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Sharing Your Books, Sharing Yourself

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with RealSatisfied

I'm a firm believer that you can tell a great deal about a person by browsing through their library.

library thing logo

Unless you get invited to someone's home, your opportunity to do this is somewhat limited. When I commented on Sarah Cooper's review of Naked Conversations, she commented back that she'd like to know what I was reading and what books I might recommend. That made me pause a bit. I love sharing, but I'm also looking for the best and simplest way to do anything. So I went searching for a way to allow people to see into my library, and by extension, get to know me a little better as well. 

I found several "online bookshelves" that were in beta. Two of them, Shelfari and Library Thing, really caught my eye.

shelfariShelfari has the better "Web 2.0" feel. It allows you to categorize your books into various lists, top 10 list, books your currently reading, etc. But it's widget is a bit over the top. The metaphor of the bookshelf is take a bit to far for my liking. 

Library Thing does not have as elegant an interface, but it's search seems faster. And I like Library Thing's sidebar widget better, so that is what you see down the right side of my blog now.

Both sites act as a social network for book sharing. The links above take you to my home page on each site so you can see the differences. They both allow you to join groups, share reviews and recommendations and you can include our Amazon.com Associates ID in your widget so that a portion of sales generated by your links go to you. If you don't have an Amazon.com Associates ID, you should.

I think both are simple to use and are a great way to allow your blog readers to see another side of you.

It's all about relationships. 

Comments (53)

"The Lovely Wife" The One And Only TLW.
President-Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. - Kissimmee, FL

{SVW Hubba}...

Oh my goodness. More tools?

Your posting them faster than I can figure out how to use them. You "Tool Boy" you. LOL. 

TLW...ROAR!

May 11, 2007 11:52 PM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA

I had to take this off my sidebar for a while. AR was not set up properly to accept long url strings in the sidebar. I think that is fixed now. I'm going to go check.

 

May 12, 2007 01:52 AM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA
It appears they fixed the issues on  the featured posts dashboard, so my Library Thing is now back in place. ;)
May 12, 2007 02:02 AM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA
[NOTE: ActiveRain changed the way the sidebar functions and the library thing is back up and working properly, as you can see. ]
May 17, 2007 06:46 AM
Anonymous
Jackie Colson-Miller

Jeff:

 I LOVE this..must try it...I like to post my books on my sidebar and I'm ready to add some new ones..but this is great! Is it...you are what you read, or you are what you drive? Or, you are known by the company you keep?....maybe all of the above!

 

May 23, 2007 12:13 PM
#38
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA
Jackie... LOL. D. You are what you are. I love this thing as well. I added a couple more books I love to it today. It's simple and the widget I'm using here randomly rotates books in.
May 23, 2007 07:10 PM
Jackie Colson
Homeward Real Estate - Tampa, FL
Miller,Tampa Real Estate - www.RealEstateSizzle.com

Jeff:

 Molly Tomato is adding my widget...and my chiclet...thanks for the tip!  I love it...knowing someone's reading list is like peeking into their soul, don't you think?

 

May 24, 2007 05:05 AM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA
Jackie... there is no question in my mind. If I ever come to your house and start looking at your library of books, you can be sure I'm sizing you up. :)
May 24, 2007 06:42 AM
Jackie Colson
Homeward Real Estate - Tampa, FL
Miller,Tampa Real Estate - www.RealEstateSizzle.com
No doubt...I've seen your library...I like your brain :)
May 24, 2007 06:59 AM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA
Gosh, I hope you're flirting with me. ;) Wait, can other people beside you and I read this?
May 24, 2007 11:13 AM
JudyAnn Lorenz
Bar JD Communications - Mansfield, MO
Virtual Marketing Consultant

I collect books and my kids collect books.  We all steal books from one another!  I have a few favorites that I pick up multiple copies of whenever I see them at a book sale because either one of my family collectors will come snooping or I will be moved to gift a copy to them. 

I have a few books that you can look at, but you cannot take out of the house. 

I might loan you a book, but if you don't return it, I will NEVER forgive you.  And, I have this list, believe me.

On my shelf, you will find herbal books, craft books, classic books, my holocaust collection,my Michner collection, computer books from 1980, used books, stupid romances. 

I used to have the county's branch library for a lumber camp in my diningroom.  I had books hidden like bottles all over the house in case I had a few minutes to read.  My favorite spot was the bath towel holder in the bathroom!

May 24, 2007 12:11 PM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA

JudyAnn... :) Great story!

I have a version of "Orbiting The Giant Hairball" that looks as if it were hand stitched together. It was given to me as a gift by a former employee. No one can have that book. And I've never been able to find a version like it. 

I have several copies of a couple of books in my house, for the purpose of giving away when someone shows interest. I used to keep two copies of Leadership and The New Science on hand at all times. I've given that book to over 30 people, I'm sure. In this digital world I've wrapped myself up in, books still have a high place.

May 24, 2007 12:21 PM
"The Lovely Wife" The One And Only TLW.
President-Tutas Towne Realty, Inc. - Kissimmee, FL
Yup. Other people can see it and she is not alone in "liking your brain"  ROAR! :)
May 24, 2007 12:59 PM
Mary Pope-Handy
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno - Los Gatos, CA
CRS, CIPS, ABR, SRES, Silicon Valley
Cool idea. I will check it out. My home office is about 1/2 theology books  and 1/2 real estate books.  Hidden away  in nooks and crannies around the house are all of my ghost books.... (Which, seriously, is a place where the other two subjects coincide. But that is a bit heavy for a comment on a blog post.)
May 24, 2007 04:58 PM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA
Mary... I'd love to see some of your theology books.
May 24, 2007 05:05 PM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA
TLW [SVW]... i knew you'd catch that one. :)
May 24, 2007 05:11 PM
JudyAnn Lorenz
Bar JD Communications - Mansfield, MO
Virtual Marketing Consultant

Jeff, I've been reading old classics this year.  Three Musketeers is wasted on HS english classes.  I found great beauty of words in a Jack London Collection. 

My wise daughter gave me an Amazon gift for Mother's Day.  I ordered all of the Bronte books, a collection and a couple singles.

Once, i bought some used, very old school books at a yard sale.  They were written in by people involved in the history of the community.  A couple were in foreign languages.  I just couldn't resist them.  A few months later, a neighbor and native of the community lost their house to a raging fire, with much of their family history and book collection.  The yardsale books were from their part of the valley.  I knew immediately why I had bought those books and who to send them to.

May 25, 2007 01:33 AM
Jackie Colson
Homeward Real Estate - Tampa, FL
Miller,Tampa Real Estate - www.RealEstateSizzle.com

Jeff:

I love my new widget...thanks for the idea! Check it out!

May 25, 2007 01:41 AM
Jeff Turner
RealSatisfied - Santa Clarita, CA

Judy... I certainly agree. I've been telling myself I'm gong to go back and read all the classics I was forced to read in my youth. I'm quite certain I'd have a much greater appreciation for them now.

Jackie... is something up with your site this morning. I've tried to get to your site from three different computers and it's just spinning. (Update... the page is loading very, very slowly for me. Finally loading, but it's been at least five minutes on the first computer and it's still not all loaded. FYI)

 

May 25, 2007 01:56 AM
Jackie Colson
Homeward Real Estate - Tampa, FL
Miller,Tampa Real Estate - www.RealEstateSizzle.com
I think something was going on with the server...it's okay now...sent a message to Jim...time for him to get out of bed, anyway!
May 25, 2007 01:59 AM