Everything You Need to Know about Social Media: Without Having to Call A Kid

Sorry Greta that I only gave the book four stars because I myself usually focus on two and four star reviews and was hoping more people would read this review.Throughout all of the book Greta explained the good and bad of social media. It made me convinced I still want to stay off of it from a very much more informed point of view. I would really hope the author updates her book every year or two. I would definitely buy those also.Reviewer background:I started using computers in the 70's when they were mostly mainframes (you're dated if you know about them). I started using "social media" when it was AOL forums using an actual IBM pc and phone modem. I use none of the social media platforms described in Greta's book, but do use single topic forums still. Yes, I'm a dinosaur. I have no children. I am definitely one of the author's target audience.I have seen about only a dozen of Greta's news show broadcasts. So I had some idea about her before. I'm also definitely not a fan person. I found out about her book on the Michael Smerconish Sirius XM radio show and purchased November 15th. I bought it almost entirely because of that interview and it was the book I had long been waiting for someone to write. Also, I like to think my review is not really based on Greta's politics any more than the small amount she seemed to include in the book.Throughout all of the book Greta explained the good and bad of social media. It made me convinced I still want to stay off of it from a very much more informed point of view. I would really hope the author updates her book every year or two. I would definitely buy those also.Each platform chapter explained.1) Why you would want to use it.2) How to create an account.3) The very basics of using it.4) More advanced usage topics.5) Her "GretaGrams" which were short cautionary or specific content usage tips and about using the platform.6) My Social Media Life. A very short few questions interview of an individual's more why they use the platform.7) There were many good pictures of actual platform screens, that even a non-user like myself, so I felt I could really know how to start using that platform.8) How to use the platform "safely" and effectively.9) Throughout the book it had good explanations of how a platform is misused.Chapter 7 finally let me understand what live-streaming is and how it can work.I was most interested in Chapter 8 on privacy. It was the topic I was most familiar with and she discussed it in even more detail which I really wanted. It also was great about discussing in some detail about how business/government grows evermore intrusive by harvesting more and more of our social media information that not all of which I was aware of.

I was hoping for a comprehensive guide to social networking apps. One that would breakdown the UI and explain some of the thinking behind media such as facebook and twitter. I should have known better than to buy a book written by a media personality. A portion of the book seems mostly like "self-promotion" by the author, bragging about how many followers she has and name-dropping the celebrities she has interviewed. To be fair, there was some useful material. It just that the explanations about how the various social media apps work takes a back seat to the storytelling and the relating of personal experiences by the author. I was looking for more of an in-depth "how-to" book.

For those who know me (and a great many who don't), I have been a social media strategist and SM management operator since about 1998. Yes, this is when what we now call "social media" began to take hold for the general public (i.e., MS, Yahoo, Aol and more, "groups" & "chat-rooms" were where people gathered on the web). And of course the rise of the Ryze network, the first "real" social media site on the web. So, upon receiving my (2) copies of Greta's book, I was very curious, as literally hundreds of books have been written about social media and social media websites and wikis. My curiosity has been rewarded. It's actually an entertaining path to learning many basics (and some in-depth knowledge) about social media websites and wikis in general. I rarely write book reviews, but this one calls for my attention.Ms. Van Susteren has done a commendable job of gathering and reporting information that YOU may need to know to help you 1) decide which platforms may be your best use of time, 2) drill-down on specifics and 3) make it easy to absorb helpful tidbits (Greta Gram's, they're called).Of course, by the time this book hit the presses, there were changes to the social media sites that are covered in the book.Example - "Nov 7, 2017 - Twitter’s trial of a 280-character tweet limit was universally expanded."HOWEVER, no changes should preclude purchasing this volume. It's a great source of easy to understand instructions and tidbits that really can help many people gain the knowledge they need to be proficient in the web's social media maze. No book can impart common sense, but I believe that this book does help people see what may be acceptable and not acceptable behavior in the social media settings of web platforms. I will update this review in a few days with a final review, as I have a few chapters to go. Heh. For now, 5 stars and I really do not see that THAT part will change. ;)

An easy read with lots of pictures (always a plus). A great guide for newbies on social media. I especially liked the info on privacy safeguards.

I'm pretty tech savvy, but bought the book because I respect Greta and wanted to see her take. The book would be excellent for relative neophytes, but I learned a few things as well. It's a quick read, as its easy to flip past sections that are already familiar to you. Only downside is that tech is changing so rapidly, that the book will be outdated in a year!

The book is a serious , informative effort . It provides a blueprint for anyone at any level to navigate social media in ways that can prevent mistakes but mainly to enable the enrichment of one's use of the various platforms. The GretaGrams sprinkled throughout the book are terrific and insightful . This is not a typical celebrity book !

Thank you, Greta, for writing this book. I'm only one third of the way through and I've already learned so much.I really appreciate all you do and this book is like an extra present from you to us.Keep up the GREAT work you are doing. We love you!

it is a very thick and heavy book with expensive paper. unfortunately, the book is terribly not useful. just talks a lot nothing important, most of the content are very useless, feel like this is ripe off. I paid for it but what i got????? I don’t know what I learn from it, got some papper?? WE DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THE PAPPER!!! I just hope these writers should sell at reasonal price with practical and solid content. Be care when you buy a book these days. Since this experience, I am more careful to buy a book, I will buy those more classic books that wrote by the writers who really like to share knowledge and skills but not just try to make quick money from ppl.