Long overdue, but I finally finished Putting the Public Back in Public Relations by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakendridge.  Here’s my blurb for the back cover of the paperback edition:

“If dinosaurs had the equivalent of this book millions of years ago, they’d still be roaming the Earth today.”

Solis and Breakenridge have really done the industry a service with this book, a must-read for the PR community.  Several elements particularly stuck out for me:

1. The book is written in a no-nonsense manner, devoid of gimmicks. They got some valuable information to impart and they do so in a straight-forward manner that is easy to understand for the novice, but detailed enough for the seasoned practitioner to get some meaningful insights.

2. It’s also very comprehensive. The book provides real “how-to”-style information on a variety of topics, from blogger relations or VNRs (Video News Release); Social Networks to breaking news in a disintermediated media landscape.

3. They tackled the always difficult area of metrics. PR as an industry needs to get a better handle on this and Solis and Breakenridge don’t shy away from tackling the subject head on.

4. This isn’t a “PR good, advertising bad” book. The authors are willing to call the PR industry out for poor practices that have hurt the industry and call for better efforts and accountability.

5. This book is worth reading even if you dont’ agree with them. Let’s say you think all this new media stuff is just a fad, and PR was, is and forever will be about blasting press releases to lists. Fine, that’s your prerogative. But at least by reading this book you’ll understand what PR 2.0 really is, so when you dismiss it, you’ll at least know what you’re railing against. You can then go join your friends, the dimetrodon and the brontosaurus at the watering hole, commenting on how chilly it’s gotten recently.

Whether you’re new to the PR industry – this would be a great read for all the graduating PR students out there – or you’ve been around 10+ years like me, Putting the Public Back in Public Relations  is a good book, and one you should read sooner rather than later.