Finally – a good book about twitter

I just finished a really good book about twitter that would make an excellent gift for any friends you have who are sitting on the fence about whether to jump in or not. Hey, it’s never too early to think about Christmas! 

What I like best about “All a Twitter” by Tee Morris is his conversational style. He’s not trying to be a lofty author, speaking from on high.   He’s just sharing what he has learned since he first started tweeting in spring 2007.  He covers a lot of ground, and in fact the book is 280 pages long, and includes a section that explains tools for twitter as well as twitter speak.

He tells you how to register, starting with the basics. He tells you how to pick a good photo. There is a significant section on how to get tweets on your mobile phone. The book addresses all levels of experience on twitter, and goes into both personal and professional uses. If you have friends who wonder about twitter search, hash tags, tweet stats, tweet ups, Mr. Tweet, this is a great overview for them.

He also gives his personal perspective on aspects of twitter. For instance, like me, he hates automated tweets. I don’t follow people who “schedule” repeat tweets every few hours.  He strongly feels that tweeting quotes isn’t participation (this is where I don’t agree – I follow a couple of people on twitter who posts cool quotes each day, and I find them inspiring).   He hates tweetshrink, a tool I hadn’t heard about but which scans and condenses your tweet. The result often looks like hieroglyphics.   He points out that twitter “isn’t group therapy,” where you try to work out some of your personal problems online. He also notes that what you say openly can backfire, and cautions people to think twice before they hit that tweet send.

My favorite section is in chapter 9, “The Outsider’s Perspective.” 

Returning to what I mentioned earlier in this chapter about explaining twitter to someone outside of the community, you remember those strange looks? Sometimes you get those from people who tried twitter and just don’t “get it.” That doesn’t mean they’re missing out or not as sharp as you. It just means that… they don’t get it. If you try to make them get it, that makes a bad situation only worse.

He’s right. Either people are motivated to find out what all the fuss is about, or they’re not. Not my problem. But if you have friends who are sitting on the fence and want to learn more, and just need a little prodding, or if you want to learn a little bit more about twitter than you currently know, this is a very readable book.

And kudos to the publishing company’s publicist, Lisa Jacobson Brown.  She sent me a really nice pitch letter/heads up about the book, and it was a rare pleasure to receive such a targeted e-mail.

The book is $19.99 and published by Que Publishing.  You can find the author at www.teemorris.com and @TeeMonster on twitter.

p.s. Warning – Tee says he gets asked all the time if the book is written in more than 140 characters.  He addresses it in the introduction: “I’ve heard the joke. I’ve heard it often. The fact that this book is as thick as it is and has 13 chapters should be the hint that there is a bit more to twitter than you might expect. Please don’t make that joke. It’s just not working for me anymore.”