Instagram story viewer> @ericbutow> Posts

Eric Butow

@ericbutow

313

followers

276

following

59x book author and editor of business, technology, and social media books. Owner of Butow Communications Group, which is being reinvented.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

Happy Thanksgiving Day to all my Canadian friends and colleagues!

Around here, after a full week of daily highs/lows of 95/71, the fever broke on Saturday and autumn has arrived with one foot; highs are in the upper 60s today...but temperatures will gradually warm to the mid-80s this weekend.

Instagram For Dummies, 3rd Edition, which I co-authored with @coreycwalker and @jenns_trends, is officially done and in production. It'll be published exactly two months from today -- December 9. We have a book cover and everything. You can pre-order your copy now and get it in time for 2027: https://bit.ly/4pNvXfm

I voted on Wednesday and put the envelope in the Amador County building's drop box the next day because mail service in the foothills has issues. On Friday, California BallotTrax e-mailed me and confirmed the county elections department received my ballot.

In health news, my body pain has grown to the point where the stimulation can’t resolve the pain; if I push the stimulation too much, it’ll trigger a lot of pain and pressure in my head, which defeats the purpose of the stimulator. My next neurostimulation appointment is next Friday, and we’ll see what my neurosurgeon wants to do.

Staying busy helps. I'm working on a book proposal with @thedigitalgal and waiting for my editor to approve another. I'll have more news soon, but here's a hint: Both books involve AI. When I'm not working on books, I'm developing my new e-commerce store that's inspired by my time as a daycare provider. I'll share news about the store when it launches later this month.

Thanks for reading. I hope you're doing well and have a prosperous week! The leaves on the American Sweetgum trees in my front yard are starting to turn. I took this photo from above my house on Boarman Street. taken in Jackson, California by @ericbutow

9

0

6 days ago

I'm mourning the loss of an old friend today. Mike Norton, @thenoobtaco, died of cancer yesterday at the age of 58.

Mike was the first friend I made after I moved to Fresno in 1979. We went to elementary, middle, and high school together. We also lived in the same neighborhood, so we played football in my front yard, had sleepovers, and I had plenty of screen time with his Apple II Plus and TRS-80 Model III computers. I wouldn't have had early exposure to computers if Mike hadn't invited me to his house one day in 1980.

Mike and I stayed in touch over the years as he raised and married off his two daughters, and I read about his experiences as a minister and then about his return to tech work. I last saw Mike during my last trip to Fresno in 2019; though we planned to get together in Sacramento in April 2025, he was stuck at the UC Davis oncology center for cancer scans.

I'm dismayed to learn of Mike's passing and that we couldn't get together one last time, but I'm glad he's no longer in pain.

You were a good man, Mike, and thanks for everything. Eric Butow (left) and Mike Norton in Fresno, California, during their November 2019 visit. by @ericbutow

12

10

a month ago

As you probably already know, I’ve been busy the last several months writing Instagram For Dummies, 3rd Edition, and I wanted to share that Barnes & Noble is running a 25% off campaign for members for all pre-orders, including my book! The sale goes through Friday, September 11th.

If you’ve been waiting to pre-order, this is the perfect time. Use the code PREORDER25 at checkout. If you’re not already a member, enroll in their free rewards program before checking out. Thank you for your support!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781394450428

*******

In somewhat related news, I'm ending the experiment with the Ghost platform; as you may have suspected, my health has a lot to do with it. I got my annual flu and COVID shots yesterday, so now I can resume my recovery from deep-brain stimulation surgery. You can read my last Ghost post here:

https://www.butow.net/end-and-begin-again/

I hope you're having a prosperous week, and don't forget to pre-order Instagram For Dummies, 3rd Edition, which will be published on December 3! The cover of Instagram For Dummies, 3rd Edition by Corey Walker, Jenn Herman, and Eric Butow by @ericbutow

10

0

a month ago

Hello again, and I hope your weekend is going well. There's been a lot going on around here, including an unexpected royalty payment from a long-ago Italian blogging book, recognizing and appreciating the co-authors I've worked with, and recapping my latest medical adventures. You can read more in my latest blog post here:

https://www.butow.net/with-thanks-and-appreciation/

I hope you're enjoying your weekend and have a prosperous rest of your August! Butow Communications Group owner Eric Butow models his new white BCG ballcap and purple BCG T-shirt. taken in Jackson, California by @ericbutow

8

3

2 months ago

Hello again. Around here, the first half of August has been busy even without books to work on. With my mom selling off her daycare stuff, I have to make important decisions not only now but in the medium term, and I talk about that in my latest website post

https://www.butow.net/mid-august-post-check/

I hope you had a great weekend, and have a prosperous second half of August! I finally got proper plastic containers to store all my office stuff in. taken in Jackson, California by @ericbutow

18

0

2 months ago

Happy August, and I have an update for you about my new books and how to pre-order Instagram For Dummies, 3rd Edition, which is coming this holiday season:

https://www.butow.net/hello-august/

If you like what my website offers, please consider subscribing. When I get enough subscribers, I'll start unlocking more subscriber benefits.

The neurostimulation therapy isn't going well so far, and I continue to experiment as much as my brain will allow. I'm happy to have a short break from writing and focus on preparing for autumn.

I don't expect to post much on social media this month, but I'll share important updates if any come up. I hope you're enjoying your weekend and having a great start to August! The front cover of Edge to AI For Dummies, Cloudera Special Edition, by Eric Butow and Diby Malakar. taken in Jackson, California by @ericbutow

3

0

3 months ago

Hello again. Now that I've come up for air before I dive into writing my next book, here's my latest update with book news and neurostimulation news:

https://www.butow.net/proof-of-life/

I've also included a few photos from lunch with my literary agent last Friday, July 17, at the new Acorn Ridge Casino in Plymouth, California. We had a good conversation, and I have some more book and business ideas.

I hope you're staying cool and hydrated wherever you are, and have a prosperous rest of your July! A view of the Acorn Ridge Casino west entrance. taken in Plymouth, California by @ericbutow

4

0

3 months ago

Happy Independence Day to everyone celebrating the day in the U.S. I have an update about my health, what I'm working on, and a new book project my editor is excited about on my website: https://www.butow.net/

Enjoy your weekend, and I hope you're staying cool and hydrated wherever you are! #4thofjuly The Jackson, California 3rd of July fireworks show seen from Eric Butow's family room window. taken in Jackson, California by @ericbutow

4

0

3 months ago

Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends and colleagues. I hope you're having a wonderful day celebrating your lovely country, and I'm lucky to know you. #canadaday Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash by @ericbutow

4

0

4 months ago

As you probably already know, I’ve been busy the last several months writing Instagram For Dummies, 3rd Edition, and I wanted to share that Barnes & Noble is running a 25% off campaign for members for all pre-orders, including my book! The sale goes through Thursday, March 26th. If you’ve been waiting to pre-order, this is the perfect time. Use the code PREORDER25 at checkout. If you’re not already a member, enroll in their free rewards program before checking out. Thank you for your support!

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781394450428 The front cover of Instagram for Dummies, 3rd Edition by @ericbutow

3

0

4 months ago

Happy Father's Day to all you fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers, and father figures. Also, happy summer solstice, which means it's only three months and one day until autumn. Here are some photos of my dad, David Butow (1938-2012) in the 1970s when my sister and I were young.

My dad was a third-generation business owner; my parents purchased the Court Street Inn bed and breakfast in Jackson, California in 1996. He encouraged me to start Butow Communications Group in 1994.

My parents ran the Court Street Inn until early 2005, and then my mom eventually opened a home-based daycare business in 2008. She retired last month, and now she's happily redecorating what is now the family room.

I'm still waiting for clients on two custom Dummies books to send their feedback, and on Friday I received a new custom Dummies book offer that's a rush job. I suspect the next two or three weeks will be quite busy.

My head incisions are healing well, but I have more bumps on my head now. I'm still experimenting with the neurostimulator settings, and moving up and down gives me different symptoms.

I hope you're enjoying your Father's Day and your Sunday no matter where you are, and have a prosperous start to your summer! My father David Butow holds me on Halloween in 1971. taken in Jackson, California by @ericbutow

11

0

4 months ago

Hello again. Yesterday I had my first follow-up appointment with my neurosurgeon at the new UC Davis Medical Center 48X building in Sacramento. My neurosurgeon is pleased with my healing progress, and the Medtronic rep set up my implanted neurostimulator. The stimulation range is 0 to 10, and I can change the stimulation level in one-point increments.

The Medtronic rep set the level to 5 before I left to see how I'd do, and I stayed at that level into the morning. I noticed a slight drop in my pain, but I suspect that's because I felt a lot of irritating numbness and tingling, especially on my left side. That's no surprise because my left side has been the worst since the shaking and dystonia started in 2011.

This afternoon, I charged the neurostimulator using the large charging device that you put in a drape pocket and hang around your neck. I also tested the communicator and settings app on the Samsung A10e that came with the therapy kit. The settings definitely work, and I quickly dropped the setting to 1 to let my body recover from a high setting that it's not ready for. It'll take weeks for my body to get used to this.

In the meantime, I have some book news that you can read about on my website at:

https://butow.net

I hope you're having a great weekend and have a prosperous third week of June! My mom's rhubarb pie cools on the kitchen counter. taken in Jackson, California by @ericbutow

4

0

4 months ago