Twitter Books

Review by Ann Paris:

This is the third Twitter book I have read and this one was the best by far. In my reading and marking pages, I found at least 50 specific marketing strategies I can use right now. Being an author of 20 books myself, I am a tough critic of these kinds of books. I would give this one my highest recommendation for anyone wanting to learn about Twitter or online marketing in general.

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Review by M. Susoev:

I was disappointed with Twitter Power, especially after reading the many reviews that claimed this book would reveal many techniques for both beginners and pros alike. For anyone that has been using Twitter for more than a couple weeks, this book is really 101. It seems to be geared towards people that have never heard of Twitter or are just getting started. If that’s the case, this book will help you get your feet wet, but it doesn’t shed light on anything you can’t pick up on your own simply by using Twitter for a few days.

Twitter is real time with instant response in most cases, and you’ll find out what works for you and what doesn’t almost immediately. You can also pay attention to the power players and note their approach. The book just points you to the top users on Twitter anyways. Save your money and do a little homework.

I’ve given an extra star because 10% of author proceeds go towards sustainable long term water solutions in developing areas of the globe.

Review by C. Avampato:

When I read, appropriately enough on Twitter, that Tim O’Reilly and Sarah Milstein had written The Twitter Book, I couldn’t wait to scoop up a copy. Literally. So I sent a message to the book’s Twitter account and asked if I could get an early copy to review. The book is so clear and concise, so necessary to the social media world, that I wondered why on Earth it has taken so long for this kind of book to be written. Tim and Sarah are the perfect people to publish this type of work, both experts in the tool itself and in the art of communication. We’re lucky to have them.

The Twitter Book is appropriate for people who’ve never heard of Twitter, who don’t understand it, who like the concept though aren’t sure how to use it, and for Twitter addicts like me. Whether you’re an individual looking to build your own personal brand on-line, someone who is considering starting a business, or part of a large company, the book is chock full of ideas, resources, and helpful advice.

I recommend getting a copy of this book and using it as a constant reference the same way you’d use any top-rate how-to guide. I also found that it was incredibly helpful to have my computer in front of me so I could actually experiment with the different tips and resources that Tim and Sarah suggest. Within the pages of the book I also found a few other great people to follow on Twitter.

From a personal brand building stand-point, I found dozens of great ideas in The Twitter Book. (For those interested in how The Twitter Book helps business brand building, please see my Business Strategies column on Examiner.com.) Here are three of my favorite ideas to give you a flavor of what awaits you in this book:

1.) Twitter gives you the opportunity have superhuman powers you’ve always wanted: you can read people’s minds and overhear conversations as if you’re a fly on the wall.

2.) The art of brevity and timing is priceless. Highest traffic days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, business hours in EST. That’s when the most links, ideas, and thoughts get replies (direct messages – dms – or @ messages) and passed around (”re-tweeted”). People need to see your message (”tweet”) within 5 minutes of you posting it or they likely won’t see it at all. And make it concise and interesting because you’ve only got 140 characters to get your point across.

3.) Jargon explained. I hate to be in acronym city. I think a lot of people use acronyms and catch-phrases to make themselves seem better informed than anyone else around. It annoys me. Twitter is no exception. A lot of people scratch their heads when they hear words like “tweet”, “tweeple”, and “tweetup”. I don’t blame them. I did the same thing and for a long while the jargon scared me off. I belonged to Twitter for a year and was mostly inactive before I figured out why it mattered and how it could be useful to me. The most valuable reason to pick up The Twitter Book is to have experts Tim and Sarah explain the jargon in very straight-forward terms, and then show you how the tool can be a very powerful part of your overall brand-building toolkit.

Before Tim and Sarah even get the discussion going in the book, they ask for suggestions to improve and enhance the content. The book has given me a lot of great ideas and I want to return the favor to them with a few ideas to consider for the next edition.

1.) For people brand new to Twitter, a glossary of terms would be very helpful.

2.) A set of easy to reference lists in the appendix would be handy. Common mistakes to avoid on Twitter, top companies using Twitter effectively, etc.

3.) An expanded section on how non-profits can use Twitter. It is briefly touched on in the book and I’d love to learn more from Tim and Sarah on new ideas that are particular to nonprofits that would help organizations increase awareness through Twitter.

4.) A resource directory, divided up into sections, in the appendix would be handy. For example, a list of third party programs, resources to help trim messages that are over 140 characters, etc.

An easy and endlessly helpful resource, The Twitter Book will accelerate the growth and power of Twitter. Generous and honest, Tim and Sarah skillfully help their readers take part in the conversation.

Review by Gene Venable:

I have an O’Reilly Safari account and read this book online.

I had tried Twitter and was frankly disappointed. I just didn’t see what all the shouting was about.

Then I read the Twitter Book and my life changed. I know what the shouting is about. Many ways of using Twitter are shown — indispensable tools!

This book, which is co-written by THE O’Reilly of the famous O’Reilly Books, is not just ABOUT Twitter, it is a revolutionary publication all by itself, because of how it is written.

It is written for people in a Twitter-type hurry and need for quick, simple information. I read it on my Nokia N800 little computer, but am sending off for a hard copy now to show my friends.

This is the no-BS book you are dreaming about. Don’t miss it.

Review by Dennis J. Lupton:

I purchased this book after finding just enough information elsewhere to get me addicted to Twitter. The information I was able to find was a bit vague and seemed to be more for the veteran than the newbie. Then along came “Twitter for Dummies” and all of my questions were answered. This book not only explains how you do everything, but why you would want to in the first place. It is written with a clear understanding and a true passion for the service. Twitter is such a fast evolving service that is used by so many different people and organizations for so many different reasons that no book could ever cover it all. Fortunately, the authors have provided additional resources which will provide whatever updated or changing information you may need. But be forewarned, if you are just a casual user of Twitter, this book may make you a true addict.

As with other “for Dummies” books, “Twitter for Dummies” is broken down into convenient, independent sections which contain all of the necessary information a reader needs to gain a full understanding of each topic. Although a cover to cover read will give a reader a somewhat unnecessary review of the basics required for each section, the authors have placed enough little factoids and bits of information (@Pistachio’s Easter eggs) throughout the book that you will want to read it all.

If you purchase this book, you can find me on Twitter at @Headshota23 (shameless plug). I’m sure I will see you there.

Review by Kevin Marks:

Having a stream of ideas, thoughts and emotions from people you care about flowing past that you can dip in and out of when you wish is a profound change. Twitter for Dummies explains clearly, thoughtfully and with copious examples how this quiet revolution in communications works, and how you can take part in it. The sparkling conversational tone draws you in while providing clear instructions and very sensible advice. Though a long-time Twitter user myself, I found things I didn’t know here too. I’d recommend it for anyone wanting to become part of the new social web.

Review by C. Papandria:

Twitter as a social networking tool is exploding and this book is the first to help you untangle all of information you need to learn about Twitter and put out your first “tweet.” It provides a good foundation for the basics of getting started but it is also loaded with intermediate and advanced tips and tricks to get the most out of Twitter. Whether you just want to start tweeting or are looking for ways to leverage Twitter to its fullest, I think you’ll find everything you need to learn and maximize Twitter in this book.

Review by D. Summerfield:

My teenage daughters talked me into signing up for Twitter. I had no idea what I was getting into. But I had found a few old school friends and work colleagues on Facebook, so I thought: Why not?

When I started getting emails from perfect strangers saying they were “following” me on Twitter, I thought perhaps I should find out what this phenomenon was really all about. So I ordered this book.

The book is well-written, and keeps within the parameters of knowledge which would belong to the average computer-savvy person (i.e. someone who can use a computer to surf for pleasure, word process, send email and do their office job.) It explained the reasoning behind Twitter, which is to keep up with friends and their lives in short bursts (bytes, really) of frequent information. The book also explains how to use shortcuts and extra features to enhance one’s Twitter experience.

What the book did for me, admirably, is convince me that Twitter is a complete waste of time. I am already inundated with information which I feel I must assimilate to stay current in this fast-paced world. Twitter is an electronic pastime which I can safely do without. This book helped me decide that, and I think it did a good job of it.

You might come to the opposite conclusion after reading this book. It’s an excellent resource, no matter what you decide.

Highly recommended.

Review by Douglas Karr:

This book and Twitterville, by Shel Israel, are the only two books you need to buy if you wish to understand what Twitter is, why you should use it and how to get it done. Kyle Lacy has done an amazing job detailing the information needed for every business – both large and small – to deploy their marketing efforts by this new medium. Twitter sounds like a toy, but it’s an amazingly simple and powerful tool that businesses can use to listen and speak to their customers and prospects.

Businesses who are leveraging Twitter are seeing incredible results – in reduced customer service expenses, reduced marketing expenditures, and increases in brand awareness. Buy this book now and get started!

Review by Karen Seketa:

In Kyle Lacy’s easy going laid back style, he takes you on a journey through what can be harrowing halls of Twitter for the novice and instantly makes it basic, easy and understandable for those of us who are social media toddlers. The information in his book is not just for the newbies out there, however. His tips and tricks have value for those who are among the Twitter accomplished who might have missed out on some the important basics or efficiencies of the system. Kyle does a great job of pointing out some of the basic etiquette without getting preachy on you. It reads more like a casual conversation over a cup of coffee rather than an informational text.

Review by Sean P. Kearney:

Can Twitter really help make you a better marketer? Maybe even a better person?

Seriously, how much is there really to say about a goofy web tool that only lets you send messages up to 140 characters at a time?

After reading Twitter Revolution, I realize a LOT!

While I had messed around with Twitter for about a year, I really didn’t get much out of reading what a bunch of strangers ate for breakfast. I felt even less motivated to post responses to “What are you doing?” If I didn’t really care what I was doing half the time, why should anyone else?

Then I realized, what I WAS doing was reading books about social media. The silly book on even sillier Twitter seemed to be one of the only ones left. My guess is that if I could sit still long enough to read Gravity’s Rainbow or the Glass Bead Game, I never would have ordered the Twitter Revolution. Now, I’m so glad that I did.

Warren Whitlock and Deborah Micek opened my eyes to a world that I am now arguably obsessed with; one where ease of access to seemingly superficial engagement with others is a bridge to deeper connections.

From a business perspective, using Twitter the way Warren and Coach Deb describe makes “Permission Marketing: Turning Strangers into Friends and Friends into Customers” a reachable reality by beginning with simple ways to earn trust, learn more about each other and provide potential solutions to problems. Bringing a real voice [one that doesn't try to divide "professional" from "personal"] to ongoing conversations is refreshing and exciting.

I now better recognize Twitter as an amazing tool for doing just that and much more.

Review by Grant Griffiths:

Deb and Warren write that twitter is the ripple that has become a Tsunami. They are right. But this book is truly the earthquake which can start the momentum getting the Tsunami started.

The Twitter Revolution gives the reader the knowledge and ability to participate in the “new media” known as twitter. Twitter is a fast paced method of communicating and interacting with those you follow and who follow you. It shows you how you can step right into the twitter world and interact and learn from those you are following and who follow you.

Early in the book we learn why we should even give a darn about twitter. And than we get a clear and concise explanation of what twitter is. And that is not an easy task. Best of all, the Twitter Revolution is true to form and says exactly what twitter is, “it turned into SO much more than that.” What is really cool about this chapter as with a lot of the book, Deb and Warren take advantage of their own followers to aid in defining what twitter is. So instead of just getting a book full of the ideas and thinking of the writers alone, we get the input of some of the thought leaders who are actually using what the book is talking about. Hat tip to Deb and Warren for getting twitter itself involved in the process.

The Twitter Revolution is a complete start to finish on what it is and how to use it. And, it gives you the tools both in the book and in what applications it mentions to truly take advantage of what twitter is and what it can do for you.

If there is one chapter that makes this book worth whatever it cost, it would be “ten steps to attract a flood of followers.” If you don’t have followers, your conversations are going to be real lonely.

Get the book and get a jump start on how to use twitter and use it right.

Review by Alyce R. Tapp:

From the chuckler to the real-deal LOL, this book delivers. David Pogue poses a question, and his half-million Twitter followers respond with hysterical, insightful, and ever-clever “tweets” of a 140 characters or less. This is the ideal bathroom book — think Uncle John’s Reader — but it serves an even better purpose as an exquisite example of the “wisdom of the masses.” When you assemble an enormous group of people and limit them to a short slice of an answer, you get economy and style. It’s the English teacher’s dream. I left this book on the table during two parties, and each time, guests gathered around to read and laugh, sometimes exclaiming, “Oh NO!” and other times muttering, “Yup, been there.” The chapters are quick and dirty, but the humor is top shelf. You will love Pogue’s exploitation of the Twitter machine, and you just might be inspired to tweet yourself. Fabulous!

Review by David J. Andrews:

This book is hilarious! The concept of pooling the collective wit and wisdom of thousands of smart, computer-saavy and funny people is truly inspired (Pogue duly credits his wife with this inspiration).

For all of those lost souls who are fond of saying, “I just don’t understand this Twitter thing”; trust me, you’ll finally “get it”.

Never has so much been communicated, to so many, by such innovative technology!

The book is worth the price just for the recipes, the household hints and the puns. But, don’t overlook “the most embarrassing moments” and “Ironies of life”…they’re priceless.

Review by Mark J. Szymanski:

This book provides a nice overview of the Twitter API with a few examples, but the organization of the book could make learning a little more engaging. There is a lot of up-front description of the disparate features, with no working examples presented until the latter chapters of the book.

I’m also not sure if the author had a clear idea of the intended audience. It seems odd that there are things like detailed walkthroughs of how to set up a Twitter account, but no thorough discussion of data parsing.

Review by calvinnme:

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service where users send and receive very small text-based posts. The short length of these messages and the simplicity of the service causes the message traffic to be labeled descriptively as tweets. However, even a very simple messaging service requires programming these days, and that is where this very accessible book comes in.

This book is an introduction to build web applications via the Twitter API. This book has three main parts: an overview of the Twitter social issues; background information on the languages and environment you need to create your applications; and finally code for sample applications that will get you started. Anyone familiar with computer programming and web applications should be able to just read the PHP scripts used to create the sample applications and understand how the underlying syntax works.

The reader needs a basic understanding of how applications are built and hosted on the Web. However, strangely enough, you don’t need to be a professional programmer. The XHTML, CSS, PHP, and MySQL code necessary for building the example applications will be provided and explained.

Chapter 1, “Hello Twitter”, is not your usual intro chapter on a basic Hello Twitter program. Instead it is a chapter on the culture and social aspects of Twitter. Anyone can pick up this chapter and understand what Twitter is and where it is coming from in a social and historical context.

Chapter 2, “Twitter Applications”, reviews third-party Twitter apps. The purpose, however, is not to present you with a directory of the world’s best Twitter applications. Instead, the purpose of this list is to show you some of the things that can be done with a web application using the Twitter API. These applications may provide some inspiration for your own projects.

Chapter 3, “Web Programming Basics”, provides an overview of the basic knowledge and tools needed to create the applications described later in the book. Although the Twitter API can be used to create desktop and mobile applications as well, this book focuses on the web platform built with PHP and MySQL.

Chapter 4, “Meet the Twitter API”, introduces you to the building blocks for your future application – the ways that you can send commands in Twitter. This chapter describes these specific request methods available through the Twitter API. Each section, presents one of the 40 existing API methods and explain what is needed to get data from Twitter using that method. These 40 methods are grouped into seven categories: Publishing, Information Stream, Follow Network, Communication, Member Account, API Administration, and Search.

Chapter 5, “Meet the Output”, takes a close look at the information Twitter sends to you in response to your requests for data. It goes hand in hand with the previous chapter on commands.

Chapter 6, “Application Setup”, shows what you might find under the hood of those Twitter applications mentioned in chapter two by having you build one of your own. In this chapter, you prepare your web environment to run a suite of sample web applications built to illustrate different interactions with the API. The setup includes establishing a Twitter account, creating tables in a MySQL database, and making a directory for included files. Chapters 7 and 8 contain descriptions of the applications and automated tasks

Chapter 7, “Sample Applications”, is where you examine the sample web applications that can serve as a base for your own projects. There are seven of them that all illustrate a different aspect of the use of the Twitter API. Detailed code is included.

Chapter 8, “Automated Tasks”, examines the code that performs the behind-the-scenes operations that give the tools their functionality. As in the previous chapter, the descriptions of the code in this chapter build on each other. The first application will be discussed in more detail than the later ones because they share a lot of code structure and logic.

The appendix provides a basic look at the Twitter API, listing the method path, whether it requires authentication, if it is charged against your rate limit, the HTTP method type, and any required and optional parameters.

This first book (as far as I know) on the Twitter API is a very good one, and highly recommended for those of you who are interested in writing your own applications.

Review by P. J. Ballantine:

I’m not a big fan of tech books. My eyes tend to blur as authors bombard me with fact after fact and it takes me several readings to get all that dry information straight.

This book is different. Tee Morris has written a book that feels like a friend is showing you around Twitter, complete with tips and pitfalls (love the ‘Little Birdie told me’ and ‘Fail Whale says’).

There is a lot more to this social media craze than is immediately apparent, and I can only hope plenty of people read this book and have their eyes opened to all the ways Twitter can work for them. This is the book that I will be putting in front of our computer manager so that he has some idea of ‘this Twitter thing.’

Review by TeeStorm:

I don’t usually read these types of books – I like to read for fun. But guess what, this book IS fun. I have been on Twitter for about 6 months and this answered some questions I had as well as giving me new information on compatible applications, building a network and “twetiquette”. I’m not using all that Twitter has to offer just yet so will keep this book around for future reference.