which was invaluable.

All but one of the interviews were conducted either live or via the telephone. There is a lot of give-and-take between the author and the interviewees. While it may not sound like compelling reading, it was actually quite interesting. I think the conversational nature made it seem like you (the reader) were having an intimate conversation with all these popular bloggers.

There was also a "Points to Remember" section at the end of every interview, which reinforced important lessons. I also underlined several passages, wrote in the margins, etc. The book is packed with good advice.

While I did like the format, I thought it got to be a bit repetitive, especially towards the end. Interviews with the top 20 or 25 bloggers would have been more effective in my opinion.

This book my not be for everyone, but certainly a worthwhile read if you are considering a blog or already contribute to one.