Why did I select this book?

When I first found out about the book review project in this class I was kind of excited. I really enjoy reading and having the freedom to choose what I read. When searching for a book to read, I looked for something with sustenance, something that I would be able to pick up and not set down. I read quick reviews on books that I narrowed down in my selection process to determine if they were dry, or juicy. My mind was set on ‘The Long Tail’ after hearing about it from my good friend in Minnesota who is web designer. I watched a webinar that discussed the book and read a preview of a chapter and decided that this was the book for me. I hoped to understand more about ecommerce and its impact on the different economies around the world. I didn’t understand what the “long tail” was and what its relevance was. I also hoped to gain more of an understanding of niche markets and how they are impacting the world even more now than the popular choice markets.

What is the book is about?

This book is about the 80/20 rule and how globalization, with the main contributing factor, the internet, has changed that rule. The rule is that 80 percent of something is the result of 20% of something else. This rule was applied to the marketing and sales of products before the internet. The top 20% of products make up for 100% of revenue. With this, 80% of all products are failures. The visual representation of this rule is a graph that starts out high (20% of products making all the revenue) and then exponentially curves to a low tail (80% of products making low revenue). This book explains how the internet opened up information and products to a worldwide audience. People were once limited to few choices, then with those choices the top pick became the best and made the most money. Now, people have infinite choices and the top choices aren’t making the money they once were. People choose what ever they want forming niches in the market. The goal of marketers now is to market to specific niches.
The book is an informative book that not only informs the reader on the ever changing world, but also one that incites reaction in the reader, challenging him/her to actively look for these changes and how they can market. Its format is a descriptive, flowing and easy to follow format. It feels as if the author is having a discussion with the reader, rather than dry textbook format that puts readers to sleep.

Author Qualifications

Chris Anderson is the editor-in-chief of “Wired Magazine”. Wired Magazine won a national award while he was its editor-in-chief. He also has a lot of ecommerce experience and has written many articles.

Given similar books, to what degree would you recommend it?

I would recommend this book on a higher level than others (8/10) because it is informative in a discussion type of voice rather than bland, dry text books. The reader friendly dialogue of the book and usage of key points being explained to the lowest common denominator (without the baby-talk) really gave the book an advantage over others.