-
Of blogs and books
Finishing a book can be bittersweet. I love that sense of completion and knowing that it’s another notch on the bookshelf, but at the same time it opens up a sense of emptiness - a sense that something that was there before is missing now.
That’s why I’ve really enjoyed reading the blogs that have “accompanied” books I’ve read recently. I discovered The Freakonomics blog while I was about three-quarters of the way through Freakonomics. It’s been a great way to continue some of the thoughts that started in my head as I was reading the books. Both of the authors contribute to the blogs with really incisive posts that continue along the themes in the book. This is a great way to keep the experience going.
Malcolm Gladwell started his blog shortly after I read the Tipping Point. I’ve sinced moved on to reading Blink. I found getting into the Tipping Point to be a bit challenging - MG’s style takes a bit of getting used to. But after finishing the book I found the blog was a great way to keep me in his writing rhythm. So when I started Blink, I’ve been able to dive right in with little adjustment needed.
Books and blogs, wine and blogs (see Stormhoek), not to mention sport, food, music, and almost any other experience and blogs, can be a great way to continue the experience between the audience and the enterprise. So if you’re offering someone an experience think about blogs as a good way to continue the experience after it would typically end.
Farhan - thanks for the heads up on the Freakonomics Blog. Just finished the Freakonomics book on a 80 hour train ride from Moscow to Irkutsk. Chilling in the Ming Dynasty town of Pingyao-China, and now I can read more on the Freakonomics blog…love the Internet!