WORK IN PROGRESS: RISKING FAILURE, SURVIVING SUCCESS

Amazon.com

In his memoir, Eisner doesn't air quite as much dirty laundry as we could hope he'd be dopey enough to do. Still, it is revealing, and since it's unheard-of for Hollywood potentates to spill any beans at all, this book is required reading for anyone interested in America's major export, popular culture.

We learn a fair bit of personal stuff: the crucial impact of Eisner's sternly withholding father, who drove Michael to succeed and made him less than effusive himself in praising underlings; his favorite book in youth (The Catcher in the Rye); his encounters with more madcap Hollywood types; his brush with death from heart disease; the day he got the idea for Beverly Hills Cop by getting physically roughed up by a Beverly Hills cop; his plan to add the naughtier cartoon character Mortimer Mouse to Mickey's family.

Eisner gives us his negotiating secret (be willing to walk), his view of prerelease audience testing of shows ("it's almost worthless"), his management strategy (incite raucous debate within strict institutional checks and balances, then make gut decisions), the key to success in movies and TV (strong two-man partnerships: Lew Wasserman and Sid Sheinberg at Universal, Bob Daly and Terry Semel at Warner Bros., and preeminently Eisner and Frank Wells at Disney). Eisner gives a provocative analysis of why Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Ovitz proved disastrous partners for him at Disney, and even confesses to a few screwups of his own (losing his temper and helping to blow the Disney America historical park development). --Tim Appelo

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Disney CEO Michael Eisner's legendary self-reliance comes through in his narration of Work in Progress. He takes you with him as, again and again, he plunges into uncharted waters and comes up a stronger swimmer than he was before. There's not a lot of emotion in his narration, but there's a lot of emotional content. As he recounts his growing string of achievements in the entertainment industry, you can feel the swelling confidence, the growing power. Best of all, you never stop liking Eisner, mostly because he's also willing to tell you about the projects and relationships that didn't work out so well--which makes one really anxious to hear Jeffrey Katzenberg's autobiography. (Running time: four hours, three cassettes) --Lou Schuler

Book Description

In 1964, NBC clerk Michael Eisner made $65 a week. Though he only took one business course in his life--accounting--he did have a head for business: as CEO of Disney, he earned over half a billion bucks in 1997. Though he had no foundation in finance, he averted the bloody dismemberment of Disney by takeover sharks when he took over in 1984, and by May 1998 he earned over $80 billion for Disney stockholders. Not bad for a guy who, on his first day in Walt's old office, met a manager of the film division BVD (Buena Vista Distribution) and innocently asked whether "Disney made underwear."In his memoir, Eisner doesn't air quite as much dirty laundry as we could hope he'd be dopey enough to do. Still, it is revealing, and since it's unheard-of for Hollywood potentates to spill any beans at all, this book is required reading for anyone interested in America's major export, popular culture.We learn a fair bit of personal stuff: the crucial impact of Eisner's sternly withholding father, who drove Michael to succeed and made him less than effusive himself in praising underlings; his favorite book in youth (The Catcher in the Rye); his encounters with more madcap Hollywood types; his brush with death from heart disease; the day he got the idea for Beverly Hills Cop by getting physically roughed up by a Beverly Hills cop; his plan to add the naughtier cartoon character Mortimer Mouse to Mickey's family.Eisner gives us his negotiating secret (be willing to walk), his view of prerelease audience testing of shows ("it's almost worthless"),his management strategy (incite raucous debate within strict institutional checks and balances, then make gut decisions), the key to success in movies and TV (strong two-man partnerships: Lew Wasserman and Sid Sheinberg at Universal, Bob Daly and Terry Semel at Warner Bros., and preeminently Eisner and Frank Wells at Disney). Eisner gives a provocative analysis ofwhy Jeffrey Katzenberg and Michael Ovitz proved disastrous partners for him at Disney, and even confesses to a few screwups of his own (losing his temper and helping to blow the Disney America historical park development). --Tim Appelo

Download Description

Michael Eisner—chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company—is among the entertainment industry's most dynamic and creative leaders. Like Lee Iacocca and Bill Gates, Eisner is a brilliant executive who has led a company from marginality to market dominance. With candor and insight, Eisner describes his successes, his well-publicized failures, and the personality struggles he has faced. As he does so, we learn the principles that have guided his career: Suggesting the impossible extends the possible; good creative instincts are meaningless unless you act on them; success tends to make you forget what made you successful in the first place; find out the bad news first—the good news rarely requires immediate action; the key to any creative venture is the idea—the basic concept stripped of any other considerations—everything else is secondary. As Barry Diller, chairman and CEO, USA Networks, Inc said: "If you want to understand—really understand—how to succeed in business, buy this book and read every word."

Customer Reviews:

Get overyourself Mr. Eisner.......2006-12-22

Michael Eisner put out this book, which covers the first half of his tenure at the Disney corporation, in order to justify what he has done so far. While the man is convinced he is Walt reincarnated which will lead to problems later on this book does show what Eisner has accomplished. The modern movie industry would look very different if Eisner had not been on the scene. Overall I would take this book in stride and enjoy the story of everything Eisner touching turning to gold and then having it be someone else fault when it falls apart.

This is a great read!!!!.......2002-11-15

I bought this book on special - ... Can't complain!!

But I must tell you it was a brilliant book and one that you will read right through and look forward everytime you pick it up. It was brilliantly written and about things that you know of. Movies you've seen or heard about. So it involves you in all his business ventures. In between all the stories is great advise and great ideas which you can relate to your own business.
Overall just really enjoyable and well worth looking at.

A very good book indeed........2001-12-16

I got this book during my last visit at Disney and I can say I was not disapointed. The book starts with Mr. Eisner's visit to the hospital and then goes all the way back to his summer school years. You might ask, so why is it interesting at all?

Well, the writting is very engaging and all sorts of names start to pop up like rabbits in a very natural way; like if you were speaking of your friends and collegues. The only thing is that your list of partners might not include George Lucas, Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, among the several celebrities mentioned.

Eisner, however, details his hits and misses with the apparent upmost sincerity. Like the first time he tried to close a deal and how he got mad because the other party tried to take advantange of the situation at the last minute...

I come from a business background and I have experienced many of the situations that Eisner covers in his book. It is very nice to read his point of view on many topics and affect all business managers every day.

I think his dealing with Jeffrey Katzenberg was debatable and each party tried to get the most water for their own well and forgot to see what was best for Disney. At the end I think they all lost...

The book is very good indeed. Don't think is it another way to spend your money on a Disney product because if it is, you will be getting the best part of the bargain.

Critical success factor - Innovation.......2001-11-01

The whole book is about Michael Eisner and the Disney Kingdom.

Michael Eisner is the soul of the Disney Kingdom. He creates the success of Disney by his innovation and good managaement skills.

From this book, I learnt that the critical success factor for a entertainment business is innovation. People want something new and exicting, if you fail to fulfill their needs, you are the loser of the game.

After reading this book, I know how to increase my bargaining power, and how to put myself in a supervior position during a negotiation.

This is really a good book!!

the other side of the story.......2001-08-12

After the Death of Frank Wells and the fallout from Katzenberg and Ovitz all i had heard about was how Michael Eisner was hard to work with. This book gives Eisner's account of the events.It gives a account of Eisner's career through his point of view.It does exactly what a autobiography should do without resorting to perticularly harsh blows to others.

Work in Progress: Risking Failure, Surviving Success

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Work in Progress: Risking Failure, Surviving Success

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 064150893X

Product Description

From the Publisher Scores of books have been published about business, but rarely has a CEO as prominent as Michael Eisner of The Walt Disney Company written so intimately about his life and work. In Work in Progress, Eisner describes the daily challenge of a rapidly changing marketplace, countless creative choices, painful setbacks, and dramatic triumphs. For more than 30 years, Michael Eisner has lived and worked at the center of American popular culture. At ABC, as a young executive, he helped bring to life shows such as 'Happy Days' and the miniseries 'Roots'. As president of Paramount Pictures, he was responsible for films ranging from 'Beverly Hills Cop' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' to 'Terms of Endearment' and 'The Elephant Man'. As chairman of The Walt Disney Company for the past 14 years, he has orchestrated the transformation of a beloved but struggling company into a multimedia giant in movies, television, radio, theme parks, theater, and even cyberspace. Having spent his life helping other people to tell stories, Eisner now tells his own -- with humor, insight, and unstinting honesty. He recounts such significant events as the extraordinary revival of Disney's animation business and the negotiations for one of the largest acquisitions in corporate history -- Cap Cities/ABC -- which began in an Idaho parking lot. He is just as forthcoming about the early struggles of Disneyland Paris and the fierce opposition that finally helped to derail Disney's America theme park. Blending the personal and the professional, he tells the stories of the tragic death of his partner and closest confidante, Frank Wells; his own emergency quadruple bypass surgery; the high-level personnel changes that followed; and the emergence of a new generation of young leaders at Disney.

Customer Reviews:

The Real Grand Slam of Golf.......2003-05-29

This is the story of the Grand Slam in Golf (US Amateur, US Open, British Amateur, and British Open) and the only golfer to ever win it. The Modern Slam ( Masters, US Open, British Open, and US PGA ) was conceived by the press when becomeing a pro golfer became an honerable profession and amateur golf went by the wayside. The story of Bobby Jones' 1930 Grand Slam is more exiting than any modern day golf story. Jones, who quit the competive game at 28 with 13 major championships is the greatest golfer who ever lived. Tiger is really chasing Jones not Nicklaus.

Book Description

Harry Gelber examines centuries of colonial interaction and argues for a close link between revolution in 18th-century Europe and the development of Asian nationalism from the 19th century onwards. He reviews how the adoption of European industrial and financial practices encouraged the spread of European ideologies in general. Asia's adoption of national self-determination and decolonization changed the balance of international power.

Book Description

Explores the roots and causes of our increasingly voyeuristic society and argues against using the First Amendment to safeguard our right to peer into others' lives.

Voyeur Nation traces the evolution and forces driving what the author calls the 'voyeurism value.' Calvert argues that although spectatorship and sensationalism are far from new phenomena, today a confluence of factors-legal, social, political, and technological-pushes voyeurism to the forefront of our image-based world.

The First Amendment increasingly is called on to safeguard our right, via new technologies and recording devices, to peer into the innermost details of others' lives without fear of legal repercussion. But Calvert argues that the voyeurism value contradicts the value of discourse in democracy and First Amendment theory, since voyeurism by its very nature involves merely watching without interacting or participating. It privileges watching and viewing media images over participating and interacting in democracy.

Customer Reviews:

Welcome to Global Voyeurism.......2004-01-14

As transnational broadcasters rush toward privatization, calls for more democratization and transparency by more laissez-faire governments, Clay Calvert's Voyeur Nation should be thoughtfully considered to prevent a "race to the bottom" by sacrificing cultural tastes in the pursuit of greater audience numbers.
A lawyer as well as a professor of law and communications and co-director of the Pennsylvania Center for the First Amendment at Pennsylvania State University. The latter credit is important because Calvert does not believe the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution-an international model for liberalized news and entertainment-should not protect "mediated voyeurism" rampant in the U.S., Asia and Europe. The argument is as important as it is provocative.
Calvert lays the groundwork for his argument with a recitation of what the mass media have done to damage the concept of privacy rights, often willingly abdicated by "victims" seeking fame and fortune, their fleeting Warholian 15 minutes of recognition-both in front of and behind the hidden camera.
The author decries the rise of "reality" shows on U.S. and European television where cameras go along and confront various miscreants and straying spouses. Those caught in the glare of camera lights almost never are advised of their rights to an attorney and often react badly-which, of course, is "good" television. In some cases, especially on tell-all/show-all programs like the Jerry Springer Show or the Ricki Lake Show, participants are asked to bare their most private thoughts on syndicated TV. The result is a growing class of exhibitionists performing in real life for a growing class of audience voyeurs, he says.
Calvert cites uses and gratifications theories as a reason people tune into such programs as The World's Most Amazing Videos, Cheating Spouses Caught on Tape, Cops, The Osbournes (a new entry into the voyeurism field where the camera follows rocker Ozzie Osbourne and his family around all day long-and showed in real time the family's reactions to the wife's newly diagnosed cancer) and dozens more. This voyeurism even has a game-show flavor as demonstrated last summer when Maury Povich and Montel Williams each aired a series of shows on "Who's the Father?" Using DNA testing, unwed mothers with babes in arms found out which among three former lovers were actually the father of her baby while a cheering live studio audience made their own guesses. The programs drew huge audiences, which, in the Western media tradition, resulted in huge company profits. Legal scholar Robert Bork must have had programs like these in mind when he wrote Slouching Towards Gomorrah.
The Internet has pushed the envelope on voyeurism, Calvert writes. Some of the more popular sites on the web are those featuring webcams or surveillance cameras that catch participants in various aspects of day-to-day, from bed and board to bath in real-life Truman Shows, including their most intimate minutes. Sexual voyeurism is one of the more popular Internet activities worldwide, whether some cultures are willing or not to admit it, he says.
The public's right to know is limited to officialdom, not to their neighbor's bedroom behind closed curtains. While "peeping" might be a human "want" it is not a human "need." Mediated voyuerism involving the space band spectrum opens the door for regulation, he says. In that regard, Calvert might be suggesting a role for governments or critical discussion by community in the mediation process. Communitarians such as Robert Putnam and Amitai Etzioni would heartily agree since they would consider mediated voyeurism contrary to the best interests of a civil, community-based society.
While building a strong case of greater government influence in broadcasting of programs that violate privacy rights, Calvert limps out of the argument at the end, suggesting instead self-governance by media outlets by redefining broadcasting ethos and codes of conduct.
Despite the weak ending, Calvert's work raises key issues for transnational broadcasters and is worth a read by students seeking an understanding of what could happen to transnational programming if ratings races become their raisons d'etre.

Intriguing, but somewhat tedious.......2003-09-02

Clay Calvert defines mediated voyeurism as "the consumption of revealing images of and information about others' apparently real and unguarded lives, often yet not always for purposes of entertainment but frequently at the expense of privacy and disclosure, through the means of mass media and Internet."

The author has an exquisite grasp of the obvious (or maybe I've just read too many books on this subject), revealing in the first half of the book such profound truths as: the more willing people are to give up control of information that affects them, the more mediated voyeurism thrives; and, TV news has become a commodity used to gather an audience to sell to advertisers.

The book makes some interesting points on media coverage of politics, for instance, by focusing on politicians' strategies (for staying at the top of the race) instead of substantive issues, the media contributes to the politics-as-voyeurism phenomenon and alienates voters. Also interesting was Calvert's discussion of the case law related to voyeurism. His description of some of the pertinent and precedent-setting cases was enlightening and alarming.

On a more negative note, the book is self-referential to the point of absurdity. The author's habit of incessantly telling the reader what he just told him, what he told him back in chapter 2, and what he's going to tell him in the next section or chapter becomes very irritating.

And one bit of false advertising: in the introduction Calvert promises that the book "can at times be sarcastic, if not flippant, in tone." I noted one (possibly two) instances of sarcasm and none of flippancy. It would be more accurate to say "the book can at times be didactic, if not tedious, in tone.

If this book interested you, you may also be interested in Tuning in Trouble by Heaton and Wilson. It only deals with talk shows, and it is not as in-depth as this book, but it is a bit more readable.

Great discussion on privacy vs. public's right to know.......2001-04-17

This is an excellent book covering a topic that affects anyone who watches TV or access the Internet. This book provokes thinking about what we view on TV news and "news magazines". What is newsworthy content? How far can and should the media go in terms of invading privacy by broadcasting private moments? Is shoving a camera into a grieving person's face newsworthy, or is it an invasion of privacy rights not worthy of First Amendment protection? What about secretly videotaping an accident victim's on-the-scene agony and broadcasting it later on TV without seeking the victim's permission?

The author notes that the First Amendment was designed to promote participation in our democracy, but much of the content provided my media outlets today actually lulls viewers into a voyeuristic mode, suppressing the will of people to participate. Still, most of what we see on TV is protected by the First Amendment, even when the result is contrary to the desired effect of promoting an active and involved democracy.

When reading this book, you might find yourself questioning court decisions, but you will also question the alternatives. This book provokes thought, as a good book should. I highly recommend it. You won't see the news or "news" magazine shows in the same light again!

Beagle says..........2001-01-23

Mr. Calvert is clearly an authority on media law. The book is so well-written as to be accessible anyone who is interested in communications law. Contains a comprehensive discussion of the law, yet one which is easily understood by all. High marks for the author's use of plain language to convey ideas which could otherwise be quite difficult to understand. Worthwhile reading for the practitioner or layperson.

Caly Calvert, the Man, the Myth, the Mystery.......2001-01-03

I loved this book so much I gave it as a gift! Doctor Calvert is a gifted writer, and noticing that he is a professor at Penn State University, I have no doubt that if the classes he teaches are half as interesting as this book, it must be nearly impossible to get a spot in them! I reccommend this book whole-heartedly!

Voyeur Nation: Media, Privacy, and Peering in Modern Culture (Critical Studies in Communication and in Cultural Industries)

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Voyeur Nation: Media, Privacy, and Peering in Modern Culture (Critical Studies in Communication and in Cultural Industries)
Clay Calvert
Manufacturer: Westview Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Shooting People: Adventures in Reality TV

ASIN: 0813342368

Book Description

From 24-hour-a-day "girl cam" sites on the World Wide Web to trash-talk television shows like "Jerry Springer" and reality television programs like "Cops," we've become a world of voyeurs. We like to watch others as their intimate moments, private facts, secrets, and dirty laundry are revealed. Voyeur Nation traces the evolution and forces driving what the author calls the 'voyeurism value.' Calvert argues that although spectatorship and sensationalism are far from new phenomena, today a confluence of factors-legal, social, political, and technological-pushes voyeurism to the forefront of our image-based world.The First Amendment increasingly is called on to safeguard our right, via new technologies and recording devices, to peer into the innermost details of others' lives without fear of legal repercussion. But Calvert argues that the voyeurism value contradicts the value of discourse in democracy and First Amendment theory, since voyeurism by its very nature involves merely watching without interacting or participating. It privileges watching and viewing media images over participating and interacting in democracy.

Playing at Peeping Tom.(Review): An article from: American Journalism Review

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Playing at Peeping Tom.(Review): An article from: American Journalism Review
Carl Sessions Stepp
Manufacturer: University of Maryland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from American Journalism Review, published by University of Maryland on January 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1011 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Playing at Peeping Tom.(Review)
Author: Carl Sessions Stepp
Publication: American Journalism Review (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2001
Publisher: University of Maryland
Volume: 23 Issue: 1 Page: 58

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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An excellent tactics studybook

Good Puzzle Book With Interesting Scoring System

Good tactics practice

303 Perplexing Chess Puzzles (Mensa)
Fred Wilson , and Bruce Alberston
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Learn Chess Tactics

303 Tricky Chess Puzzles

ASIN: 1402711468

Book Description

Building on the earlier 303 Tactical Chess Puzzles, this collection of fun chess exercises provides a rigorous practice regimen designed to develop players’ strategic abilities. One hundred scenarios for each of 3 levels (advanced beginner, intermediate, and tournament) challenge players to resolve chess problems requiring multiple “ply” (a movement for one side only) solutions. To facilitate concentration, only 2 illustrations appear on each page, with a slight parenthetical hint at the top of each position. Answers to each puzzle and a tactics index allow players to study examples of individual strategies.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent tactics studybook.......2006-11-10

What makes this book (and others in the same series) different from most tactics / puzzle books, is the puzzles are arranged by difficulty not by tactical motif. In my opinion this makes much much more sense. There are three sets of problems, each containing 101. The first is for the Advanced Beginning, the second for the Intermediate Player, and the third for the Tournament Player. How to proceed is very obvious: first work through the first set, then either repeat it or continue to the next. This method or working through a set of tactical problems of increasing difficulty and then repeating it (7 times to be exact) is the method advocated by "Rapid Chess Improvement". Other puzzle books in which problem difficulty seems to be random are extremely annoying to me, since I obviously need to practice the easier ones before moving on to the hard ones!

Good Puzzle Book With Interesting Scoring System.......2006-11-03

The puzzles in this book, which actually number more than 303, are presented in three sections according to the author's assessed degree of difficulty. The difficulty is generally determined by using the "ply" method. In chess a "ply" is a half move so two ply is a full move. The author's conclude, which I generally agree with, the more ply, the more difficult the puzzle. Moreover, for each puzzle there is a hint as to the dominant tactical theme such as "Mating Attack" or "Deflection". I found that these categorizations were generally accurate, although there were a number of errors. Moreover, there were errors in a few of the problems, where although a solution was suggested by the authors, it was not the best line. One example was problem #107, which was listed as a mating attack, but the authors missed a refutation of the mate. Overall, this is a worthwhile puzzle book that is reasonably priced. However, as the accuracy is questionable at times, I only gave it three stars.

Good tactics practice.......2005-04-05

This is the first chess puzzle book I've tried to work my way through, so I don't know how to compare it to others. but I have found it useful so far. It is essentially 100% positions and solutions, with very little explanatory text, but the puzzles themselves seem appropriately graded, and I've only found one error in the solutions (a pretty good error rate from what I've heard about puzzle books). I'm not a very advanced player, so I find myself wishing for a bit more explanation in the solutions sometimes, but generally I can understand them. The book is divided into three sections based on difficulty, and for me, some of the puzzles in the first section were easy, some hard, but all more or less at my level. The other two sections, from the few puzzles I attempted in each, seem much more challenging.

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The best textbook for MIS majors that I've seen

Alot of good information, but not what it should be

Nothing but an e-commerce glossary...

A Good Ecommerce Textbook

Best and Most Current Textbook Available

Electronic Commerce, Sixth Edition
Gary P. Schneider
Manufacturer: Course Technology
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0619217049

Book Description

Electronic Commerce, Sixth Edition, by Gary Schneider, builds on the success of previous editions by detailing how the landscape of online commerce is changing and evolving. Reflecting changes in the economy and how businesses are responding, this text emphasizes revenue and transaction cost reduction models as an alternative to the older ideas of business models.

Customer Reviews:

The best textbook for MIS majors that I've seen.......2006-12-07

First let me disclose that I have been a programmer for years (and for some of the businesses described in the book).

In general the book is good.

Pros:
It summarizes the business end of ecommerce very well.
The book covers most of the technical aspects of ecommerce from a high level.
The book is not about abstract, useless business theory that is common in many university business courses; the book is a collection of good case studies of ecommerce.

Cons:
The book chews more than it can swallow given the pace it needs to set for a normal class. Since it needs to stay at certain length, the book doesn't always do a good job explaining the technical aspects of ecommerce with enough detail from a layman's point of view. At times it is more of a review for people already with the knowledge. So unless your technical background is strong and deep (eg you are either a programmer or systems administrator for web servers), there may be a lot of jargon in some areas that will confuse and bore you. Consequently this is probably a senior year book

(The author should take notes from the HeadFirst series of technical books.)

Alot of good information, but not what it should be.......2005-08-04

My heart goes out to Ben Matthews (below) who had this thing for a level 4700. That's nuts. I had this book for a level 222 and it was a complete joke. There's a lot of good information and stories about what makes a good e-commerce site, I'll give it that. But there's nothing in here to really give you an edge as far as this stuff goes. The entire point of this book can be summed up in this statement:

"Look at amazon, look at google and look at yahoo. Look for reasons why they're successfull and take note. Do the same practices in your online sites".

This book is an interesting read, but for a bunch of stories and business jargon it's not worth the money.

Nothing but an e-commerce glossary..........2004-02-03

This book serves as an introduction to e-commerce terms and principles. To me, it reads like a shallow glossary of a large number of e-commerce terms.

Do not get the impression that this will teach you how to carry out e-commerce. Instead, this book merely introduces you to e-commerce terminology. For that, the book serves its purposes, but for anything else, you may be better off looking elsewhere.

I thought it was very expensive considering the fact that all of the information could be found in e-commerce summaries for free on the internet.

A Good Ecommerce Textbook.......2003-04-17

I teach ecommerce at the undergraduate level. I plan to use this book as the backbone for the class. The objectives are tied to the e-Biz+ certification exam from CompTIA, which is a nice feature since CompTIA does a bang-up job on researching the skills needed for entry level employment.

I like the book mainly because it offers the primary business concepts needed by my technical students before they enter the IT job market. My students can't take a lot of business classes, but they still need to know the business side of things. This book gets them the essentials in a one semester format.

Ecommerce is rapidly changing, so it will be tough for a book to keep up. I haven't seen the web site that accompanies the book yet. Hopefully it will be a good supplement to help stay current in a rapidly changing field. The book has a lot of web sites as examples, which can be a mixed blessing since web pages change constantly.

Teachers - the book says it has the usual instructor supplements for classroom teaching as well as online teaching, but I haven't seen them yet. I am using the stuff from the 3rd edition to prepare for my summer class - you will probably need to choose wisely as you review these supplements since they are of mixed quality. I am giving the book 4 stars instead of 5 since I can't vouch for the supplemental materials at this point.

Best and Most Current Textbook Available.......2000-11-06

This is, without a doubt, the best and most current textbook on electronic commerce that is available today (and I understand these authors are planning to have a second edition of the book completed by February 2000 - which should be even MORE current).

The book offers a balanced business-technology approach to the subject of e-commerce and include a great overview of both relevant technologies and business/revenue models. The book includes important issues like legal and international concerns and even has a great little section on managing and staffing Web development projects in the last chapter.

This is the only book on e-commerce that I have seen that actually creates and uses a theory-based organizing framework (they build on Porter's work on value chains). Even though the book was clearly designed to be used in the classroom (it has problem assignments, exercises, and an extensive list of references at the end of each chapter), I think this book would be an excellent resource for a business manager that wanted to learn what all of this e-commerce stuff was all about OR for a techie that wanted to learn something about the business end of e-commerce.

The book is a very easy read and is remarkably interesting (even the chapter on security theories is pretty hard to put down... and that is some dull stuff, usually). The book includes bolded company names throughout and each of those names is included on the book's Web site as a hyperlink to the company site. This is very useful because you can see the examples that the book mentions come to life (if you can read the book while you're in front of your computer)...

I would recommend this book to any reader that wants to learn more about electronic commerce than you would find in a light overview book. This book gets into details, but in a very readable way.

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