Home > Books, Internet, Internet Marketing, Review, Technology > One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com – Richard L. Brandt

One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com – Richard L. Brandt

February 6th, 2012



One Click: Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com by Richard L. Brandt is not a autobiography of Jeff Bezos and not even a biography of him in my opinion, although the book is in that category.

Through interviews with Amazon employees, competitors, and observers, Brandt has deciphered how Bezos makes decisions. The story of Amazon’s ongoing evolution is a case study in how to reinvent an entire industry, and one that anyone in business today ignores at their peril.

Though this is not entirely an official book about Amazon or Jeff but the author manage to provide insights on how Amazon operates or how Jeff Bezos runs his business.

There are bound to be many details that even one Amazon customer will not know but can be found in the book.

During the early days of entrepreneurship, Amazon is one of those who starts to collect or patent everything or anything. As the title of the book ‘One Click’, Amazon was the one who patented the concept of purchasing online with a single click.
There are also many other patents that Amazon owns too but they do not sue others who violated it.

It is also through this book that I learn that Amazon was NOT the one who makes profit the main objective initially, but to gain the most share from the book market.

This book slowly go through the history of Amazon and its eventual success in reinventing the book industry, from making purchases online, at low prices until the release of its digital ebook reader, the Kindle.

Chapters

  1. One Click Is Not Enough
  2. Potrait of the Entrepreneur as a Young Man
  3. Jeff Gets A Job
  4. Jeff Discovers the Internet
  5. Three Nerds and an Accountant
  6. How to Build a Better Bookstore
  7. Growing Pains
  8. Money to Burn Through
  9. Growing Up
  10. Who You Calling a Bookstore?
  11. The Crash
  12. Bezos Bets Big on the Kindle
  13. Is Amazon Killing the Bookstore?
  14. A Cool Guy with a Funny Laugh
  15. But What Kind of Manager Is He?
  16. Head in the Clouds
  17. Step by Step, Courageously

My Conclusion:
The book is a very good read for the weekend and could well possibly be a very quick read for seasoned readers as well.
I would take a pinch of salt though, from its content as it does not seems to show reputable source for the information provided other than interviews or public accessible information about Amazon or Jeff Bezos himself. However, as the facts are all in general, I think there could be least possible anything could go wrong too.

Following is what the author wrote about himself.

Having written two books in which the subjects would not give me interviews (interesting that the founder of a book-selling site does not give interviews for books) and one book in which the subject had too much control over the manuscript, my next book will be one in which I have direct access to the subject AND complete control over the content.

I figure its either you get interviews or you do not try a biography. Credibility is important in writing a biography, in my opinion.
Having said that, this is still a good read.

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Books, Internet, Internet Marketing, Review, Technology

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    1. February 11th, 2012 at 21:38 | #1

      I am continuously amazed how Amazon stays on top of the game despite the dotcom bubble burst and a big force behind many closing down of the brick and mortar bookshops in the USA who fails to compete online. I shop from Amazon.co.uk a lot and the prices are unbeatable. The only I have to do now is to get a kindle! Thanks for the review.

    2. February 11th, 2012 at 22:58 | #2

      @JoV
      They stayed on top, because they made staying on top the main priority even when that means making losses.
      When they are the ones leading the industry, they can be the one calling the shots.
      I finally got a kindle too recently, the Kindle Fire to be exact 🙂
      Thanks for your comment too.

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