First, I’m happy to see that Jack Humphrey put the design of the book in the hands of professionals. The new Authority Black book is looking spiffy and professional. Applause!

Second, a very important lesson was learned, from the first book, about mindset. Authority Black Book is much like a technician’s pamphlet. It’s written almost like a grocery shopping list. The original Black Book said very little about mindsets and the things that were said may be axioms, but who says axioms don’t have to be explained? As such, the most substantial addition to the 2008 Authority Black Book is its introduction, which explains the fine points of using such a technically overloaded book. Efficiency and focus are Humphrey’s mantra, and if you guide yourself through the Black Book, with that mindset in mind, you’ll be on the right path.

A word about Authority and Web 2.0

Authority and Web 2.0 have been the two buzz-words of 2007. So I thought I’d take a couple paragraphs to clear them up. As they are really the epitome of what you’re doing online, whether you know it or not.

Web 2.0 is all about connecting- listening and expressing yourself. The idea is to open up the platform of expression as widely and deeply as possible. (Widely= the more people express themselves the better. Deeply= By collecting many expressions on the same subject, we may come to understand it better). The amazing thing about the web is that it’s become the biggest humanity conservation project to ever exist. It is so big that it became a universe on it’s own, encompassing other huge planet-sized projects, like Project Gutenberg and the constellation of projects held by the Wikimedia Foundation.

Authority, in the universe of Web 2.0, is a currency of power. (Unfortunately, where Homosepians roam, so does the never ending quest for power. I guess it’s one of our most basic instincts.) This is where you come in. In order to sway markets, you need power- you need authority. The nature of Web 2.0 gives everyone a fair chance at power. You don’t have to be rich, young or good looking, you have to have a good idea and communicate it well and in mass proportions. Those who will communicate well will win this battle of survival.

Choosing Your Form of Communication- Where I Disagree with Authority Black Book

One of the main focuses, in the Authority Black Book, is multy-media. Basically you can choose to communicate, on the web, in three medias: Writing, Audio and Video (=Blogging, Podcasting and well… Video). Humphrey is of the notion that we should all learn to do everything (or hire someone to do it for us)- I agree. The more mediums you use, the more your message will spread out. I don’t agree, however, in the sense that those who don’t do video or podcasting really have anything to freak out about. Video never killed the radio store. Radio may be less lucrative, but people still use it daily. As such, video-blogging will probably not kill written blogs.

Watch for the Pitch

Don’t forget that, in this business, people don’t give out free stuff for nothing. “Creating value” is the buzz-phrase of 2008. Creating value is a marketing tactic. Authority Black Book is suppose to get you to buy.


Authority Black Book 2008 is a long list of promotion possibilities, almost a type of Yellow Pages for Web 2.0.

Tags: Jack Humphrey, Authority Black Book 2008, Positive mindsets, Authority, web 2.0, creating value