Saturday, December 26, 2009

2009 Book #48: The Church of facebook by Jesse Rice

The Church of facebook by Jesse Rice is the latest book I've finished reading.

In case you haven't noticed, Facebook is extremely popular right now. What started as a social network for college students has turned into a "community" for all ages. This book explores the aspects of Facebook that has made it so popular in such a short amount of time.

The author takes what I found to be an interesting approach with this topic. He does not speak against Facebook. He includes many historical examples as well as psychological studies and applies these situations and lessons learned from them to the Facebook phenomenon.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was different from many books I read in its focus and style. I learned some new information by reading it.

We need to consider the ramifications of participating in online communities. Are we being our true selves or pretending to be something we aren't? Are we being intentional in our interactions and relationships? Some times we need to stop and consider how we are spending our time online. This book has caused me to think about my online relationships in a new way and the relevance of them to my life.
Thank you to David C Cook for providing this copy for review.

Have a day of blessings!

3 comments:

Debbie Petras said...

Very interesting Bethany. I never heard of this book but Facebook certainly is very popular.

I've enjoyed Facebook as I've gotten back in touch with many of my cousins who I've not seen in years. I also can interact with many high school friends and I've not seen many in 38 years. But I do think it's important that we be who we are. When I was in high school, I was not walking with the Lord. So, I pray they are seeing a different Debbie now on Facebook.

Blessings,
Debbie

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with Debbie in all that she said.

One of the things that I enjoy about Facebook is the ability to participate in groups that fit me and my beliefs while being able to avoid the things that are against my beliefs.

eph2810 said...

This book sounds really interesting. You know it is true; we really need to evaluate our on-line time and the relationships we build over time. I really don't like to 'hang-out' much on Facebook, but on the on the other hand it helps me to stay connected with some sweet friends I have made over time online :)