The Electronic Bazaar: From the Silk Road to the E-road Book

Robin Bloor's Electronic B@zaar is in many ways an object lesson in how to write a thoroughly modern management book. It's central idea is quite simple--that just as the Silk Road was once the world's great trade route, so the e-Road is poised to become our own trading highway. Obviously true to anyone who knows anything. But it isn't the idea that makes this a winner. It's all the intriguing tangents, tall tales, yarns, observations and gems that make this shine. If you're old enough, think James Burke and you have it. So here we get references to George Lucas, the death of Hollywood, Mao (little red book), alligator pools in Florida, Chaucer (good chap) and even the Church of Scientology. All of this strung together around some central ideas and metaphors--that the world has turned upside down, that we can buy anything from anywhere, that the Internet levels the playing field and so on. It's all written in a fresh, engaging way and includes some good stories about Internet dating and Internet communities. --Steve MorrisRead More