Book Review: "I’m on Facebook – Now What???"

My good friend from Jibberjobber (a great site for you job seekers by the way), Jason Alba has done it again.  He's followed up his book I’m On LinkedIn - Now What??? by co-authoring another great book on social networking.  He and Jesse Stay have partnered up to write I'm on Facebook­Now What???' . [Update February 17, 2008 their book is now available on Amazon.]

By teaming up Jason and Jesse bring a unique perspective to this book.  The book's website describes Jason as a "career management Evangelist".  Having known Jason for a while that is a very accurate description.  He recognizes that a good career doesn't just happen, it has to be managed.  Through his website, and both of these books he helps you do this by providing you with the tools you need.  Jesse rounds this out with technical expertise and experience using Facebook having developed popular Facebook applications.

In the book's Introduction they describe what is about as "helping you figure out how to derive professional, business and career benefits from participating in Facebook", and they deliver on this.  We in IT often use the terms "instruction manual" and "user guide" interchangeably.  However Jason and Jesse have written a user guide in the truest sense of the word.  They not only talk about the "how" of using Facebook but the "why" in regard to using it.  Like I'm on LinkedIn - Now What??? this book is refreshingly honest about Facebook.  They describe what works well and what doesn't and what you should look out for.  This book is much more than a technical manual, it is a true guide for getting what you need from Facebook.

If you try to look me up on Facebook you'll find that I'm not there.  So what am I doing reviewing a book about Facebook?  I had been thinking about joining Facebook and Jason and Jesse's book helped me decide what was best for me.  The first concern I had was the age issue.  Although Facebook has expanded from its original college based environment it is still for the most part an under-35 site.  There is nothing wrong with this but it is helpful information for you to know going into this.  The second thing that convinced me that Facebook was not for me is that Jason and Jesse pointed out that Facebook users spend a lot of time on the site.  It is much more "interactive" than LinkedIn which tends to be more "passive".  Again, some useful information to know.  So even though in the end I determined that Facebook wasn't for me, I'm on Facebook - Now What??? was very useful in guiding me through this decision.

If you have an interest in Facebook or are already on Facebook I highly recommend this book to help you make the most of it.

If this topic was of interest, you might also like these:

• “I’m on LinkedIn — Now What???” by Jason Alba
• It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear
• The New Leader's 100-Day Action Plan
• Or the posts in the Books category

Comments

[JibberJobber Guy]

Mike, this is a great review, I appreciate the time you took to read and think about the book. Facebook isn't going to be for everyone, and I'm glad that our book helped you make a more educated decision!

- Jason Alba

[Michael Schaffner]

Jason,

It was a pleasure. Thank you for sharing. I truly did find it very helpful. Two books in a year's time is quite impressive. Keep up the good work.

Mike

[new zealand map]

I have thought many times about joining Facebook or LinkedIn, but I haven't done it yet. Mostly because I was not sure what to do with the account once I had it setup. I will check out this book for sure to get a better idea of what Facebook can do for me.

[Michael Schaffner]

New Zealand Map

Thanks for stopping by and commenting. I had the same concerns and found the book very helpful in that regard.

Mike