Sources of Inspiration for a Life in Communications -- Yesterday and Today

We all have our inspirations, and I was recently reminded of one that led me to a career in communications.  The book -- Timothy Crouse's "The Boys on the Bus" -- chronicled the press corps following the 1972 presidential elections, spotlighting media superstars of that era (Teddy White, Hunter Thompson, RW Apple, David Broder and others).  This book -- together with Woodward and Bernstein's "All the President's Men" and Henry Beetle Hough's "Country Editor" (looking at his work with the Vineyard Gazette on Martha's Vineyard) -- inspired me to switch to a journalism major in college, which set the stage for a career in public relations and corporate communications.  Today's sources of inspiration go beyond books like these -- social media has created a channel for every one of us to share their experiences, present their thoughts and perspectives, and demonstrate their creativity.  At the recent Inbound Marketing Summit in Boston, I heard marketing strategist Dorie Clark talk about this opportunity, which is the subject of her book "Reinventing You."  I plan to check this out, as it promises to shed some light on the phenomenom that is enabling us all to be sources of inspiration for those who may have a future in media and communications.