Michael Hyatt, one of the top business bloggers in the world, provides down-to-earth guidance for building and expanding a powerful platform.

To be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets: a compellingproductand a meaningfulplatform.In this step-by-step guide, Michael Hyatt, former CEO and current Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, takes readers behind the scenes, into the new world of social media success. He shows you what best-selling authors, public speakers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and other creatives are doing differently to win customers in today's crowded marketplace. Hyatt speaks from experience. He writes one of the top 800 blogs in the world and has more than 100,000 followers on Twitter. His large and growing platform serves as the foundation for his successful writing, speaking, and consulting practice.

InPlatform,Hyatt will teach readers not only how to extend their influence, but also how to monetize it and build a sustainable career. The key? By building a platform. It has never been easier, less expensive, or more possible than right now. . .  The book includes:

• proven strategies
• easy-to-replicate formulas
• practical tips

Social media technologies have changed everything. Now, for the first time in history, non-celebrities can get noticed-and win big!-in an increasingly noisy world.

Endorsements:

"I've known Michael Hyatt for more than a decade, and during that time I've seen him master just about every social media platform that's hit the scene. He's used blogging, Facebook, Twitter and more to expand his personal platform from a successful book publisher to a leading national brand of his own. Trust me, this guy knows what he's talking about-so pay attention!" -DAVE RAMSEY, New York TimesBest-selling Author, Host, "The Dave Ramsey Show"

"A generous book from a man who knows what he's talking about. Michael Hyatt has built a platform, and you can too." -SETH GODIN, New York Times Best-selling Author, We Are All Weird

"Platformis absolutely essential to delivering value. As a big fan of Michael Hyatt, I'm excited he's sharing this with you. Your job? Learn about this and implement it. Your success depends on it." -CHRIS BROGAN, President, Human Business Works, New York TimesBest-selling Author

"Michael Hyatt is the authority on creating a platform in our crowded world, andPlatformis the definitive, step-by-step guide to building a platform-from the ground up. If you're longing to become a true influencer in this world, Hyatt can teach you how. WithPlatform, Hyatt's done the near-impossible: create a guide even more useful than his wildly popular blog!" -CLAIRE DIAZ ORTIZ, Social Innovation, Twitter, Inc.

"I have watched Michael Hyatt build his own platform from the ground up to become one of the largest in the world. And he has done so with the strategies and tips he outlines in this very practical book. Any author, speaker, or small business owner who wants a blueprint for getting the attention and visibility they want, needs to read this book." -JOHN C. MAXWELL, New York Times Best-selling Author, and Leadership Expert

"Michael Hyatt is a pioneer in social media who is now generously sharing his 'secrets' with those of us who have been marveling at his success for many years. Whether you are a seasoned writer, blogger, speaker and social media enthusiast, or just now starting out, this book will help you take that next step and begin to build a platform of your own." -DAN T. CATHY, President&COO, Chick-fil-A, Inc.

"In today's world, having an idea isn't enough to land a book or record deal, get a movie made or find funding for your startup. You need a platform: A connected following that's ready to try, buy and spread the word. Finally, in a single book, the blueprint for your platform is revealed by blog wunderkind Michael Hyatt.  You'll finish this book slowly, because his simple but powerful advice will interrupt you with go-do-it-now urgency. Read it and expand your influence." -TIM SANDERS, Former Chief Solutions Officer at Yahoo, Author ofToday We Are Rich 

"When I finished the last page ofPlatform, I realized I had more actionable notes from the book than from any other business book I've read in years. This is the definitive guidebook for building an online presence.  Michael Hyatt, one of the pioneers of social networking and blogging, shares his successful blueprint for raising your visibility.  Learn from his experience and save yourself time, money, and frustration by following his step-by-step advice." -SKIP PRICHARD, President&CEO, Ingram Content Group, Inc.

"Yes, talent, desire and passion are key elements for success as an author, musician, artist, coach or speaker. But this book identifies the elephant in the room-the other 90% of the process necessary to have a voice in today's arena."  -DAN MILLER, Creative thinker at 48Days.net and Author of,48 Days to the Work You Love

"For the last five years, if I ever had a question about platform building, social media or standing out amidst the clutter, I turned to one place-Michael Hyatt. As an author who turned a blog into a book and made countless mistakes along the way, I couldn't get my hands onPlatformfast enough. Michael Hyatt has writtenTHEhandbook to one of the biggest cultural revolutions in the last fifty years." -JON ACUFF, Wall Street JournalBestselling Author of Quitter: Closing the Gap Between YourDay Job&Your Dream Job

"Michael Hyatt has given much of his professional career to helping others achieve their potential. And he helps others by pioneering a way and then teaching people his way. InPlatform, he's accumulated the best of his counsel and advice. If you'd like to expand your influence, readPlatformand then read it again." - DONALD MILLER,  New YorkTimes Best-selling Author of Blue Like Jazz

Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious driverevolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.  

Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.

Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious driverevolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering.  

Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.

The classic bestseller, now updated and presented as a truly immersive multimedia reading experience. New features include:

• Video clips from Pausch’s lecture throughout the book, providing readers with the complete reading and viewing experience
• A new foreword by Pausch’s widow, Jai Pausch
• The book’s audio introduction read by Randy Pausch
• Brand-new photos
  • Never-before-seen video with the book's coauthor, Jeffrey Zaslow
• Memorable clips from the ABC News special with Diane Sawyer
• Pausch’s commencement speech to the Carnegie Mellon Class of 2008
• An excerpt from Zaslow’s convocation speech to the Carnegie Mellon Class of 2014
• A new "Your Last Lecture" section with questions that help readers put the book’s message into action in their own lives

A lot of professors give talks titled“The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have . . . and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was aboutliving.

In this book, Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. And in this enhanced e-book Legacy Edition, readers will be able to experience, firsthand, the energy and love of life that made Randy Pausch so inspiring. They will also be encouraged to think more deeply about how they can apply its messages in their own lives.

A lot of professors give talks titled "The Last Lecture." Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave--"Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams"--wasn't about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because "time is all you have...and you may find one day that you have less than you think"). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was about living.

In this book, Randy Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. It is a book that will be shared for generations to come.

Questions for Randy Pausch

We were shy about barging in on Randy Pausch's valuable time to ask him a few questions about his expansion of his famous Last Lecture into the book by the same name, but he was gracious enough to take a moment to answer. (See Randy to the right with his kids, Dylan, Logan, and Chloe.) As anyone who has watched the lecture or read the book will understand, the really crucial question is the last one, and we weren't surprised to learn that the "secret" to winning giant stuffed animals on the midway, like most anything else, is sheer persistence.

Amazon.com:I apologize for asking a question you must get far more often than you'd like, but how are you feeling?

Pausch:The tumors are not yet large enough to affect my health, so all the problems are related to the chemotherapy. I have neuropathy (numbness in fingers and toes), and varying degrees of GI discomfort, mild nausea, and fatigue. Occasionally I have an unusually bad reaction to a chemo infusion (last week, I spiked a 103 fever), but all of this is a small price to pay for walkin' around.

Amazon.com:Your lecture at Carnegie Mellon has reached millions of people, but even with the short time you apparently have, you wanted to write a book. What did you want to say in a book that you weren't able to say in the lecture?

Pausch:Well, the lecture was written quickly--in under a week. And it was time-limited. I had a great six-hour lecture I could give, but I suspect it would have been less popular at that length ;-).

A book allows me to cover many, many more stories from my life and the attendant lessons I hope my kids can take from them. Also, much of my lecture at Carnegie Mellon focused on the professional side of my life--my students, colleagues and career. The book is a far more personal look at my childhood dreams and all the lessons I've learned. Putting words on paper, I've found, was a better way for me to share all the yearnings I have regarding my wife, children and other loved ones. I knew I couldn't have gone into those subjects on stage without getting emotional.

Amazon.com:You talk about the importance--and the possibility!--of following your childhood dreams, and of keeping that childlike sense of wonder. But are there things you didn't learn until you were a grownup that helped you do that?

Pausch:That's a great question. I think the most important thing I learned as I grew older was that you can't get anywhere without help. That means people have to want to help you, and that begs the question: What kind of person do other people seem to want to help? That strikes me as a pretty good operational answer to the existential question: "What kind of person should you try to be?"

Amazon.com:One of the things that struck me most about your talk was how manyotherpeople you talked about. You made me want to meet them and work with them--and believe me, I wouldn't make much of a computer scientist. Do you think the people you've brought together will be your legacy as well?

Pausch:Like any teacher, my students are my biggest professional legacy. I'd like to think that the people I've crossed paths with have learned something from me, and I know I learned a great deal from them, for which I am very grateful. Certainly, I've dedicated a lot of my teaching to helping young folks realize how they need to be able to work with other people--especially other people who are very different from themselves.

Amazon.com:And last, the most important question: What's the secret for knocking down those milk bottles on the midway?

Pausch:Two-part answer:
     1) long arms
     2) discretionary income / persistence

Actually, I was never good at the milk bottles. I'm more of a ring toss and softball-in-milk-can guy, myself. More seriously, though, most people try these games once, don't win immediately, and then give up. I've won *lots* of midway stuffed animals, but I don't ever recall winning one on the very first try. Nor did I expect to. That's why I think midway games are a great metaphor for life.

The classic bestseller, now updated and presented as a truly immersive multimedia reading experience. New features include:

• Video clips from Pausch’s lecture throughout the book, providing readers with the complete reading and viewing experience
• A new foreword by Pausch’s widow, Jai Pausch
• The book’s audio introduction read by Randy Pausch
• Brand-new photos
  • Never-before-seen video with the book's coauthor, Jeffrey Zaslow
• Memorable clips from the ABC News special with Diane Sawyer
• Pausch’s commencement speech to the Carnegie Mellon Class of 2008
• An excerpt from Zaslow’s convocation speech to the Carnegie Mellon Class of 2014
• A new "Your Last Lecture" section with questions that help readers put the book’s message into action in their own lives

A lot of professors give talks titled“The Last Lecture.” Professors are asked to consider their demise and to ruminate on what matters most to them. And while they speak, audiences can't help but mull the same question: What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance? If we had to vanish tomorrow, what would we want as our legacy?

When Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon, was asked to give such a lecture, he didn't have to imagine it as his last, since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave—“Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”—wasn’t about dying. It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles, of enabling the dreams of others, of seizing every moment (because “time is all you have . . . and you may find one day that you have less than you think”). It was a summation of everything Randy had come to believe. It was aboutliving.

In this book, Pausch has combined the humor, inspiration, and intelligence that made his lecture such a phenomenon and given it an indelible form. And in this enhanced e-book Legacy Edition, readers will be able to experience, firsthand, the energy and love of life that made Randy Pausch so inspiring. They will also be encouraged to think more deeply about how they can apply its messages in their own lives.