Rating: 
Summary: La-La land
Review: I read In the Age of the Smart Machine over a decade ago and it left a lasting impression on me. Zuboff's new book is more profound, more insightful and will be more important. It is a follow on from the first book that takes the reader into uncharted waters. It challenges the way business is done today and offers a sane, plausible and compassionate alternative;- one that makes real economic sense. Zuboff says that we are burdened with a logic that was invented by Henry Ford- one that has run it course, served it purpose well and is now ready to be replaced. The notion that this will be though a form of distributed capitalism is truly insightful and opens the way for a new debate. This is a masterpiece
Rating: 
Summary: An Outstanding Diagnosis
Review: I strongly recommend The Support Economy.I'll start with the negatives -- it took me about 100 pages to really get into it; like most business books the authors repeat themselves; the future state they outline is sketchy; and they don't even really attempt to describe how we get from here to there. The reason I'm recommending it is that Zuboff and Maxmin absolutely nail the diagnosis of what's wrong with the interaction between producers and consumers today -- the way that individuals (at home and at work) are the shock absorbers between what enterprises know how to do and what people today need; the reason that managerial capitalism has to give way to, well, something new that they call "distributed capitalism;" the need to move beyond the relentless optimization of transactions and towards the maximization of value in the context of people's lives. And, thinking about my own situation and those of many of my peers, it just rings true. My personal trainer (who is also an event planner) is a kind of poster child for this new capitalism. While "support" is in the title, this isn't a book about technical support -- it's about a new value proposition of people helping people, not just better-products-cheaper. That being said, it is strongly influencing my thinking about technical support in general and my consulting company's value proposition in particular.
Rating:
Summary: Visionary
Review: It is not often that a book like this appears. It is rich in history and analysis. It celebrates each of us as individuals and shows us that our place in history is unique-- we are a new market. It explains why customer centric organisations do not work- which is important to me as an HR person. It lays the foundation for a new way of thinking about business and it purpose. It does not talk down to the reader. It does not try to say everything is simple and can be reduced to boxes, arrows and change management. It sets out an adgenda for a coversation- so did Cluetrain but this is the next step- and invites comments and discussion. It is optmistic but grounded in a real understanding of what technology can and cannot do ( this is from Zuboff's Smart Machine.) This is a book which is a must read .Some will hate it and dismiss it but that is because they are trapped in a reality of today and cannot open themselves to tomorrow
Rating:
Summary: A Unigue Business Book
Review: Most business books are about ' if you do this then you will be sucessful" They have 10 steps and the like. The Support Economy' is totally different. It provides a unique set of insights into the reasons why business fail to meet the needs of today"s consumers. It shows why managers act the way they do and why they think they ' own' the business. It explains why the internet failed to rrealise its potential and why your career is really no more than a stuffed moose on a wall. It is passionate and yet based on historical anaylsis. This makes it a challenge to most business readers because they need to think! Then the Support Economy makes the most extraordinary leap to a new way of thinking about value and business. Value migrates from the organization to the individual and this marks the start of a new episode of capitalism. Wealth is generated by providing end consumers with support, choices and the ability to get their lives back;- this is deep support. The authors suggest unique and creative ways to pay for this and outline an new commerical structure which makes sense and deserves serious analysis. This books breaks the mold time and time again.
Rating:
Summary: The Support Economy by Shoshana Zuboff
Review: The overall thrust of the book admits to the success of the
managerial economy in maximizing efficiency. The human dimension
has lagged behind the maximization formulas. Many corporations
can no longer guarantee a life time employment scenario.
Therefore; it is important to develop a strong entrepreneurial
class/capability to take up the slack. The authors discuss
"distributed capitalism" to empower individuals to exploit the
new technologies . The authors discuss an important concept
which involves merging infrastructure activities to exploit
strengths in the bureaucratic systems and distribute these
advantages across a wide spectrum of users. The book makes
a point in explaining that half of what people buy today
was not available a century ago. The authors envision a solution
in home employment to empower the babyboomers well into the
future. This is an important work. It could be developed
further in some of the aforementioned areas. For instance,
there is a wide array of government assistance available to
small business owners and aspirants. This aspect could have
been developed more fully. Matthew Lesko has a number of
government self-help books on the subject of government
grants, giveaways and low cost loans for small business.
Rating:
Summary: New hope for the Future
Review: The Support Economy gives you an insight into what the future might be like and explains why the present is so painful. It is abrilliant historical analysis of how we got here. It is a equally brilliant attempt to define a new future where technology is used to help us gain control of our lives. Agree with this or not it is start of a conversation- one started with the Cluetrain, This is a serious book by serious, experieinced and visionary people. Anyone who argues that individuals deserve respect and to be treated with dignity must be listened to. Don't look for simple answers, be prepared to think, keep an open mind and The Support Economy will sweep you along to a new view of the world business and yourself
Rating:
Summary: A Very Important View of the Future
Review: The Support Economy stands out from most books about business because it is rooted in history and explains the cause ( not the symptoms ) of many of todays problems. The idea that value no longer resides inside the company but outside it ( is distributed) is fundemental to Zuboff and Maxman"s argument. It may seem radical but it also makes sense;- people have played with this idea without being clear about it. This idea sets the stage for a whole new view of the future, where the money is, how cash moves and what technology can do. Support of the individual ( you and me ) becomes the goal and products and service are part of support. Control, ownership and IP follow value and become distributed.... the peer to peer techie delight. This book will stand the test of time and is brave and bold invitation to look at the big picture rather than next week.
Rating: 
Summary: A Pedantic Mess of a Good Idea
Review: These authors are on the right track but they are more interested in impressing readers with their vocabulary than following through with some do-able solutions. I firmly believe that corporations need to catch up to what the customer really wants but this book meanders through a maze of technical and non-related issues which distract from the great theme it is about. I trudged through the whole book waiting for an answer to the problem I could understand but there was absolutely no common sense I could grasp that would lead me to a satisfactory conclusion. Felt like I was back in school again. Ugh!
Rating:
Summary: Stellar!!
Review: This book has changed the way I think about the world and business. I never thought about the fact that when markets change the way we do business must change. The book calls us ' history's shock absorbers" as we live with the pain and opportunity that arises when one business model is dying and another is being born. The book is packed with insights, facts and theory that open the mind to a new way of doing business. It is ground breaking stuff. We never think about capitalism in our everyday business lives but maybe we should have done . We are part of history and we can make more money and build better corporations if we really understood this. I would recommend this book to everyone. It is a great read and a map to a new future.
Rating:
Summary: A New Framework for Business
Review: This is a book of two parts. The first is a detailed examination of why managerial capitalism has reached the end of its useful life. Zuboff and Maxmin say that because the system is out of date it cannot serve the needs of todays consumers. They also say that its inward focus results in scandals like Enron because managers think the comany is there to serve their needs, Managers are at the center of the system and value is inside the company. All of this was ok for making things but failed to deliver good service because it was not designed to do this. It used technology to reduce cost and depressed the impact of the internet. The net result is that we as consumers have changed, management has not and we suffer. WE seek help and only get a bloody nose.. The second part of the book follows the logic of the demise the managemet system Here value goes outside the company and rests with individuals ( it is distributed) To achieve alignment everything else ( control systems, ownership etc ) becomes distribed and wealth is realised by allowing people to live life on their own terms- by providing them with ' deep support" Here the techological and organisational vision is revolutionary. You need to forget all you have learned and think about capitalism from the ground up. The authors envision using digital platforms to provide common data and service. They suggest this will take 30% plus out of todays cost. These platforms will be base for new services and levels of support ranging from the fully automated to the personal. Here are advocates who navigate the world on your behalf. This is a whole new function ... they provide the ultimate range of support . They represent federations whose sole purpose is to provide different levels of support leveraging off the digital platforms. Federations obtain products and servcie from enterprises which come together and break apart .The whole concept is unique and extremely challenging. The idea is to create debate not to be perscriptive. The story of the family used to illustrate the metaprinciples of distributed capitalism is great. It makes you understand how different things can be and need to be. Zuboof and Maxmin have convinced me not only that change is necessary and inevitable but there is a new future to write. Some people may dismiss their ideas as too radical but look at their track records- they know what they are talking about. The world needs more creative and visionary thinkers like this-people who are not affraid to embrace the future and challenge the status quo-- we should all applaud them
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