David Meerman Scott's new book, World Wide Rave (to be published March 3, 2009), is a gem. He kindly sent me a galley copy. It's a small book (the new new thing in biz books) and beautifully designed by the talented Doug Eymer, who has also created David's free e-books. When I gave David's previous book, New Rules of Marketing and PR (now a bestseller), a thumbs-up, I noted that part of its appeal is that he writes in a conversational, bloggy style.

He continues that approach in WWR, which builds on New Rules by deconstructing what, exactly, makes people want to spread your story, your idea or your content - for free. First, he lays out what he calls the Rules of the Rave (realize that nobody cares about your products except you, lose control, find a trigger, participate in the right communities online, etc.). Then he gives the reader dozens of examples of successful World Wide Raves, all the while entertaining us with his informal asides.

The table of contents is worth a read on its own: When not to have sex (in your e-book), What hairstyle is best for you, Do not read this part of the book, etc. The examples and case studies are too numerous to mention (and are more than worth the price of the book).

Several that I found inspiring include the splashy launch of Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter with outreach to only seven Potter bloggers; the promotion of a company's (boring) internal auditing service with a microsite, ILoveAGoodAudit.com; and the phenomenal success of an online site for young cancer survivors, I2Y.org (I'm Too Young For This).

Not surprisingly, David is doing a super job of creating a pre-pub Rave for his new book. Much like the globe-dancing phenom Where the Hell Is Matt, David has inspired fans on five continents (including Antarctica) to help him promote WWR. Here's my contribution, with a view of the Potomac River in Washington DC. Go David!

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