Reviews of the book

Reviews from Amazon readers:

“The Rough Guide To Blogging” is a deceptively small book, but it has virtually everything you need to answer your questions. There are clear, concise chapters on getting started, acquiring skills, and getting your blog noticed. There’s also an up-to-date (as of 2006) guide to a dizzying number of current blogs, as well as evaluations of and instructions to providers like Blogger, TypePad, and Yahoo. This is definitely the best value for your dollar of all the books about blogs that I know.”

“Having had a blog for the past 5+ years, I believed the entire blogging phenomenon to be basic. Fun, but basic. I also simultaneously knew that I was deluding myself into thinking I fully understood the ins-and-outs to this world of personal on-line publishing. Little did I know that I needn’t have been scared of undue complications when it comes to my blog… Mr. Jonathan Yang has made it clear that creating and manipulating a blog (and many other types of on-line personal media) is easy enough such that you can spend far less time immersing yourself in techno-jargon and more in communicating whatever you feel in whatever way you wish.

This book is heavy with fascinating topics, but at the same time extraordinarily easy to read. While I’ve already read the entire thing, this book will constantly serve as a refreshing guidebook the next time I’m blogging and wondering, “Alright… what now?”

Other reviews:

“A quick glance through the books shows it to be what a Rough Guide should be: Easy to read, lots of useful information, good advice on how to get started, and tons of links to popular sites. I imagine other bloggers will be doing what I did and checking the index to see if they made the cut; I can see a few of them going, “Why am I not listed? I’m on the A-list, damn it!” We are a petty, petty lot, we bloggers.

Anyway, on first read I can say this is a really fine book to give to that friend of yours who’s been muttering something about wanting to start a blog but doesn’t know where to begin. This will get them up to speed pretty painlessly. And if you get them this, that’s one less conversation explaining the difference between Blogger and Typepad that you’ll have to have. Which leaves you more time for what’s important, like beer and video games.”
-John Scalzi-

“Hooray for The Rough Guides series, which covers not only some of the best travel guides, but also has reference guides to everything from Chick Flicks, Westerns and Unexplained Phenomena, to World Music, Manchester United, Cult Fiction and Ethical Online Shopping (to name but a few). Now we can all navigate the blogosphere with The Rough Guide to Blogging by Jonathan Yang, which is the ultimate reference for all things weblog.

Combining reviews and recommendations with practical advice on creating your own blog, it will help you discover the greatest blogs on the Web, select the best host for your own blog, develop your online voice, tune in to issues ignored by the mainstream media, share your experiences, photos and views, as well as video blogging and Podcasting, and lots, lots more. Whether you’re an experienced blogger or just getting started, you need this book. Me? I’m deciding on the perfect catchy name for my own blog. Any suggestions?”
-Joburg-

Also, the book is recommended as one of Pronet Advertising’s “50 Favorite Blogging Resources.” Katie also seemed to like it, thanks Katie!