Folks often ask me, “what can I do to learn WordPress fast and to a level that I can be dangerous?” In reality, there is a lot to learn by just installing or playing with a WordPress.com account. WordPress is an intuitive content management system that is designed to make it convenient for folks with minimal technical knowledge to run sophisticated blogs. In addition, there are tons of plug-ins out there that do almost anything you want to do to yor WordPress blog.
In addition, there are a lot of books out there that teach you the ins and outs of different flavors of WordPress (MU, .com, .org). I personally don’t believe you should go for those books. The book that I usually recommend for folks who are looking for a crash course is WordPress Entrepreneur.
WordPress Entrepreneur is designed with entrepreneurs in mind. When you start your own business, you can’t afford to waste too much time on matters that are not a part of your core competency. An Entrepreneur is not a programmer, and the goal is not to learn WordPress inside and out. You want to know enough to be dangerous. WP Entrepreneur is a book that teaches you how to install, run, and optimize your WordPress plug-ins without too much fuss. You can literally finish the book in less than a couple of hours and know enough about WordPress to be dangerous. This book shows you how to install themes, plug-ins, and also how to import and export posts with your WordPress site. At the end of the day, it does what it promises. It provides a crash course for folks who do not have the luxury of time. Should you get it? It really depends. If you are an entrepreneur, and you want to learn WordPress fast, then you should try this book, but if you want a write a thesis on WordPress, then you may want to look elsewhere.