Blogging has always existed. Of course, most of us know it as keeping a diary. But thanks to the Internet, a readership of one can quickly become a readership of thousands. When I first was putting together a list of bloggers I wanted to feature in this book, it was easy. Why? Because blogging then hadn't become so commonplace as it is now. Blogging at that time was still in the experimental stages. PR firms at companies weren't setting up fake blogs on Myspace to sell products. Celebrities weren't using their blogs to plug their latest films and TV projects. Bands didn't realize they could connect with fans by blogging on tour. Politicians didn't understand they could effectively reach the next generation of voters by blogging about their issues. In fact, at the time the book was being edited, most people weren't sure what a blog was. Is it a diary? Is it a form of journalism? Is it just a way to get your writing seen by publishers? Who knows for sure? As of now, that question is still up in the air.

I do know that thanks to blogs, journalists have to watch their backs. Why? because there's a new breed of gonzo writers who have blogs, get press credentials, and cover an event without having to worry about editors, publishers and even advertisers and their hidden agendas. They can just report and be as biased or objective as they want. There may not be the same checks and balances or maybe even ethics that professional journalists adhere to, but bloggers are out in full force typing away at laptops or blogging via text messaging at such hyperspace speed that once the traditional media manages to get their stories to the masses, it's old news.

On another front, bloggers represent the next wave of authors. When I was compiling bloggers for "Never Threaten to Eat Your Co-Workers: Best of Blogs," hardly any of those bloggers had ever seen their name or byline in print. Now almost all of them have published their blogs as books. I'm often tempted to believe the the next Jack Kerouac or Sylvia Plath or David Sedaris will make the literary scene first as a blogger than as a novelist or humorist or poet. Thanks to the accessibility of blogs, and their never-ending popularity it seems that writers everywhere want to get their stories to as many readers as possible and whether that be a blog on Livejournal or Myspace or on their own web site, that's one of the best ways to get the attention of publishers eager to find their next big discovery.

Blogging, however, is more than just a high-tech way to report the news or get the attention of a literary agent, it's a form of self-expression that helps you find your own special place in a community that's happy to have you as a member. As a blogger now for the last 10 years I can happily say that the best friends I've made have all been through blogging one way or another. By blogging I found my own writers' salon -- an online version of the Algonquin Round Table -- where I could bounce ideas and thoughts off in a blog and instantly get comments and suggestions from readers and writers everywhere. I found a way to instantly connect with people who understood me and encouraged me to find my writing voice. I felt like I could belong somewhere "as is," even if I never met many of my cohorts in person.

So I hope after you read this book, you'll understand that blogging means different things to different people, but the one thing that remains constant for all bloggers is the sense of community you gain by simply having the nerve and time to write about your life (or perhaps just your thoughts on other lives) online for all the world to see and comment.

- Bonnie Burton

"Read my book."

I've been wanting to say that for 31 years. When I first started writing poems about talking tacos at the age of seven, I was hooked. Granted my book, Never Threaten To Eat Your Co-Workers: Best of Blogs (co-edited by Alan Graham, illustrations by John Burton),  has nothing to do with articulate Mexican food.

This book gives blog addicts like yourself the power to walk in the shoes of a TV star, international journalist, criminal court lawyer, video sales clerk and a busy mom, among others. MTV's The Real World cast member Neil Forrester gives new meaning to the phrase "Bite your tongue." Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Wil Wheaton gives his take on the Hollywood system and fleeting stardom. Web designer Heather B. Hamilton finds herself in the unemployment line after publishing work stories in her blog, Dooce.com. Humorist Choire Sicha gives advice on broken hearts and timeshares. Illustrator Mark Frauenfelder throws out his cell phone and uproots his family from Los Angeles to the sandy beaches of Rarotonga.

Plus there are plenty of tales of creepy video store customers, online love lies, Iraqi politics, office pranks gone wrong, jury duty, a childhood meeting with Darth Vader and so much more.

In addition to their stories, I interviewed a selection of the bloggers to get their viewpoints on why documenting one's life complete with funny, insightful and somethings bizarre stories is important. Maybe I'm just naturally nosy, or I like the idea of stepping into someone else's shoes so much that the idea of reading other people's blogs is addictively appealing to me.

Of course, when I was first asked to help edit a book that compiled writing
from some of the best bloggers around, the first thought that entered my mind was, "Finally! Bloggers get the props they so justly deserve." And then the second thought crept in, "How in the heck are we going to narrow it down?"

If I had my way, this book would probably be five times the size it is now,
and impossible to carry around. (Though it would help with any of those arm lifts at gym!) But I had the daunting task of collecting and reading hundreds of entries from bloggers who wrote about their daily lives as store clerks, forensic morticians, actors, roadies, designers, skate punks, moms, students, international reporters, hackers, lawyers, dog trainers, dancers, librarians, horticulturalists, Washington interns and more.

Reading blogs is one of the few ways that we can legally peak into the lives of
so many different types of people on an astoundingly personal level. It's not that easy for any of us to walk alongside a reporter as interviews citizens in a war-torn Iraq, or to look over the shoulder of a mortician as he attempts to determine the cause of a teenage girl's untimely death.

Blogs allow us to find out what it's like to be a child star or worse, a reality TV star. As we read blogs, we're allowed to eavesdrop on tales of bizarre incidents that can occur on the job as a porn store clerk, or giggle along with someone who recalls their deep-seated fear of Darth Vader. The topics, just as the bloggers themselves, are endlessly interesting.

Blogging serves a bigger purpose of keeping the media in check, and creating a
sense of accountability to those who like to sweep controversy under the rug. But as for me, I love blogs merely because I want to be entertained by everyday folks doing some of the weirdest and funniest stuff around.

Unlike a lot of books backed by huge publishers and agents, Never Threaten To Eat Your Co-Workers: Best of Blogs. is being promoted by myself and others who made this book a reality. It's up to my fellow bloggers to get the word out that blog books are the next wave of DIY literature. You don't have to beat down the door of a publishing house to get your opinions heard. Blogs are be overflowing with talented writers. And this book features some of the coolest folks around.

These blogs serve as an entertaining and educating cross-section of the people dwelling online. But of course you knew that already, or you wouldn't be reading this now.

So please do me a favor, and check out my book. Let me know what you think of it and of course, let any other bloggers and bloggers-to-be know about the book.