Amazon Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review to be helpful:
Great book!, May 24, 2010
By E. Miller
You know when you read something that is so great you want to just run down the street and tell everyone that they need to read it, like right now? Yeah, well that's happened to me this weekend when I started (and finished) reading Share This!: How You Will Change the World with Social Networking, by Deanna Zandt.
Zandt is a media technologist as well as a consultant to key progressive media organizations including AlterNet and Jim Hightower's Hightower Lowdown, and hosts TechGrrl Tips on GRITtv with Laura Flanders. She specializes in social media, and is a leading expert in women and technology, which clearly gives her a unique background to write this book.
Some of the key ideas that Zandt explores in the book is looking at how social networks are places where we share stories and connect with others. I love that she recognizes that these are not necessarily new phenomena, but that she takes the time to help readers understand how the technology changes the spaces in which we do this as a society. She does this by discussing in depth the issues of trust, authenticity and privacy. At the heart of the book is examining how building empathetic relations really can change the world and she provides clear-cut examples of how this is possible.
This book is funny, engaging, and true to life. You'll find yourself agreeing with Zandt at so many turns and understanding yourself in relationship to social media infinitely better after reading the book. And no matter what you background level in social media is I guarantee that you will find this book entertaining and useful. Also, I rarely ever read the "Resources" section of a book, but I think that this section may be one of the book's greatest strengths. It answers the "so what do I do know" questions you may have, and has really great questions/answers related to some of the key themes, tips for individuals, and insights on how to manage information overload.
5 of 5 people found the following review to be helpful:
ReadThis, June 17, 2010
By Jed
True to the practical approach it teaches, ShareThis! is fun, accessible and richly informative about how to participate in the new online conversation that offers regular folks a nearly equal place alongside brands and institutions.
The fundamental value of authenticity online couldn't ask for a better promoter than Deanna Zandt, who writes like she's talking (or tweeting), employs her own biography and quirks effectively, and shares the spotlight with friends, followers and mentors whenever she can to make her points.
The book is a how-to manual for curious newcomers and notorious curators in the social media world. My favorite thing about it is that along with a glossary of savvy recommendations for network-building and digital influence, Deanna has included a manifesto for citizenship online and off, inviting us to use the new age of people-driven media as a time to think not only about our power, but our responsibility.
4 of 4 people found the following review to be helpful:
A must-read!, June 15, 2010
By Rebekah Spicuglia
Share This! is incredibly entertaining -- a great read. If you love social media, you will love this book. But if you don't, you will love it just as much, if not more. Zandt does an incredible job analyzing social media technology as tools for social change, demystifying what might cause anxiety for the techno-phobes among us and challenging the cynics who think it's all about sharing what you had for breakfast (sometimes it is, but that's not a bad thing).
The arguments in this book turn social networking inside out to reveal that it is in fact all about relationships, and building social capital being your authentic self. That although at first glance tweeting about your life might seem narcissistic, you are actually participating in a gift economy.
There are suggestions, tips, and tactics for individuals and organizations, though it is not the main focus. It's the philosophy behind it that made an impact on my life. I was inspired me to write my first Wikipedia post after taking one of Zandt's seminars, realizing that our history was being written - again - by white men.
Share This! is about moving towards a culture of sharing -- and the potential for a much more engaging, less hierarchical flow of information. This shift is changing the world, one "share" at a time.
1 of 1 people found the following review to be helpful:
Send a copy to those friends of yours who won't get on Facebook, June 24, 2010
By yesyolanda
This is a great book for anybody who's interested in social movements, technology, politics, activism, organizing, social psychology, or anthropology. Whether you know anything about social networking or not, you'll be captivated by this study on how social networking is changing the way that people interact, communicate with each other, and organize in interest groups. In fact, this book might be most interesting to readers who have heard the buzz about social media, but can't quite figure out what it's about. Zandt makes an excellent argument for the opportunity of social media to elevate the voices of those too often marginalized in other media and power hierarchies. Give this to somebody who's reluctant to join the social media party, or to somebody who's already in the loop and fascinated by some great analysis about how it's shaping the world. Or just use it for some arguments to justify all that time you spend on Facebook and Twitter :)
1 of 1 people found the following review to be helpful:
Share This! Makes Sense & Provides Reasons to Jump in, June 23, 2010
By Barbara Glickstein
Full disclosure - I know Deanna Zandt and she is the person who got me started using most of the social media tools I use today. This book raised the bar for me - both as a user of social networking tools and as a global activist and public health nurse. I have recommended Share This! with my colleagues who constantly remark "I just don't get it - why are you so excited about this stuff? It seems like nonsense. (meaning social networking tools)". I have also given it board members of the NGO that I work with, for the same reasons. Why? It's clearly written with a strong argument for where we are with these tools and how to use them for social change, it's fun and the book makes sense.
Share This! can be thought of as a primer on social media for long term activists who are new to the world of social networking as well as younger activists paving new territory to make positive changes to make this world a better place.
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