The Curious Curator's Book Blog

Finally, a good book on social media! The last few books I’ve read were all style and no substance, and I was getting weary of even trying new ones, so this was a breath of fresh air. It was actually useful, not just impressive-looking.

Not so much about practical design as it is about psychology applied to making smart choices about your web software, this book touches on many interesting aspects of building online apps and leveraging people’s need to be social. It looks at why people feel the need to participate, how you can encourage sharing without being pushy about it, and how to determine the problems people have with your site.

The only drawback is that, sadly, in the fast-moving world of today, this 2007 book is already showing signs of being outdated. It’s a little hard not to wince when the author talks about MySpace as the epitome of social media.