Rating: 
Summary: The Company, Not the River
Review: The most telling detail on Amazon in this book was on page 132: When publishers and authors asked Bezos why Amazon.com would publish negative reviews, he (said) Amazon.com "was taking a different approach, of trying to sell all books...the good, the bad, and the ugly...doing that, you actually have an obligation...to let truth loose.'"Whichever publishers and authors those were, they epitomize the sort of thinking that a new business model sweeps away. When someone responds negatively to their product they seek to silence that person. Failing that, they repackage the same product. If that doesn't work, they rename the product. Then they present the product in a different size. Anything, abosolutely anything, but listen to the customer who gripes. I don't think Spector grasps the depth of this change. When Amazon gives a forum to ordinary people to speak where previously only "professionals" could, that's as profound a shift as from monarchy to democracy. Giving equal space on the electronic bookshelf to an arcane book on geology and a convenience store bestseller is as revolutionary as Martin Luther's 95 theses getting equal billing with the pronouncements of the pope. In terms of sales, if I can buy what I want instead of just what the "professionals" want me to buy, I'm going to buy more. Most of the other factors in Amazon's success have been done before: hiring smart people, working long hours, providing great customer service...but no other retailer ever had a selection larger than the Library of Congress. And no other retailer ever gave customers around the globe a public forum for feedback. I would have liked to have seen more on this unique aspect of Amazon in GET BIG FAST, and less of the sort of business school platitudes that make up the "Takeaways" sections at the end of each chapter.
Rating: 
Summary: A good read for aspiring [online] start-ups!
Review: This book helps me understand why Jeff Bezos left a 7-digit annual income to set up a new online bookstore. I also learn the advantage of his initial business plan (no warehouse unlike mortar-bricks, thus no inventory cost) and how he has to tweak it almost every 6 months. If you are planning to set up business online, whether small or big, this is an encouraging book to read. Of course it tells you a lot of the good things about amazon.com and Jeff Bezos, but that is what the author wants us to gain: learning from amazon.com. I don't think this book is biased. If Jeff Bezos were involved in this book, I'm sure he'll tell all the positive about amazon.com, since he's in the PR spotlight too. The author also explains amazon.com blunders, and how it became a bit more "arrogant" than its young years. Overall, a must read if you are looking for an inspiration to set up an online business!
Rating: 
Summary: A recitation of history, with no analysis
Review: While many who are reading this review are probably interested in the website story, this book is probably not the one to read. The author did not have access to Jeff Bezos and many other key players when writing this book, and the lack of first hand information shows. It reads like a detailed, outsiders view of the history of the company. This happened, then that happened, then the site did this other thing. There is very little discussion of *why* these events and actions were important. And most importantly, very little context as to how the site changed the face of internet commerce. This book is certainly not the definitive work on [site], which is still to be written. A better (and funnier) look at the internals of Amazon can be found in "21 Dog years - Doing time at Amazon.com".
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