Synopses & Reviews
In Amazon.com Jeff Bezos built something the world had never seen. He created the most recognized brand name on the Internet and became one of the richest men in the world. He was recently named Time magazine's Person of the Year and was crowned "the king of cybercommerce."
Yet for all the success and all the media exposure, the inside story of Amazon.com has never really been told. In this revealing, unauthorized account of Amazon's astounding rise, Robert Spector, journalist and bestselling author, gives us the fastpaced, behind-the-scenes true story of the company's creation, its tumultuous present, and its uncertain future.
By talking to friends, confidants, early employees, rivals, publishing executives, stock analysts, and venture capitalists, Spector goes beyond the "official story"-the glib, polished, media-savvy statements that Bezos feeds to the press-and presents in unprecedented detail the real facts of the company's beginnings, innovations, business practices, and strategies, and its vision of the future. Further, he explains what the Amazon story means for conventional business, e-commerce, and ultimately the consumer.
Bezos's first employers tell how the experience he gained at their firms prepared him for creating Amazon.com. Early investors reveal the details of Bezos's initial pitch for money. Former company insiders divulge how painstakingly Amazon.com's internal systems were put together.
And the story becomes more compelling all the time as Amazon finds itself under attack by the formerly Internetchallenged behemoth retailers, by online startups trying to eat Bezos's lunch, and by impatient investors waiting for the company to turn a profit. (Amazon lost an incredible $720 million in 1999.)
Amazon.com's emergence as an e-commerce powerhouse has set off tremors around the world, jolting the "bricks and mortar" retailing giants, and forever changing the way everyone does business. But has Jeff Bezos finally run out of time? Will his great achievement be remembered as a footnote to the opening era of the Internet age? Or will this wily, overachieving self-described nerd triumph once again and surprise fans and foes alike?
Synopsis
The first book to detail one of the most talked-about business stories of the 1990s, "The Amazon.com Way" tells how Amazon.com rocked the world and why.
Synopsis
Amazon.Com's Story Begins with its emergence as a powerhouse online seller of books. In a short time it shook the "bricks and mortar" bookstores to their foundations, changed the way publishers do business, and set the standard for electronic commerce. The story continues as Amazon pushes into new areas of commerce, including music, videos, and auctions. Through partnerships it will be offering even more, including groceries, pet supplies, even art and antiques! The company -- its stock, business practices, and vision of the future -- is one of the most closely watched in the world. And its founder, Jeff Bezos, is celebrated as the prototype of the new Internet entrepreneur -- a young, smart, and fabulously wealthy visionary.
The Amazon.com Way is the first book to detail one of the most talked-about business stories of the '90s. It tells how this company rocked the world, why there appears to be no end in sight as Amazon.com expands, what the future will bring, and what it all means for conventional businesses, e-commerce, and ultimately, the consumer.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-245) and index.
About the Author
Robert Spector has reported on business for USA Today, UPI International, NASDAQ Magazine, and Women's Wear Daily and appears frequently on television and radio. He is the author of the national bestseller The Nordstrom Way.