When you want or need to learn to do something new, finding a book on the topic is always welcome. That said, for most of us, reading an instructional manual or step-by-step how-to book wouldn't qualify as pleasure reading, but when one of the smartest guys in the field of access technology for blind people teams up with the most innovative and dedicated publisher of braille, it's reasonable to expect the unexpected. Jonathan Mosen's Tweeting Blind is, of course, intended to serve as an instruction manual, a guide to teach the rest of us how to use Twitter, one of the most popular social networking systems in the cybersphere. The result is a book that not only informs, but also engages the reader on every page.
AccessWorld readers may well be familiar with Jonathan Mosen. We first heard his charming New Zealand accent on ACB Radio's "Main Menu," and the style that was so easy and pleasing to the ear and brain in 1999 continued through other work, including podcasts and management roles for two of the industry's major players, HumanWare and Freedom Scientific. Jonathan Mosen is now back in his native Wellington doing his own consulting work. Social networking being what it is, Jonathan is every bit, and perhaps more, connected to his friends and fans now as he has ever been, and in Tweeting Blind, he encourages the rest of us to join the dance and shows us how. Because he writes in that generous "just one of the mates" voice, each step he gives sounds almost simple, enough so that you will keep turning those pages to the end.
Book Overview
Twitter is a social networking tool that combines blogging with text messaging. It allows participants to send out messages ("tweets") of 140 characters or less on any topic, ranging from what flavor tea one happens to be sipping to one's views on genocide. Anyone on Twitter can sign up to follow anyone else, from your coworkers and neighbors to celebrities and heads of state, from sports teams to publications to corporations. If you like (or dislike) one of those 140 character comments, you can re-tweet it, thus widening the circle of people reading the original tweet. You can see who else is following someone whose tweets you particularly enjoy and thus follow some of those people as well, and thus the network expands.
In Tweeting Blind, Jonathan Mosen tells us how to set up an account from a computer, an iPhone or iPad, an Android device, or any combination of tools. He walks us through the various steps involved when working from any given platform and, as tedious as that sounds as you read this sentence, he does it in such a way that it sounds logical and fun!
He tells us how to find people to follow, compose tweets, send direct messages to individuals, and lots more. One element that renders this instructional book so highly readable is the use of examples, many of them whimsical, that Mosen employs to clarify particular points. The effect is charming and, better still, effective for learning.
The book is designed in such a way that you can read it straight through, as I did, or just dive in anywhere for the material that specifically meets your needs. If all you need, for example, is some guidance for setting up your Twitter account using an iOS or Android device, then you only need to go to one of those chapters respectively. The occasional repetitions that are the result of this structure are, you might say, points that warrant repeating (such as cautionary words to prevent embarrassing yourself in the land of tweeting, considerations if you're looking for a new job, etc.).
The Many Roads to Tweetdom
Examples and explanations incorporate a bit of lighthearted humor just often enough to keep the reader engaged and, again, to feel that the author is just a regular guy sharing something that he finds useful and entertaining. Since Jonathan Mosen is blind and the book is written for people who are blind, complete detail is always included regarding keystrokes, gestures, and the general accessibility and appearance of various pieces of the overall Twitter picture.
The author covers the access tools that have been developed for computers and iOS devices to make the Twitter experience more expedient. With each of these, he provides all of the essential information along with some comment regarding each tool's usefulness. He provides step-by-step explanations for using various Twitter clients, includes keyboard shortcuts where applicable, and does it without ever inspiring drowsiness!
Conclusion
Jonathan Mosen and the National Braille Press (NBP) are to be congratulated on this marvelous addition to the libraries of those computer users who are blind. NBP has long been committed to developing instructional materials aimed at making a variety of technological endeavors more navigable for blind people using various accessibility tools. In this instance, even if you aren't sure whether or not you want to join the social network party with your very own Twitter account, you will have a far better understanding of what the fuss is all about after reading this book. The book, like Twitter itself, can be just plain fun.
Book Information
Title: Tweeting Blind, by Jonathan Mosen (National Braille Press)
Price: $19.95
Available formats: Hardcopy braille, DAISY CD, eBraille CD, and downloadable braille or DAISY formats. (Accessible PDF and RTF versions can also be purchased directly from Jonathan Mosen at his website.)
Available from: National Braille Press, 800-548-7323, ext. 520.
