Here is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of Naked Conversations - Why Blogging Matters:

Every few years, something comes along to change the way everything is. In the middle 1990s, it was the Internet. Previously our lives were changed by email, computer networks, PCs, fax machines and photocopiers. The continuum of change extends all the way back through TVs, phones, cars, trains, the telegraph, electricity, the Gutenberg press, perhaps all the way back to when the wheel first rolled out.

Blogging has not yet proven itself to be on this same level of significance. We think it will. It takes a while before revolutionary technologies prove themselves to be such. Revolutions are often declared to be such only when you look back on them, not forward as we are doing. As we write, many business people are still scratching their heads wondering what the big deal is about blogging. The challenge is to finish scratching and start acting befor the same heads get hit on the side with 2 X 4s.

It comes down to the conversation. Conversations are at the essence of the way people communicate, always have been. And we doubt any future technology will replace the essential value of face-to-face meetings. Conversations build trust. We walk into an office, see a photo or a trophy and start knowing something about who the person on the other side of the desk is. We talk about a local event and trust starts to build—or it doesn’t. We like to do business with people we can talk with. Do we get deceived? Of course, we do. But most of us feel, the more we talk with someone, the better we understand what they are up to and the more comfortable we become.

The book has been coming along for quite some time now. I hope it will be a good one after all the fanfare is said and done. It is well written and edited, from what I can tell.

Although I’ve yet to purchase this little ebook myself, it comes recommended from the infamous Chris Pirillo.

Google AdSense Secrets - Making More Money with Google AdSense

The book, by Joel Comm, is a compilation of the techniques he’s used to turn low income AdSense revenue to $500 per day. Now that would be nice indeed. Now, granted, this site is ad free and badly designed, but it makes no difference to the value the book may have. I am contemplating the purchase myself, but am very comfortable recommending it on Chris’ opinion.

This little tidbit may be the little push I need:

“I’m sure this will work for you, and so committed to see that it does, that if you apply the simple techniques I’ve outlined in my ebook and you don’t see results within 30 days, I will personally review your site and make suggestions to help you increase your AdSense revenue. If you’re still not satisfied, I’ll refund your purchase price in full!”

Priced at $79 USD (sale price).

Hacking Movable Type is a new book that promises to become the Movable Type bible. Amazon describes it as:

Gives Web developers and administrators the power to customize and modify MT, from eliminating comment spam and creating customized templates to hacking the MySQL backend and working with third-party modules.

I wish I could see a table of contents, but it does sound like it will be a must read if you are interested in more than just a basic Movable Type installation and need to customize MT to fit your needs.

The authors are:
Jay Allen
Brad Choate
Ben Hammersley
Matt Haughey
David Raynes