Joel is one of the world’s more prominent commentators on the online interaction already going strong in today’s world, and the focus of this book is on how businesses can utilise this phenomenon to increase their presence and engagement (and therefore, market position) within the growing online community. At least, that’s my nutshell take on it so far.

Having used social networks for my own “life” since Bebo was the newest thing out, but only recently included social media integration in my work at The Meyer Studio, I had already gone into Borders hoping to find a book on this subject. Borders being Borders, I found a wall of books on the topic. I am really grateful that I picked out this book from all the others I saw there.

I will post some more thoughts on the book once I finish. My apologies to Michael Gerber for putting his book down temporarily, but I do promise to pick up where I left off once I finish reading this one!

And for anyone out there who had never thought of using Facebook and Twitter, amongst other things, for business – get a copy of this book!

Check out Mitch Joel’s blog at http://www.twistimage.com/blog/

• music production and publishing
• music training and resources (predominantly in the vocational training sector)
• web design
• custom spreadsheets and publishing for small business

After working exclusively in music education for the past 4 years, I must admit I am finding the break quite refreshing. If there is any one downside to teaching young children music, it is that the main KPI (key performance indicator) is the results you get from your students. Obviously. But why is that a bad thing?

As far as young adults and mature learners are concerned this is no real problem – they stand on their own feet. As long as I provide good teaching, they will more or less reciprocate with earnest effort. But with young children, it is another thing altogether. No matter how motivated they are, kids will be kids, and that’s even when they’re not juggling their lessons/practice with other subjects, swimming, problems at home, and whatever.

Now for someone like me who – whilst not being a control freak – does like to at least be in control of his own affairs, the fact that the main indicator of his success/failure as a teacher is so heavily swayed by things beyond his control doesn’t exactly thrill him. So for now, I will focus on activities where the earnestness of my labour and faculties brings due reward. Once I am refreshed, and back to practicing like I did in my university days, I may very well return to the private music studio to start working again with tomorrow’s Joseph Alessi’s and Arnold Jacobs’.