Top 100 Best Social Media Books, Ever

Posted by: Jurgen Appelo on: 17 August, 2009

In: Links
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This article contains a top 100 list of the best social media books.

I have created this list using six criteria:

number of Google hits (GH);
number of Amazon ratings (NA);
average Amazon rating (AA);
number of GoodReads ratings (NG);
average GoodReads rating (AG);
release date (RD).

Please refer to the bottom part of this article to find out how the calculations were performed. Believe me, creating this list cost me a huge amount of time. So I sincerely hope you will enjoy it!

#	Title / Author(s)	RD	GH	NA	AA	NG	AG
1	Twitter Power: How to Dominate Your Market One Tweet at a Time Joel Comm, Ken Burge	17-2-2009	33300	81	4.57	25	3.96
2	Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies Charlene Li, Josh Bernoff	21-4-2008	76100	82	4.57	287	3.80
3	World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers that Get Millions of People to Spread Your Ideas and Share Your Stories David Meerman Scott	3-3-2009	21300	38	4.61	21	3.87
4	Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us Seth Godin	16-10-2008	176000	136	4.14	534	3.78
5	Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations Clay Shirky	28-2-2008	82000	47	4.45	577	3.79
6	The Brand Bubble: The Looming Crisis in Brand Value and How to Avoid It John Gerzema, Edward Lebar	10-10-2008	10400	73	4.90	6	4.13
7	The New Rules of Marketing and PR David Meerman Scott	4-6-2007	53200	166	4.57	109	3.74
8	What Would Google Do? Jeff Jarvis	27-1-2009	46400	81	3.83	124	3.71
9	Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything Don Tapscott, Anthony D. Williams	12-12-2008	115000	107	3.80	632	3.50
10	Personality Not Included Rohit Bhargava	31-3-2008	20100	32	4.69	20	3.85
11	The Twitter Book Tim O’Reilly, Sarah Milstein	11-5-2009	22200	18	4.89	17	3.53
12	Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking Andy Sernovitz	1-11-2006	27900	129	4.60	55	3.80
13	The Whuffie Factor: Using the Power of Social Networks to Build Your Business Tara Hunt	11-11-2008	16100	10	4.90	20	3.80
14	ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income Darren Rowse, Chris Garrett	5-5-2008	11500	51	4.37	45	3.83
15	The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More Chris Anderson	1-1-2006	504000	192	4.10	1154	3.75
16	The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations Ori Brafman, Rod A. Beckstrom	5-10-2006	59100	75	4.44	251	3.67
17	Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day Dave Evans	13-10-2008	49800	23	4.78	6	3.60
18	Free: The Future of a Radical Price Chris Anderson	2-7-2009	66400	26	3.27	103	3.50
19	Radically Transparent: Monitoring and Managing Reputations Online Andy Beal, Judy Strauss	4-3-2008	11200	15	5.00	7	4.06
20	Permission Marketing : Turning Strangers Into Friends And Friends Into Customers Seth Godin	6-5-1999	62000	141	4.20	211	3.88
21	Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution Howard Rheingold	15-10-2002	63200	26	4.50	114	3.82
22	Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your World Don Tapscott	3-10-2008	31000	33	4.12	56	3.65
23	Twitter For Dummies Laura Fitton, Michael Gruen, Leslie Poston	7-7-2009	8370	2	5.00	3	4.50
24	Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers Robert Scoble, Shel Israel	1-1-2006	43300	51	4.53	91	3.48
25	Designing for the Social Web Joshua Porter	4-5-2008	7160	19	4.53	34	3.84
26	Secrets of Social Media Marketing Paul Gillin	1-1-2008	20100	22	4.59	8	3.92
27	YouTube: An Insider’s Guide to Climbing the Charts Alan Lastufka, Michael W. Dean	28-11-2008	8880	17	4.82	13	3.51
28	The New Influencers: A Marketer’s Guide to the New Social Media Paul Gillin	15-4-2007	13800	47	4.51	29	3.64
29	Now Is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs Geoff Livingston, Brian Solis	12-11-2007	23400	27	4.48	21	3.69
30	Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become a Volunteer Sales Force Ben McConnell, Jackie Huba	12-11-2002	12700	38	4.66	19	3.85
31	Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age Duncan J. Watts	1-2-2003	68400	36	4.33	70	3.72
32	The Wisdom of Crowds James Surowiecki	25-5-2004	91900	176	3.93	1054	3.54
33	Content Nation: Surviving and Thriving as Social Media Changes Our Work, Our Lives, and Our Future John Blossom	9-1-2009	5560	5	5.00	4	4.25
34	The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, from Edison to Google Nicholas Carr	7-1-2008	44400	48	3.65	154	3.54
35	Twitter Revolution Warren Whitlock, Deborah Micek	11-11-2008	5750	33	4.67	15	3.37
36	The Facebook Era Clara Shih	22-3-2009	10100	30	4.97	5	2.60
37	Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business Jeff Howe	26-8-2008	42900	15	4.40	42	3.44
38	The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom Yochai Benkler	16-5-2006	42900	15	4.20	91	4.12
39	Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success Dan Schawbel	31-3-2009	17000	47	4.45	4	3.25
40	Cluetrain Manifesto Christopher Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, David Weinberger	6-1-2000	36400	155	3.83	211	3.77
41	Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means Albert-Laszlo Barabasi	14-5-2002	21200	99	4.12	336	3.71
42	Tactical Transparency: How Leaders Can Leverage Social Media to Maximize Value and Build their Brand Shel Holtz, John C. Havens	10-11-2008	8190	4	4.75	9	3.96
43	Mobilizing Generation 2.0: A Practical Guide to Using Web2.0 Technologies to Recruit, Organize and Engage Youth Ben Rigby	25-4-2008	6510	9	4.67	10	4.10
44	Twitter Means Business: How Microblogging Can Help or Hurt Your Company Julio Ojeda-Zapata	14-11-2008	4210	11	4.73	9	3.83
45	Everything Is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder David Weinberger	1-5-2007	47100	27	3.52	390	3.63
46	Blog Blazers Stephane Grenier	7-11-2008	3410	34	4.41	5	4.00
47	The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging The editors of the Huffington Post	2-12-2008	16800	33	3.79	36	3.20
48	Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide Henry Jenkins	1-8-2006	40900	20	4.10	170	3.76
49	33 Million People in the Room: How to Create, Influence, and Run a Successful Business with Social Networking Juliette Powell	28-12-2008	6890	18	4.44	8	3.71
50	Web 2.0 and Beyond: Understanding the New Online Business Models, Trends, and Technologies Tom Funk	3-11-2008	4730	6	4.83	5	4.00
51	Building a WordPress Blog People Want to Read Scott McNulty	1-12-2008	5300	22	4.27	6	3.96
52	Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR Brian Solis, Deirdre Breakenridge	1-3-2009	10100	12	4.75	4	3.50
53	Buzzmarketing: Get People to Talk About Your Stuff Mark Hughes	7-7-2005	13700	39	4.56	50	3.32
54	Social Media Is A Cocktail Party: Why You Already Know The Rules Of Social Media Marketing Jim Tobin, Lisa Braziel	5-11-2008	1160	10	5.00	1	5.00
55	How to REALLY use LinkedIn Jan Vermeiren	4-3-2009	4980	40	4.85	2	3.00
56	Facebook Me! A Guide to Having Fun with Your Friends and Promoting Your Projects on Facebook Dave Awl	16-2-2009	3460	11	4.64	7	3.78
57	The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture Andrew Keen	5-6-2007	59200	113	2.49	229	2.42
58	The Age of Conversation 2: Why Don’t They Get It? Gavin Heaton, Drew McLellan	25-2-2009	549	5	5.00
59	YouTube for Business: Online Video Marketing for Any Business Michael Miller	29-8-2008	11600	10	4.40	3	4.29
60	Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration Keith Sawyer	4-6-2007	7580	12	4.75	24	3.63
61	Blogging For Dummies Susannah Gardner, Shane Birley	10-1-2008	12600	14	4.50	21	3.44
62	A Survival Guide to Social Media and Web 2.0 Optimization: Strategies, Tactics, and Tools for Succeeding in the Social Web Deltina Hay	1-3-2009	872	3	5.00	2	4.00
63	Do It Wrong Quickly: How the Web Changes the Old Marketing Rules Mike Moran	23-9-2007	5160	14	4.79	2	5.00
64	Twitter Tips, Tricks, and Tweets Paul McFedries	11-5-2009	5780	41	4.56	3	2.31
65	Born Digital: Understanding the First Generation of Digital Natives John Palfrey, Urs Gasser	25-8-2008	20700	12	4.00	84	3.26
66	Blogging Heroes: Interviews with 30 of the World’s Top Bloggers Michael A. Banks	10-12-2007	11100	13	4.23	18	3.81
67	Facebook Cookbook: Building Applications to Grow Your Facebook Empire Jay Goldman	15-10-2008	911	10	4.80	2	4.00
68	I’m on LinkedIn – Now What??? Jason Alba	10-9-2007	12400	48	4.29	12	3.11
69	Join the Conversation Joseph Jaffe	19-10-2007	19600	17	4.18	18	3.55
70	The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success Lon Safko, David Brake	4-5-2009	12700	2	5.00	1	3.00
71	The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor, and Privacy on the Internet Daniel J. Solove	24-10-2007	14400	6	4.50	29	3.34
72	SocialCorp: Social Media Goes Corporate Joel Postman	18-12-2008	2710	4	4.50	3	5.00
73	Always On: Advertising, Marketing, and Media in an Era of Consumer Control Christopher Vollmer, Geoffrey Precourt	25-3-2008	5330	6	4.67	2	4.00
74	Building Buzz to Beat the Big Boys: Word of Mouth Marketing for Small Businesses Steve O’Leary, Kim Sheehan	30-3-2008	963	10	4.80	1	5.00
75	Herd: How to Change Mass Behaviour by Harnessing Our True Nature Mark Earls	6-4-2007	171000	4	4.25	13	3.74
76	The New Age of Innovation: Driving Cocreated Value Through Global Networks C.K. Prahalad, M.S. Krishnan	8-4-2008	246000	14	3.71	13	3.17
77	42 Rules for 24-Hour Success on LinkedIn Chris Muccio, David Burns, Peggy Murrah	5-12-2008	655	5	4.60	1	5.00
78	Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3.000 Pete Blackshaw	8-7-2008	5930	15	4.47	9	3.52
79	The Social Network Business Plan: 18 Strategies That Will Create Great Wealth David Silver	24-2-2009	8340	19	4.37	0
80	The New Language of Marketing 2.0: How to Use ANGELS to Energize Your Market Sandy Carter	10-11-2008	5150	23	4.87	1	3.00
81	Millennial Makeover: MySpace, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics Morley Winograd, Michael D. Hais	30-3-2008	10100	15	4.27	29	3.08
82	The Corporate Blogging Book: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know to Get It Right Debbie Weil	3-8-2006	13300	17	4.65	11	3.15
83	The Anatomy of Buzz: How to Create Word of Mouth Marketing Emanuel Rosen	17-10-2000	20600	44	3.98	58	3.24
84	Life After the 30-Second Spot: Energize Your Brand With a Bold Mix of Alternatives to Traditional Advertising Joseph Jaffe	25-5-2005	10700	28	4.50	21	3.03
85	Beyond Buzz: The Next Generation of Word-of-Mouth Marketing Lois Kelly	26-3-2007	5420	22	4.45	11	3.69
86	The Truth About Profiting from Social Networking Patrice-Anne Rutledge	31-3-2008	2570	5	4.60	5	4.00
87	Citizen Marketers: When People Are the Message Ben McConnell, Jackie Huba	1-12-2006	9600	25	4.44	34	3.03
88	Publish and Prosper: Blogging for Your Business DL Byron, Steve Broback	11-6-2006	5030	13	4.92	11	3.60
89	Online Marketing Heroes: Interviews with 25 Successful Online Marketing Gurus Michael Miller	10-3-2008	4540	6	4.50	2	4.50
90	The Open Brand: When Push Comes to Pull in a Web-Made World Kelly Mooney, Nita Rollins	14-3-2008	4650	16	4.25	16	3.66
91	The Age of Conversation Gavin Heaton, Drew McLellan	18-1-2008	5290	5	4.80
92	Plug Your Business! Marketing on MySpace, YouTube, blogs and podcasts and other Web 2.0 social networks Steve Weber	13-7-2007	2060	28	4.25	5	4.20
93	Blogging for Business: Everything You Need to Know and Why You Should Care Shel Holtz, Ted Demopoulos	1-2-2006	7050	20	4.45	8	3.71
94	Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools Gwen Solomon, Lynne Schrum	15-10-2007	2910	6	4.50	7	4.10
95	Blog Marketing: The Revolutionary New Way to Increase Sales, Build Your Brand, and Get Exceptional Results Jeremy Wright	15-11-2005	27200	19	3.89	8	3.71
96	Wikipatterns Stewart Mader	10-12-2007	7790	17	3.88	11	3.69
97	WordPress for Business Bloggers Paul Thewlis	8-8-2008	2370	4	4.50	3	4.29
98	The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog Rebecca Blood	13-6-2002	24000	36	4.03	15	3.21
99	Smart Start-Ups: How Entrepreneurs and Corporations Can Profit by Starting Online Communities David Silver	18-5-2007	3230	36	4.47	10	3.30
100	Media Rules!: Mastering Today’s Technology to Connect With and Keep Your Audience Brian Reich, Dan Solomon	4-12-2007	3110	3	5.00	6	3.60

Scope of this List
For this Top 100 list I have included only books that (partly) covered social media and social networks. Sometimes the scope of a book wasn’t entirely clear from its official description. In those cases I tried to rely on reader’s reviews and tags on Amazon. Only when these contained references to either social media or social networks, the books were allowed on this list.

(Note that I did not include e-books on this list. That’s because dead-tree versions look so much better in my giant book case.)

Finding the Books
In order to find all these potentially timeless classics, I started with the 24 books listed in the article Best Books on Social Media. I subsequently found many other books through the Customers-Who-Bought-This-Item-Also-Bought-cross-reference-thingy on Amazon. That’s how I finally ended up with a list of 130+ books.

(Note: in case of multiple editions of the same book, only the most recent edition is listed on the chart, though I did my best to combine ratings for all available editions.)

Doing the Calculations
When it was time to do the calculations, I checked the number of reader’s ratings on Amazon, and I ranked the books according to these results (= a measure of quantity). I also checked the average Amazon ratings, and I ranked the books according to these results (= a measure of quality). Consequently I did exactly the same with the ratings on GoodReads, checking both total number of ratings and averages.

I then checked the number of Google hits for each of the books, and I ranked them accordingly (= a measure of popularity). Last of all, I ranked the books according to their age since their first release date. (When Amazon and GoodReads reported different first release dates, I used the oldest one.) I decided to use this metric because I think newer books with X ratings should be awarded higher positions on my list than older books with the same X ratings. After all, having collected those same X ratings in a shorter time span is a better achievement.

Finally, I took the six rankings, waved a bit with my wizard’s wand, drank a lot of coffee, and re-calculated everything into a final ranking. This resulted in the list you now have before you.

(Note: I performed this little brain-damaging project in the second week of August, 2009. Current ratings might have changed since then.)

Disclaimers and Bla-de-bla
I might have missed a few great books. That’s too bad, but I had to stop browsing for more books before frying my cerebral cortex.

And I admit that the system I used has no scientific basis whatsoever. Nevertheless, I think the results are quite interesting, and I’m sure the list can be of great help if you want to broaden your knowledge of the field of social media, in all its exciting dimensions.

I suggest you start with number 1, and then slowly work you way down. It shouldn’t take you more than a couple of years…

Note: If you like this list, be sure to check out the other book lists I created earlier on my personal blog:

Top 100 Best Books for Managers, Leaders & Humans

Top 100 Best Software Engineering Books, Ever