The Blogging Revolution by Antony Loewenstein

Image taken from www.mup.com.au


Every now and then I find a work of non-fiction that takes my interest. This book I found inside the bookshop at my uni. I thought it would make an interesting read, seeing as I have (obviously) taken an interest in blogging myself, and wanted to know how useful blogging is. I was not disappointed with this read...

"The Blogging Revolution" details the author's journey into various countries such as Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, etc. and investigates how bloggers from these countries use their blogs to promote awareness of issues their governments do not wish the general public to know about. It is - as the back cover suggests - "a superb examination of the nature of repression in the twenty-first century and the power of brave individuals who overcome it."

The stories of these brave individuals and the sacrifices they make to have their stories made known to the world really impressed me, and made me think about the way I use my blog pages. It made me gain a deeper appreciation of the power of the written word, and of online communication. Some of these individuals' blog sites are listed at the back of the book for the reader to look up and follow, and I have added myself as a follower on some of them.

I can't impress strongly enough the impact this book as made in my thinking of how I share information online, and I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about blogging.

Chronik der Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der letzten Tage in der Schweiz: 1850 bis 2003. Editor: Christian Gräub

This was a book that I had been reading on and off for a period of about two years, and covers the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Switzerland from 1850 (when proselyting first began in Switzerland) to 2003. It is a very informative and detailed account, outlining specific important dates in the history of the Church in Switzerland, and is a highly valuable history resource.

I ended up buying this book while I was serving as a missionary for the Church between 2005 - 2007. It was my aim to get myself educated on how the church began to be established there, and to learn about the many missionaries that had gone before me. I was interested to learn that many of the harships I experienced on my mission were similar challenges these pioneers had to face as well, and taught me to appreciate the sacrifices that those early missionaries made, so that the Church could continue to grow and flourish in this beautiful country.

Unfortunately, the book is only available in German, so the book is restricted mainly to a German-speaking audience. It is nonetheless a highly recommended read for anybody (in particular members of the Church) who are interested in learning about the development of the Church in other countries.