Bump on a Blog Don't just sit there--it's time to start blogging!

Blogs today are where websites were 10 years ago:Everybody's heard of them and many of us have seen them, butfew of us consider blogging a serious business tool.Entrepreneurial trainer and veteran blogger Andy Wibbels makesclear, however, that blogs can work as hard as websites whilerequiring less technical savvy and financial commitment. By thetime you get through Blogwild! (Portfolio, $19.95), you'llknow how to use one to communicate with customers and drivemarketing efforts, and you'll be well on the way to having yourown blog up and running. Wibbels' step-by-step instructionsclearly and cleverly fit the bill for entrepreneurs who are curiousabout the electronic communications medium of the moment.

Breaking the Cycle
Have you ever said, "That's the way we do it here"?When things go wrong, do you blame markets or other externalfactors? If so, you may be infected with the "virus ofarrogance," a cocksure insularity that leads thrivingcompanies into decline and failure. In The Second Cycle (Wharton SchoolPublishing, $27.99), author Lars Kolind shows how to see ifyou've got the bug and provides tools to eradicate infectionsbefore they settle in. Some advice may sound familiar, butKolind's experience as a turnaround CEO gives his warning thering of truth, and his solutions are workable and worthwhile.