Book Review - Starting a Successful Blog

Book Title : Starting a Successful Blog

Author : Dr. Amrita Basu

Book Review

What excited me to review this book was the "no frills" title, simple and direct. To share with the readers, the book has lived well to its title and done justice to the topic i.e. blogging. Though i am not new to blogging and have been doing so for over a decade but was really keen to get more insights into the art of blogging. The book did provide me with ample of ideas and suggestions.This book is very neatly written and i loved the simplified style of writing where the author does not go overboard in putting too much of jargon and ending up confusing the  readers who are new to the trade (blogging). A balance has been maintained to make the book appeal to both categories of users - the "newbies/ beginners" and the "already bloggers".

The TOC (Table Of Contents) is crisp yet comprehensive, well thought through and covers all the essential areas/ topics, starting from the basics/ fundamentals to the more advanced ones. The book is not just a QSG (Quick Start Guide) for blogging but also has ample to offer on consolidating the practice of blogging. The book is a step-by-step guide for any wannabe blogger and offers enough to understand the concepts of domain, hosting, publishing platforms, SEO, marketing, content creation, layout, ...the list goes on. 

All the chapters are interlaced nicely, giving the entire book an organic flow which is quite helpful for the readers. Also interspersed within these "technical" chapters are nuggets of guidelines and suggestions that sort of complete the entire picture of an end-to-end solution to blogging. The author has chronicled her journey about becoming a blogger and that fits very nicely in the scheme of things.

Though the book is slightly more inclined towards WP (WordPress) platform but still has plenty to offer to those on other platforms like Blogger/ Blogspot. 

The author has been incredibly honest about the subject and shared her vast knowledge and experience to make it really simple for the reader to start their blogging journey. Whether it's about  identifying the purpose of blogging, or bringing discipline in writing or knowing strategies for monetising the blog, this book has it all. The list of tools and resources (many of them free) is like an icing on the cake !

The book handholds the readers through thick and thin in their blogging journey and acts as the perfect DIY (Do It Youself) Kit (for Blogging) to make the journey of a blogger really smooth.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to be a blogger or wanting to improvise blogging skills. A must read !  

Note: The above review is part of the Blogchatter Book Review program,  https://www.theblogchatter.com/book-review-program-from-blogchatter   

Week 11 & 12 Round Up of Books Read in 2019

Week 11 & 12: March 11 - March 24, 2019

Books Read : 1

1. Fail Fail Again Fail Better by Pema Chodron - Great advice on perhaps one of the most dreaded topic or feeling which is "failure". Through her personal experiences, the author dispels all the myths related to/ attached to failure and suggests an provides an unconventional wisdom of embracing failure. The wonderful insights by the author bring forth the greatest revelation that we could get and that is - Failure is one of the most recurring experience of our life and escaping or avoiding it is letting go of so many opportunities to grow and evolve in life. If we want to be a complete, holistic being then the only way is to embrace this unknown fear of failure and let the windows of possibilities open up in our life. The book is in a Q&A (Question and Answer) format and makes for a delightful reading, something that leaves the reader more connected with self and also more aware and prepared about the uncertainties of life. The message of the book is crystal clear ( right from the title) - never be afraid or scared to fail, embrace it and only then we can live our life fully and completely.    

N.B. : The next post on the books round up will be posted in the last week of May , 2019 as a consolidated post for the preceding weeks !

Week 10 Round Up of Books Read in 2019

Week 10: March 4 - March 10, 2019

Books Read : 1

1. Life's Greatest Lessons by Hal Urban: As boring as it may sound that here's another book on life's lessons but book is a real surprise in terms of presenting the basic, fundamental and obvious lessons in such an engrossing and engaging way. The book comes around as a very honest and sincere attempt and the author draws a lot from his personal experience. The examples, stories, anecdotes and the quotes, just fit so well in each of the 20 chapters. The books touches upon a whole range of topics and some of them are goals, success, time, spirituality, self-esteem , failure and motivation. The book is not the "same old wisdom" types but rather a manual for living life well with the basic tenets of successful living presented in a very relatable way for the reader. There's a lot of "food for thought" in the book for a sincere reader. 

N.B. : The next post on the books round up will be posted as a consolidated post after 2 weeks.

Week 9 Round Up of Books Read in 2019

Week 9: Feb 25 - March 3, 2019

Books Read : 1

1. 365 Success Secrets by John Maxwell - A Daily Insight Reader on leadership, delivering on topics and areas that focus on the holistic development of the individual. With a page dedicated for every day of the year, the topics mentioned focus as much on self-leadership as on organisational leadership. Open the book on any page and start basking in the wisdom that has been distilled over a period of so many years by the author. The book is full of nuggets of wisdom that will leave the readers much inspired and motivated to live a more successful life. The book is a journey to self-growth and the "food for thought" mentioned at the end of every chapter acts as a reminder that there's still so much to improve till we become the best version of ourself. To gain the maximum from the book, just surrender your true self to the book and it will reward you with invaluable insights into becoming a better leader.   

Week 8 Round Up of Books Read in 2019

Week 8: Feb 18 - Feb 24, 2019

Books Read: 1

1. Die Empty by Todd Henry - If you struggle to live your life to the fullest, then this book is a good manual to help you reverse that and live your best life. A book with a powerful message and practical tools, strategies, tips and techniques to live our best every day and not wait till the end for that and die with regret. The book boasts of many original ideas and methods to enable the readers to address their limiting barriers, move them out of their comfort zone and propel them into a zone of innovation, creativity, growth, progress and achievement. The message of the book is crystal clear which is to live our most fulfilling life while we are alive and not die with our best still within us. A wonderful, refreshing book with a profound message.   

Week 7 Round Up of Books Read in 2019

Week 7: Feb 11 - Feb 17, 2019

Books Read: 1

1. An Unshakable Mind by Ryuho Okawa - A nice and very relatable read which touches upon the vagaries and uncertainities of life and provides simple and easily do-able ways to deal with them. The beauty of the book lies in the reader embarking on a journey of spiritual evolution while getting prepared to address life's various fundamental issues such as Will, Significance of Day, Learning, Experience and more. Whether you are suffering from anxiety or distress, you will find answers in the book. Though the latter half of the book moves heavily in discussing about soul life but still the book is worth the time and effort. 

Week 6 Round Up of Books Read in 2019

Week 6:  Feb 4 - Feb 10, 2019

Books Read : 2

1. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury - An incredible book, setup in a dystopian future where reading and books is considered illegal and firemen are entrusted with the task of not only burning the books found and the houses they are kept in but also arrest the owners of the books, as keeping books and reading them is considered illegal. The book is set in a period where society exists against the backdrop of a culture of hedonism, totalitarian, censorship, easy access to entertainment, and like. The futuristic setup of the book is really commendable, considering that the book was written in 1953. The book captures beautifully the transformation of a fireman, from being a book burner to a book keeper/ preserver. The hard hitting message of the book is to understand the value and importance of books and reading and not get too carried away by the consumerism or the hedonism attitude and do away with our ability to think and live well.  
2. The Leadership Pill by Kenneth Blanchard and Mark Muchnick - An interesting parable about different styles of Leadership which lays bare the tenets of an effective leader and brings home the point that true leadership is holistic in nature. The principles that come out through the parable clearly illustrate that true leadership is never about results or about self(of a leader) but is about partnership and teams; true leadership is not a short-term approach but a long-term strategy to build a self-sustaining team that can deliver results on its own. A nice, light read about the obvious and simple rules of leadership that very often we forget and in the process make leadership a complicated affair.