Gather: How to Build a Mission-Driven Online Community Paperback – 20 July 2023

Full disclosure here - I'm Bex's mum so am unlikely to give her book a bad review. That said, I'm a qualified librarian and review books for several publications so try to be honest in my reviews even when I know the author. I keep in mind the target audience when I'm reading and reviewing a book plus I'm fully aware that some books that people love others hate so all reviews are subjective to a certain extent.I'm used to reading Bex's blogs and her open, honest and relaxed way of writing comes through in Gather. It's a mix of her personal story - how she set up Love Her Wild and grew it into such a huge and influential online community that now has regular events and activities throughout the country - as well as information and tips for anyone thinking of doing something similar or already running a community that wants to build it into something more. Each chapter covers a specific topic, such as communicating with your community or supporting your volunteers, and there are case studies from others who have set up successful online communities to illustrate these points.An interesting and informative read. Although I don't run an online community, I'm involved with several voluntary groups and found myself thinking about how I could put into practice the strategies and tips covered in this book. If you do run a community then you'll find the book invaluable. I'm also going to checkout some on the featured case studies; I've never heard of the Cloud Appreciation Society - it sounds fascinating!

I really enjoyed Gather and have found it thought provoking and informative. I have followed Bex's personal journey over the years and watched her own community Love Her Wild grow. It has been a joy to see.In Gather she has brought together her personal experience with extremely well researched and interesting stories and strategies. It is a niche topic and yet has universal themes about self belief, building community, communication and business planning that would be applicable to so many areas of life. I imagine I will be referring to the book many times over the coming months and years as I build a new newsletter and community. I highly recommend it for anyone working in the social media or community building arena. Well done Bex!

Clear, digestible and inspirational info. Gather is full of useful tips, further sources, ideas and examples for community social media presence. I loved that the emphasis is upon building an organic community and where that can lead. Bex uses her adventure background to thread the process together and I loved this style. I’m using this as a resource for my CPD as a SMM and have/would highly recommend. My one (very minor) concern is that the physical paper may not stand up to my use.

I found ‘Gather’ an interesting, inspiring and motivating read. It provided a thorough and honest insight into how to build an online community drawing on Bex’s personal experience alongside the experience from other online community founders. Including both the successes and the challenges faced, it offers solutions to the latter and definitely makes you appreciate the hard work that goes on behind the scenes of these groups!

I really enjoyed ready this book. For a "business" subject it's written in a really friendly, plain English and approachable manner and I didn't want to put it down. The accounts of building communities are well evidenced, human and heart felt and the way that every core point is supported by a range of other external examples makes the advice feel trustworthy and authoritive.

Loved this book! It provides a really well thought out and presented account of building an online community, based on lived experience. As well as an insight into the development of Love Her Wild, the very successful outdoor community founded by the book’s author, Bex Band, ‘Gather’ draws on the learnings from a wealth of other online communities and their founders. It’s a fascinating book and I learned so much from it.

Bex has a fantastic way of telling her story and inspiring us to recognise what is possible. The advice and experiences written within are invaluable to anyone considering building an online community.

Bex has written an in-depth, personal and relatable guide to starting a community online. However, I definitely think that the content of the book has wider appeal. It’s a great read and valuable advice for anyone starting an online journey with practical, actionable, no fluff lists to help you along the way.

People take for granted that online communities form naturally and with ease, nothing could be farther from the truth. Bex Bend weaves her story and the lessons learned from building a powerful online community in her image into a powerful narrative. I recommend this book to those considering how to create a real online community and sustain it.