The second edition has a much welcomed praxis update to the first. 2nd ed. gets 4 stars. The 1st, only 3. ( )

The second edition has a much welcomed praxis update to the first. 2nd ed. gets 4 stars. The 1st, only 3. ( )

Kristina Halvorson, in "Content Strategy for the Web," offers a concise and well produced introduction to a subject of interest to those of us involved in workplace learning and performance (training)--and anyone else interested in knowing how to reach online audiences effectively through well designed and engaging content. The book itself is an example of what it promotes: rich content provided in a graphically interesting format that leaves readers with "a high-level overview of the benefits, roles, activities, and deliverables associated with content strategy" (p. ix). "Content Strategy" takes a simple--but never cursory--approach to the subject; it begins with reminders that great online content is the result of a cohesive strategy including analysis, structure, creation, extensive revisions, formatting, publication, updates, archiving, and a willingness to revisit that entire cycle as needed rather than a one-time start-to-finish process. "Web content is never really finished," she suggests. "Sorry" (p. 131). That straightforward confirmation leaves us with a lesson well worth remembering and an invitation to further exploration. ( )