Amazon.com
The tale of Amazon.com is well known to anyone who follows the stock market, the book business, the Internet explosion--heck, it's hard to imagine not knowing at least a piece of this extraordinary story. But few, it would seem, know the entire story, and it's these gaps that Robert Spector's Amazon.com: Get Big Fast attempts to fill (or at least the information available in early 2000, when the book was published). For example, those who know about Amazon.com's paradigm-shifting influence on the book business may not know it wasn't even the first online book retailer, or the second or the third. (It was preceded by clbooks.com, books.com, and wordsworth.com, the last of which beat Amazon.com to the Internet by almost two years.) Those who've heard quirky stories about Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos--for example, that he built his own desk out of a door, and that his mother bought the desk at an online charity auction in 1999 for $30,100--may not know that he was a studious overachiever from an early age. As a 12-year-old in Houston, he was even profiled in a book on gifted education in Texas. And those who marvel at the company's multibillion-dollar stock valuation may not know that it was broke and nearly out of business in the summer of '95.
Put it all together and you have a book that should be interesting to many different readers. As a pure business read, it certainly provides a blow-by-blow account of an important company's critical decisions. And anyone looking for a brief history of e-commerce will see how one idea--Bezos's realization in 1994 that Web usage was growing 2,300 percent a year--set the entire online retailing phenomenon in motion. If nothing else, that last fact should propel parents to pay very careful attention to their kids' math scores. Had Bezos, a summa cum laude Princeton grad in computer science, not realized the implications of exponential growth ... well, let's just say you wouldn't be reading this review right now. --Lou Schuler
Book Description
In Amazon.com Jeff Bezos built something the world had never seen. He created the most recognized brand name on the Internet, became for a time one of the richest men in the world, and was crowned "the king of cyber-commerce."
Yet for all the media exposure, the inside story of Amazon.com has never really been told. In this revealing, unauthorized account, Robert Spector, journalist and best-selling author, gives us this up-to-date, fast-paced, behind-the-scenes story of the company's creation and rise, its tumultuous present, and its uncertain future.
Customer Reviews:
The story of Amazon.......2007-04-12
I love Amazon.. both to shop and to analyze, but I found this book to be a little slow. Regardless, Jeff Bezos is someone to stand in awe of. I wish my mind were that sharp.
Fascinating Story.......2006-07-10
This book really conveys the drama of the creation and building of Amazon.com by Jeff Bezos. Its really a biography of Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, through about 1999, ending before the .com crash.
There are a couple parts where the story drags, but generally, there was much more drama and interest than I expected. The story is skillfully told and the writing is clear, and after reading this book, I intend to look for the others that this author, Robert Spector, has written.
I strongly recommend this to anyone who wants to track the rise of Amazon.com. It was published too soon to provide the author with the opportunity to analyze the aftermath of the fantasticly overheated internet marketplace that led to the dot.com bust, but you can see how he examines all the elements from the perspective of 1999. Spector doesn't forecast the fall, but you can see all the excess and unmistakable signs of what is to come. I would love to see a Second Edition.
A SHORT HISTORY OF AN E-COMMERCE GIANT.......2005-12-20
Amazon.com is probably the most cited online business of all times, and it will certainly be the case for the next ten years or so. Therefore, this little yellow paperback book is a must-read for those who do not know that the "e" at the beginning of e-commerce does not stand for "easy". Indeed, similar to its counterparts, Amazon.com was also born in a garage and then became an e-commerce giant in less than five years. This extraordinary story also proves that the industry clock-speed of e-commerce markets is really high, as demonstrated by Haim Mendelson in his novel book "Survival of the Smartest".
In his book, Robert Spector starts the history of Amazon.com from where it all began-the garage, and takes the reader smoothly to where it stands now-the peak. After reading this book, the reader learns about the customer-centric view of this company, the advantages of the so-called "get big fast strategy" in e-commerce, and finally why profit should not be the first priority of an online company during its initial years of operation.
Although this is intended to be a leisure book, it can well be adapted as a supplementary book for undergraduate and/or master's business students at universities. It will certainly make the course more enjoyable and down to earth.
Dr. Yasin Ozcelik
www.misworld.org
Good book, needs updating again.......2005-09-28
This book does a great job at telling the Amazon.com story. Nice to hear that an entrepreneur actually planned their business and didn't just get lucky.
Now that we've hit 2005, it would be great to get another update (the current final chapter is a bit of an update from couple of years ago). What is the story behind their profit? Stock? The door desks?
Overall....a good, quick read.
well-written and thoughtful, but pulls its punches.......2005-08-26
More than 4 years after the dotcom crash, we should be getting some perspective on internet companies. Perhaps most fundamentally, what does it take to build a highly profitable internet company? Which companies are still overvalued? Are they 50% overvalued, 10x overvalued or what? Sadly, books offering such wisdom do not seem to be around. There are plenty of books about the disasters, but much more interesting would be an analysis of the handful of successes or maybe-successes.
In the absence of such a work, this is respectable. It is well-written and carefully researched. It was finished in 2000, when things were starting to fall, but still had a long way to go. So you had to be unusually perceptive to see things clearly. Spector does seem to have seen most of the issues, he just does not push them far enough.
There is much fascinating detail and much to learn, although you sometimes have to read between the lines. For example, Amazon's software should be an engineering case study in the difference between effective and efficient. It was incredibly inefficient, because the original designers (by their own admission, according to Spector) knew nothing about the finer points of relational databases, but it was effective - it rarely went down. Since Amazon was able to raise money on absurdly favourable terms, the fact that poor software design gave a huge hardware bill maybe did not matter much.
I guess I have found Amazon the single most puzzling, most confusing, and hence most interesting dotcom company. I have fairly consistently been wrong in my predictions. I thought it would be mainly a back-catalogue business (because that is what I mainly use it for); I was wrong - although it currently seems to be making renewed efforts to expand that segment. I thought its costs would be far lower than Barnes & Noble; I was wrong. I thought the attempt to sell everything was just a cynical move to fool investors; I was wrong, in one quarter electronics outsold media.
But the jury is still out on long term profitability etc, so this is an interesting source of information.
Customer Reviews:
THE RISE OF AN E-COMMERCE LEVIATHAN..........2006-02-28
This is the German text edition of an unauthorized account of an e-commerce leviathan's rise from obscurity. So, if one is looking for a detailed business module or a blue print of its technology, look elsewhere, as this is not the book for you. What this book offers is a very interesting, well-organized narrative on the early, heady days of Amazon.com, when it was just an upstart internet bookseller looking to make its mark big time, as well as a look at its founder, Jeff Bezos, painting a flattering and intriguing portrait of this now multi-billionaire.
For its founder, Jeff Bezos, it was not, however, just about the money. If that were the case, he would never have left his seven figure Wall Street job. For him, it was about the opportunity to be on the ground floor of a business that would change the retailing community forever. Jeff Bezos, a true visionary, chose to take that challenge, and in doing so, he would forever change the dot.com world and the retailing community. The author, a business reporter for various publications, delineates just how it was that Jeff Bezos did so.
This book offers up an interesting summary on how Jeff Bezos was able to take the online community by storm and upset the status quo. The author provides a biographical narrative on who Jeff Bezos is. It is grounded in the context of where he grew up, his schooling, as well as his early interests. It segues from his Ivy League educational underpinnings to his foray into the upper echelons of Wall Street, deriving the experience that he needed in order to take on the risky proposition of starting up his own dot.com company. It is clearly the story of a visionary and decision maker with heart.
The book succinctly details the rise of Amazon.com as an e-commerce force with which to be reckoned. It tracks its growth and change from an upstart, fledging, by- the-seat-of-its-pants-company to one that is now a staple of the popular lexicon. It superficially explores the philosophy of Jeff Bezos in terms of having his business "get big fast" and the technological, financial, and logistical hurdles that the business needed to overcome in order to do so. The author also keys in on the ability of Jeff Bezos to think out of the box, when so many business pundits said that what he sought to do could not be done.
The overall texture of this book is enhanced by Information provided by those with some insider knowledge, such as those who knew Jeff Bezos, those who worked with him in those early halcyon days, rival "brick and mortar" executives, business analysts, and financiers, among others. This book, which is a look at a visionary and his company, details how that visionary was able to transform his company into a veritable cultural phenomenon unto itself. Those who are devotees of Amazon will find this well-written book heady stuff, indeed, as it makes for absorbing reading.
Average customer rating:
- THE RISE OF AN E-COMMERCE LEVIATHAN...
- THE RISE OF AN E-COMMERCE LEVIATHAN...
- Journalistic Material for Future Histories of Amazon.com
|
AMAZON.COM - GET BIG FAST
ROBERT SPECTOR
Manufacturer: RANDOM HOUSE BUSINESS BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Retailing
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
High-Tech
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0712684581 |
Customer Reviews:
THE RISE OF AN E-COMMERCE LEVIATHAN..........2006-01-28
This is the French text edition of "Amazon.com-Get Big Fast", an unauthorized account of an e-commerce leviathan's rise from obscurity. So, if one is looking for a detailed business module or a blue print of its technology, look elsewhere, as this is not the book for you. What this book offers is a very interesting, well-organized narrative on the early, heady days of Amazon.com. when it was just an upstart internet bookseller looking to make its mark big time, as well as a look at its founder, Jeff Bezos, painting a flattering and intriguing portrait of this now multi-billionaire.
For its founder, Jeff Bezos, it was not, however, just about the money. If that were the case, he would never have left his seven figure Wall Street job. For him, it was about the opportunity to be on the ground floor of a business that would change the retailing community forever. Jeff Bezos, a true visionary, chose to take that challenge, and in doing so, he would forever change the dot.com world and the retailing community. The author, a business reporter for various publications, delineates just how it was that Jeff Bezos did so.
This book offers up an interesting summary on how Jeff Bezos was able to take the online community by storm and upset the status quo. The author provides a biographical narrative on who Jeff Bezos is. It is grounded in the context of where he grew up, his schooling, as well as his early interests. It segues from his Ivy League educational underpinnings to his foray into the upper echelons of Wall Street, deriving the experience that he needed in order to take on the risky proposition of starting up his own dot.com company. It is clearly the story of a visionary and decision maker with heart.
The book succinctly details the rise of Amazon.com as an e-commerce force with which to be reckoned. It tracks its growth and change from an upstart, fledging, by- the-seat-of-its-pants-company to one that is now a staple of the popular lexicon. It superficially explores the philosophy of Jeff Bezos in terms of having his business "get big fast" and the technological, financial, and logistical hurdles that the business needed to overcome in order to do so. The author also keys in on the ability of Jeff Bezos to think out of the box, when so many business pundits said that what he sought to do could not be done.
The overall texture of this book is enhanced by Information provided by those with some insider knowledge, such as those who knew Jeff Bezos, those who worked with him in those early halcyon days, rival "brick and mortar" executives, business analysts, and financiers, among others. This book, which is a look at a visionary and his company, details how that visionary was able to transform his company into a veritable cultural phenomenon unto itself. Those who are devotees of Amazon will find this well-written book heady stuff, indeed, as it makes for absorbing reading.
THE RISE OF AN E-COMMERCE LEVIATHAN..........2005-10-30
This is an unauthorized account of an e-commerce leviathan's rise from obscurity. So, if one is looking for a detailed business module or a blue print of its technology, look elsewhere, as this is not the book for you. What this book offers is a very interesting, well-organized narrative on the early, heady days of Amazon.com. when it was just an upstart internet bookseller looking to make its mark big time, as well as a look at its founder, Jeff Bezos, painting a flattering and intriguing portrait of this now multi-billionaire.
For its founder, Jeff Bezos, it was not, however, just about the money. If that were the case, he would never have left his seven figure Wall Street job. For him, it was about the opportunity to be on the ground floor of a business that would change the retailing community forever. Jeff Bezos, a true visionary, chose to take that challenge, and in doing so, he would forever change the dot.com world and the retailing community. The author, a business reporter for various publications, delineates just how it was that Jeff Bezos did so.
This book offers up an interesting summary on how Jeff Bezos was able to take the online community by storm and upset the status quo. The author provides a biographical narrative on who Jeff Bezos is. It is grounded in the context of where he grew up, his schooling, as well as his early interests. It segues from his Ivy League educational underpinnings to his foray into the upper echelons of Wall Street, deriving the experience that he needed in order to take on the risky proposition of starting up his own dot.com company. It is clearly the story of a visionary and decision maker with heart.
The book succinctly details the rise of Amazon.com as an e-commerce force with which to be reckoned. It tracks its growth and change from an upstart, fledging, by- the-seat-of-its-pants-company to one that is now a staple of the popular lexicon. It superficially explores the philosophy of Jeff Bezos in terms of having his business "get big fast" and the technological, financial, and logistical hurdles that the business needed to overcome in order to do so. The author also keys in on the ability of Jeff Bezos to think out of the box, when so many business pundits said that what he sought to do could not be done.
The overall texture of this book is enhanced by Information provided by those with some insider knowledge, such as those who knew Jeff Bezos, those who worked with him in those early halcyon days, rival "brick and mortar" executives, business analysts, and financiers, among others. This book, which is a look at a visionary and his company, details how that visionary was able to transform his company into a veritable cultural phenomenon unto itself. Those who are devotees of Amazon will find this well-written book heady stuff, indeed, as it makes for absorbing reading.
Journalistic Material for Future Histories of Amazon.com.......2004-09-25
When I was trained as a historian, I came to realize that it is very important that contemporaries of an important events interview as many people as often as possible while the events unfold. These perspectives provide the key touchstones for the ultimate histories of the events. Usually such interviews are done by journalists. And that is what Robert Spector has done with the book, Amazon.com. I commend him for fulfilling that important role.
Those who want to understand what Amazon.com's brief history means for the New Economy, new business models, best practices in leadership and management, and its own future will have to look elsewhere. The book has almost no analysis of the material included here. Think of this book as though it were a series of magazine articles written over the last few years about Amazon.com and Jeff Bezos.
Mr. Spector makes an attempt to build a theme around the concept of Get Big Fast, first articulated in print by Robert Reid in the 1997 book, Architects of the Web. Amazon.com obviously pays attention to this idea based on the report on page 97 that the company handed out T-shirts with Get Big Fast written on them at its first employee picnic in 1996. But he fails to develop all of the dimensions of the point. How does this concept affect the stakeholders in Amazon.com (customers, users, partners, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and the communities the company serves)? How can the concept be adjusted to reflect changes in the company's external environment? How should a new company apply the concept? There is an important debate today about whether Amazon.com's current direction will or will not pay off for customers, employees, or shareholders. That debate is largely ignored in the book. That's an important omission that greatly limits the book's value.
I do recommend reading the book. It did add details to my knowledge about Amazon.com which I am sure will be valuable to me in the future as an author, reviewer, associate, and customer of Amazon.com.
This book is a good example of one form of the communications stall: failing to communicate what people are most interested in causes missed opportunities to make progress at a rapid rate.
Keep asking your questions about Amazon.com, and someone will eventually answer them. Perhaps it will be Amazon.com itself. That would be welcome.
Book Description
Now in its fourth edition, Blunders in International Business is significantly updated and revised, and full of interesting anecdotes, including dozens of new international business blunders. We often hear of business success stories; it seems that everyone is willing to relate past successes. However, unless these tales are absolutely incredible, we tend to forget them and consequently learn little of value. Mistakes, on the other hand, are seldom admitted, are easily remembered, and can be used to illustrate valuable lessons. In this new edition several well-known blunders from previous editions have been replaced in order to update the lessons learned. Expanded, but conserving its well-liked, concise format, it also includes more than fifty new international business blunders, featuring well-known corporations such as American Express, McDonalds, Toyota, GM, Sharwoods, Jolly Green Giant, Bacardi, Puff, AOL, BMW, and many others. David Ricks continues to uncover many informative, entertaining blunders that will make this book hard to put down.
Customer Reviews:
Great book!.......2007-09-30
I was required to read this book for my International Management class. I thought it would be another boring book, but it was anything but boring. It is actually very interesting. I've read, or seen international blunders on the internet or by email, but this book has a host of blunders that will keep you reading on and on and on. Check it out!
Contains several urban legends; don't believe every word.......2006-05-11
In just the first half of the book, I found 5 urban legends being presented as fact (e.g., that ancient thing about "bite the wax tadpole", the one about Africans thinking that baby pictures on baby food meant the food was made of babies).
Granted, the latest update was in 1999, but the facts should have been verifiable and verified even then.
Take the anecdotes with a grain of salt.
This is a MUST read for all busines students.......2000-06-14
All business students should read this book. It is absolutely amazing to find out what people have already gone through to bring a business international.
Does your CEO have the audacity to believe that he will not make the same mistakes that others made? Is your marketing team prepared for each and every market? This book teaches you to carefully prepare for each and every market and not take ANYTHING for granted. Do your research, or you will be the punchline of an joke or two at some International Marketing conferences somewhere in the future.
Dave Ricks lays out everyone else's blunders in such a way that you wonder if they could have really happened. Although it is sad that these mistakes happened, the message is that without preparation people make big mistakes in international business. These major business mistakes could happen to anybody (who does not know to avoid them.)
If you are looking for anectdotes for a business class or international business curriculum, you can save yourself the trouble of research and find out what Mr. Ricks has painstakingly already researched.
Although there is no way to find out what to avoid in every market... today's business students should buy this book and read it often so they can recognize when they need help avoiding the pitfals in today's increasingly global business world.
As a biingual international manager of an import/export firm I see many of these blunders cropping up everyday. Some companies are better prepared to handle them before they become broadcast over teh whole world. Many Mexican companies I have seen do not know their translation takes on a funny twist in English. But if I told them would they believe me?... I hope reading this book will make me realize I need help myself sometimes too.
Dave Ricks is a respected faculty member at Thunderbird, one of the world's most innovative International Business Master's Programs.
Learn by laughing.......1999-04-14
If this is the book I think it is, first published in the 80's, it is the only business book that has ever made me laugh out loud. Over and over again.
Don't be put off -- it _is_ a serious business book, and it treats the issues in a systematic fashion. But it is well-written, too, and the examples the author uses to make his points will have you chuckling.
Average customer rating:
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Big Business Blunders: Mistakes in Multinational Marketing (Irwin series in marketing)
David A. Ricks
Manufacturer: Irwin Professional Pub
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Blunders in International Business
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America's Stupidest Business Decisions: 101 Blunders, Flops, And Screwups
ASIN: 0256028508 |
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The G-7's Joint & Several Blunder
Beatriz Armendariz De Aghion , and
John Williamson
Manufacturer: International Finance Section Dept. Niversity
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International business blunders,
David A Ricks
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Book Description
This digital document is an article from Labour/Le Travail, published by Canadian Committee on Labour History on March 22, 1998. The length of the article is 922 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Thousand blunders: the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and northern British Columbia.
Publication:
Labour/Le Travail (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1998
Publisher: Canadian Committee on Labour History
Issue: 41
Page: 256-7
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Blunders in International Business
Manufacturer: Pws Pub Co
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0534930697 |
Customer Reviews:
very good.......1998-10-25
it was a very good book
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