Reviews (61)

The Antithesis of Winner-Take-All
If you became hopelessly depressed after reading "The Winner-Take-All Society" by Frank and Cook, then "The Long Tail" will provide you with some solace. Nothing ever reaches its logical conclusion, and economic rewards will not aggregate to the top ad infinitum. The ability to make an infinite number of copies of the "best" song or movie or book contrasts with the infinite shelf space available on the internet. "The Long Tail" demonstrates why that shelf space will be a highly democratizing force. People are always looking for something new, and the traditional, monopolistic channels (or gatekeepers) are under siege, even now.

Pop-science goes marketing
The big thing these days seems to be science writers like Malcolm Gladwell coming up with best-sellers that, charitably put, are very light on facts and very long on sometimes outlandish assertion. Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired magazine, joins the parade with his silly - yes, silly - claim that businesses like music and movies are no longer driven by hits, but by the "long tail." That it is the thousands of titles that people buy or rent infrequently. Somehow, according to Anderson, the idea of web merchants making a zillion titles available and some of those titles being sold or rented once or twice will be the "transformation . . . coming to just about every industry imaginable." Uh, no it ain't. Nowhere in the book does Anderson factor in the reality that someone pays for the production of all those videos and music tracks that rent or sell infrequently. Nor does he account for the reality that not every web merchant can acheive the volume of an Amazon or eBay. In other words, Anderson has discovered the obvious: if you make 30,000 movies available for rental, let's say, through a Netflix, many of the cult titles and dogs will be rented. Anderson pounds on this "long tail" effec while glossing over the fact that the neighborhood video rental store won't carry 30,000 titles. The profits from the occasionl rental of the 30,000th item on the list won't match the cost of acquiring and keeping it in stock in a store, while it makes little difference to a Netflix.
Insights that influence Google's strategic thinking.
98 Rule: Netflix reckoned that 95 percent of its 25,000 DVDs rented at least once a quarter. Amazon using an independent academic research on its book sales suggested that 98 percent of its top 100,000 books sold at least once a quarter.Digital space cost per DVD is very cheap and represent almost no physical inventory space excepting magnetic medium storage.In the sale of one or two DVDs, the traditional retail runs out of steam because it can turn inventory fast enough to pay for physical space, but the economics of online retail keep going.Eventually, Amazon will localize and print digital media using high-speed printers producing a book in seconds from an electronic catalog, the birth of a book replication. DVDs will be replaced by wireless iPods, who are paying subscribers to iTunes, will increase the speed of distribution and volume of sales of the media they prefer. The 80/20 rules are changing.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Consumer Behavior - General    5. Economic Conditions    6. Economics (General)    7. Economics - General    8. Internet marketing    9. Market segmentation    10. Marketing    11. Marketing - Research    12. Sales & Selling - General    13. Technological innovations    14. Business & Economics / Economic History   

Reviews (16)

The sad truth
This book is about the destruction of our country by elected officials and Big Business "Interests."
Thom hits the nail on the head in all but this: education
Education in this country is big business and is so hopelessly institutionalized (that is, it has become an institution) Institutions are self-perpetuating.It is extremely difficult--if not impossible--to change anything about an institution, let alone eliminate it, because the individuals currently occupying places in the institution no longer have much to do with it. The institution sustains itself despite any particular complement of workers within it. Yes, individuals in positions to direct policy and command the workforce can fiddle with some things, but the institution itself will go on. (Note that major legislation affecting schools comes several layers above a district superintendent or even the schools board.)Thus, what Thom is saying about "fixing the schools" or "change the way we are teaching" is way off the mark. Teachers are drones within that institution of public education. The best of teachers can sometimes "make a difference" for one or two kids a year. But because of the context of schooling--one teacher, 35 kids, classes rotating in and out every 45 minutes--the young minds are dumbed down and rigidified such that critical/creating thinking is not only impossible, it is prohibited.
Must reading
This book by Thom Hartmann should be required reading in every school in the United States.He lays out concisely what our country has done and needs to do to have a Democracy and a middle class and clearly demonstrates how the so called conservatives now and all the way back to the founding of the nation haave tried to destroy democracy and the middle class in favor of corporatocracy and an elite ruling class.Simple to follow and understand.The book really puts everything into a clear perspective.
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Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Economic Conditions    3. Economic Policy    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Freedom & Security - General    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Policy    10. Public Policy - Economic Policy    11. Social Classes    12. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    13. Political Science / Civics    14. USA   

Features

• Abridged
• Audiobook

Reviews (43)

Rediculous!
After listening to 2 of 5 CD`s I was ready to give the audio book away. After listening to #3 and #4 it only got worse. Trump & Kiyosaki should be ashamed of themselves for passing this nonsense off as business advice.
You will learn from this book if you are ready and willing to do the work
There is a basic rule in taking advice:Never take it from someone who has not achieved the thing you want to achieve. That means, if you want to be rich, you must learn to ignore people who are not rich when they spew their opinions at you. This rule has never been more relevant than now, when comparing these two men of great achievement with the envious, entitlement-minded people who are disparaging the book with ignorant, negative reviews.
Kiyosaki is a broken record
After reading this book and Rich Dad Poor Dad, I have come to one conclusion...Robert Kiyosaki is a broken record. How many times can I read him write the same sentance and paragraph- over and over again in the same book?Kiyosaki's portion of the book provides some surface information but little depth on how to become wealthy, eventhough he specifically claims that he wants to teach us how to become rich.His writing style is a bit arrogant and provides little value to a person wishing to learn about personal finance.I agree with previous reviews about this book being a cheerleader book.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Business/Professional    2. Abridged Audio - Self-Help    3. Business & Economics    4. Economic Conditions    5. General    6. Personal Finance    7. Personal Finance - General    8. Social Stratification    9. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (17)

First we start with a mistake...
Having observed the healthcare industry for the last couple of decades, I would like to point out a flaw in the author's recommendations:
the next 20 years, explained
Michael Porter, of value chain and competitive advantage fame, has taken on the US health care system.Your reviewer, who is speaking from inside the system, can guarantee that both his diagnosis and his proposed fix are bang on. In short, you bring the US healthcare system in line with other industries by making information about the outcomes of healthcare available to consumers, then letting them choose. How to get there from here takes up most of the book, and it is as brilliant and thoughtful as Porter fans have come to expect. Read this one.

A sentinel work on healthcare reform
Michael Porter and Elizabeth Teisberg have presented a sentinel work in the field of healthcare management.American healthcare is capable of providing the very best skill, professional expertise, and technology the world has ever seen. What is failing in our healthcare system is the management and business organization required deliver value to the recipients of this expertise-- patients.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Cost control    5. Cost effectiveness    6. Economic Conditions    7. Evaluation Of Health Services    8. Health Care Issues    9. Health Policy    10. Industries - General    11. Management - General    12. Medical Economics    13. Medical care    14. Public Policy - Economic Policy    15. Quality control    16. Business strategy   

Reviews (5)

Avoid if you can
I think this is one of the worst textbooks I've ever read. It uses 14 different sentences to say the same thing, and makes basic concepts seem complicated by overstating/analyzing them. This book could be significantly shorter...maybe the author was getting paid by the word?
Macroeconomics
The book was in great condition and the book was delievered in reasonable amount of time.

wrong order
i received the order on sept. 12, 2005, and it was the wrong book, and i still haven't received a refund for their mistake. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic Conditions    5. Economics - Macroeconomics    6. Macroeconomics    7. Business & Economics / Macroeconomics   

Editorial Review

Celebrated economist Jeffrey Sachs has a plan to eliminate extreme poverty around the world by 2025. If you think that is too ambitious or wildly unrealistic, you need to read this book. His focus is on the one billion poorest individuals around the world who are caught in a poverty trap of disease, physical isolation, environmental stress, political instability, and lack of access to capital, technology, medicine, and education. The goal is to help these people reach the first rung on the "ladder of economic development" so they can rise above mere subsistence level and achieve some control over their economic futures and their lives. To do this, Sachs proposes nine specific steps, which he explains in great detail in Read more

Reviews (14)

At least it got people talking about global economics...
I really wanted to love this book. It came strongly recommended by a good friend who is very interested in development work.Whenever I read a review I always try and figure out what angle the reviewer is coming from, so for the record I'm deeply interested in development work and I have a background in economics and environmental science, but mostly I'm just really well read.
why we lost the poor
The End of Poverty is an excellent book. It shows how economic thinking can provide a better wealth situation in the underdeveloped world. Jeffrey Sachs describes his last twenty years on development economics. He is the driving force behind the mayor developments in Bolivia and Poland. The book contains his experiences in Bolivia, Poland and Russia. If you introduce economic measures in these countries you can take a big step to let the people help themselves. But if you go to Africa, it seams that these measures are really not the first aid you can give them.
Historic Opportunity for Our Generation
Through clear illustrations and calculations, Jeffrey Sachs lays out a very optimistic and compelling argument that extreme poverty can be ended within our generation. Two major requirements of this plan are the rich nation's commitment to debt relief and their honoring of their promises to dedicate a meager 0.7% of GNP to Official Development Assistance (ODA). If properly invested in infrastructure, health, and education (a topic well covered in the book), these funds could put the extremely poor back on the economic ladder towards growth and development. Sachs sites numerous success stories such as the Marshall Plan and the eradication of African River Blindness and Smallpox where sufficient funding and dedication successfully accomplished development objectives.
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Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Developing countries    3. Development - Economic Development    4. Economic assistance    5. Economic conditions    6. Economics - General    7. Economics Of Developing Countries    8. Poverty    9. Public Policy - Economic Policy    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Third World Development    13. Business & Economics / Economic Conditions   

Editorial Review

One day in 1992, Thomas Friedman toured a Lexus factory in Japan and marveled at the robots that put the luxury cars together. That evening, as he ate sushi on a Japanese bullet train, he read a story about yet another Middle East squabble between Palestinians and Israelis. And it hit him: Half the world was lusting after those Lexuses, or at least the brilliant technology that made them possible, and the other half was fighting over who owned which olive tree.Read more

Reviews (393)

Not just terms....
A treatise on globalization.Published in 1999 it seems apropos to review this in the context of history.In the midst of his conclusions / suggestions, as another reviewer cites, "Friedman on terrorism, two years prior to the 9/11 attacks: `When you combine the angry men that Americanization-globalization creates with the way in which globalization can super-empower people, you have what I believe is the real, immediate national security threat to the United States in the twenty-first century: the Super-Empowered Angry Man ...'."
The Best Explanation of Globalization That You Are Likely to Find
If you want to know exactly what globalization is, this is the book that contains perhaps the best explanation of globalization.Between the protests and the periodic G7 and G8 meeting of industrialized countries when the media is full of globalization stories, one finds there is a dearth of good explanationsof exactly what globalization is.Historically countries have always completed economically, developed countries used captured markets (colonies), during the mercantilistic era,the cold war was an aberration where the world competed on an idealogical level.Presently with the cold war at an end, there is an allure of attracting investment from multi-national companies. Vica-versa every country is also being evaluated in accordance to its business climate.A corrupt government, spendthrifts regime, or a fragile banking sytem loses votes (investment dollars) , countries with a good business climate receive investment dollars.The author's point is that no one company or country is actually controlling this system.The countries protesting the loudest are the same countries providing a weak business climate, and but they want to participate in the rewards. It is a natural outcome that as every country joins the international communityis judged by multitudes of investors on a worldwide basis.
Intriquing and Positive Look at Globalization
Written in the late 1990s (and later updated), Tom Friedman's lengthy assessment of globalization and the post-Cold War ear has etchd its place as one of the more prominent optimistic takes on the subject.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Capitalism    4. Economic Conditions    5. Economics - Theory    6. Free trade    7. General    8. International - Economics    9. International Relations - General    10. International economic relatio    11. International economic relations    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Social aspects    14. Technological innovations    15. Political Science / International Relations   

Reviews (9)

Death before being dishonored.
An important and imperative work. Investigative journalisim at its best under trying circumstances. American at its core, in that it gets a tough and dirty job done. Not with the help of government, but despite it.In this Reagan era of privitizaton/trust the market place, we have a choice: trust Bush or the dollar.How could you lose?Thebook opens and closes with Col. Ted Westhusing, the definition of his alma mater, WEST POINT: DUTY, HONOR, COUNTRY. Third in his class, plus a doctor of philosophy, and an exemplary record of war/peace service. Yet he met his nemesis: Iraq. For in Iraq he found a war of privitization that had nothing what so ever to do with DUTY, HONOR, or COUNTRY.It was simply about the money, or at best, cronyism.Whether it was murder or suicide, his last communication was in writing and I paraphrase, " I cannot support a mission that leads to corruption, human rights abuse and liars. No more. I cannot support corrupt, money hungry contractors, nor work for commanders only intersested in themselves. I came to serve honorably and I feel dishonored.Why serve when you cannot accomplish the mission, when you no longer believe in the cause, when your every effort and breath is met with lies, lack of support and selfishness.Life needs trust". So what comes around goes around.When a government is "elected" that produces Iraqs and Katrinas then you get the government you deserve.Col. Ted Westhusing desevered better. We, the citizenry could count on him.But in the end, he could not count on us. This book needs to be read and passed on by word of mouth.I wouln't count on the privitized mainstream press.I think there are about a total of four papers left that still have a investigative journalism department.After all, it is all about the bottom line. The Money. Highly recommended!!!!!

Bush and Friends Strike Again!
A free and democratic Iraq was supposed to become an oasis.The U.S. has committed over $30 billion to rebuild Iraq - more than the $2.4 billion (inflation-adjusted) spent on Germany after WWII, and far more than the $2 billion originally planned to rebuild Iraq.In addition, over 500 contractor employees have died trying to make Iraq a better place.Goals were rarely set, and even less often met.Yet, after three years of rebuilding, Iraqis have less power in their homes than under Saddam, oil production is about 20% below pre-Saddam days, outbreaks of easily preventable diseases like hepatitis occur for lack of clean drinking water, and thousands of Iraqis have died in sectarian conflict.
Reader make up their own mind
Blood Money is a dramatic, persuasive and meticulous work. It would be better without the biased innuendos found throughout, such as VP Chaney somehow benefiting through the government contracts with his old company, Haliburton Oil. No proof of this is offered.
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Subjects:  1. Economic Conditions    2. Economic aspects    3. Equipment and supplies    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. International Relations (Specific Aspects)    6. International Relations - General    7. Iraq War, 2003-    8. Military Expenditures    9. Moral and ethical aspects    10. Petroleum    11. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    12. Political Science    13. Politics / Current Events    14. Politics/International Relations    15. United States    16. 21st century    17. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    18. Current Events / General    19. Iraq    20. USA    21. War & defence operations   

Subjects:  1. Cross-cultural studies    2. Economic Conditions    3. Future Studies    4. International cooperation    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    7. Social Science    8. Social Situations And Conditions    9. Social problems    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - General    12. United States    13. Social Science / Sociology / General    14. Social issues   

Reviews (1)

Not that great
I read this book for an international studies class, but as an econ minor, i was really dissapointed.the book is targeted towards non-econ majors, i think, but it ended up just confusing most of my friends in the class who had no econ background.however, i did okay, not becuase of this book, but because of my own econ background that allowed me to fill in the gaps and understand the confusing explenations and definitions used in this book.there are better ways to say what gerber tried to say, in my opinion, so i would not recomend this book very highly.although it was decent, it could have been much better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Commercial policy    5. Economic Conditions    6. International - Economics    7. International economic integra    8. International economic integration    9. International economic relatio    10. International economic relations    11. International trade    12. Investments & Securities - General    13. United States    14. Business & Economics / Investments & Securities    15. International economics   

Editorial Review

"A spectre is haunting Europe," Karl Marx and Frederic Engels wrote in 1848, "the spectre of Communism." This new edition of Read more

Reviews (236)

Romanticism.
This book did not start it all, consider all the other communist publications of the time period. Also the artistic movement at the time, which was the romantic era. That has nothing to do with lovey duvey romance of today, and Karl Marx would have hated all the "dictators" that have enslaved so many people. If you cant see that obviously you havent read it, thats why it cannot work. Its too perfect of an overall view of people and the economy for equality. Romanticism.

PRESENT AT THE FOUNDATION OF MODERN COMMUNISM
If you are a revolutionary, a radical or merely a liberal activist you must come to terms with the theory outlined in the Communist Manifesto. Today's activists are obviously not the first political activists to face this challenge. Radicals, revolutionaries and liberals have had to come to terms with the Manifesto at least since 1848 when it was first published and that same necessity; perhaps surprisingly to some given the changes in the political landscape since then, is true today. Why surprisingly? On the face of it given the political situation today it would appear somewhat absurd to make such a claim about the necessity of coming to terms with the overriding need for the revolutionary overturn of the capitalist order outlined in the Manifesto. With the collapses of the Soviet Union and the Soviet-influenced Eastern European states about fifteen years ago, which were supposedly based on Marxist concepts, one would think that Marxism was a dead letter. But hear me out. Even the less far-sighted apologists for the international capitalist order are now worrying about the increasing gap between rich and poor, not only between the so-called first and third worlds but also within the imperialist metropolitican centers themselves. Nowhere is that more evident that in the United States where the gap has dramatically increased over the last thirty years. Thus, despite the carping of the `death of communism' theorists after the decisive capitulation of international Stalinism an objective criterion exists today to put the question of class struggle and of the validity of a materialist concept of history back on the front burner.
Hate Litterature
When I read this, I was not expecting to become a commie, but at least I was hoping for something more compelling than the pure hatred of people who have more than others and the racist concsipracy theories (especially re Jews) that the authors came up with.
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Subjects:  1. Communism    2. Economic Conditions    3. History & Theory - Radical Thought    4. Philosophy    5. Political    6. Political Ideologies - Communism & Socialism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Fiction / Classics   

Reviews (34)

Outdated, bias, full with prejudice and lack of analysis
This book is one of the most bias and harmful books ever written on Latin America. The only reason for his success would be it was written in the midst of the Cold War, with the support of all the comunist propoganda. The book have no depth and lacks the most basic historical, economic and social analysis. Written by a bunch of second-rate writers, it hardly scratch the surface, limiting itself to play the victim's role some leaders like Hugo Chavez are trying to play today. There're many serious books out there to waste time with this one. If you're interested with the subject, maybe you should start with a history one, like "The two empires of América".

Trash-book.The bible of latino moron.
I tried to read this trash-book,here in Brazil, about twenty years ago.This book is so bad, that I never finished it.The author is a marxist and knowed faker, ridiculous and Fidel Castro's friend.
Excellent Source book, but needs to be complimented
This book must and has to be read in conjunction with
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic Conditions    5. Economic History    6. General    7. Latin America    8. American history    9. Business & Economics / Economic Conditions    10. LATIN AMERICA_ECONOMIC CONDITIONS   

Reviews (1)

Fantastic Feast of Ideas
The Extreme Future is a fantastic feast of ideas.So many books about the future are predictable or simply boring.This book is a whole other experience. Canton's mind is a non-stop treasure trove of complex insights, wild ideas, brain-stretching posssibilities and just plain fun.I wholeheartedly recommend The Extreme Future to anyone who would like to step outside the box and look at everything - from global politics to mind control to enhanced humans - in some pretty incredible ways. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic Conditions    5. Economic Forecasting    6. Forecasting    7. Forecasts    8. Social change    9. Social prediction    10. Twenty-first century    11. Business & Economics / Planning & Forecasting   

Reviews (19)

Toffler's Help Make Sense of Our Complex World
Don't you just love it when you find a book out there that just completely blows you away?Me too.I read a lot of business books, and most of them have great things in them, but it's rare that I find one that really turns my thinking upside down.
Future Optimism
This book is a delight to read.Written in an informal, personal style, the authors go over past and current trends and extrapolate the future.It is not an academic textbook by any means; however, we learn that education is a 400 billion dollar a year system and that Helium-3 could be the future of fuel/energy, along with other interesting tidbits.The book is not intended to be anything more than an incredible conversation about what the future may bring. If you are looking for a literary jaunt through technology, politics, economics, and history, you will enjoy this book.Ultimately, the old adage--that "the more things change, the more they remain the same"--may not hold true in the future.

Alvin Toffler is God
I just brought and if this is the best description of society, economy, government and revolution for NOW I've read
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic Conditions    5. Economic Forecasting    6. Economics - Theory    7. Forecasting    8. Future Studies    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Social Forecasting    11. Social History    12. Social change    13. Sociology    14. Wealth    15. Current Events / General