I found Moore's descriptions of the phases of the Technology Adoption Life Cycle (TALC) very useful:

o Early Market: time of great excitement when customers are technology enthusiasts

o Chasm: early-market interest wanes

o Bowling Alley: Niche-based adoption in advance of general marketplace

o Tornado: mass-market adoption

o Main Street: aftermarket development

o End of Life: leaders are supplanted by new paradigms/technology

The individual chapters on The Bowling Alley, Inside the Tornado, and On Main Street were full of company examples and useful advice and warnings.

The last chapter on Organization Leadership which described the types of recruiting and management talent appropriate for each stage of the TALC contains very valuable advice.

However, I found the gorilla, monkey and chimp metaphors silly and tedious (I had trouble remembering which animal symbolized what). Surely Moore could have found a more descriptive way of indicating the strengths and strategies of the competitors during each of the phases of the TALC.

Primates aside, I will keep this book and add it to my library of professional marketing reference sources. It's worth picking up from time to time to re-read specific sections to refresh your memory. When you're in the "tornado" you won't have time for this kind of reading, so read it now!

Crossing the Chasm (1991) and Inside the Tornado (1995) are most valuable when read in combination. Chasm "is unabashedly about and for marketing within high tech enterprises." It was written for the entire high tech community "to open up the marketing decision making during this [crossing] period so that everyone on the management team can participate in the marketing process." In Chasm, Moore isolates and then corrects what he describes as a "fundamental flaw in the prevailing high-tech marketing model": the notion that rapid mainstream growth could follow continuously on the heels of early market success. In his subsequent book, Inside the Tornado, Moore's use of the "tornado" metaphor correctly suggests that turbulence of unprecedented magnitude has occurred within the global marketplace which the WWW and the Internet have created. Moreover, such turbulence is certain to intensify. Which companies will survive? Why? I have only one (minor) quarrel with the way these two books have been promoted. True, they provide great insights into marketing within the high technology industry. However, in my opinion, all e-commerce (and especially B2B) will be centrally involved in that industry. Moreover, the marketing strategies suggested are relevant to virtually (no pun intended) any organization -- regardless of size or nature -- which seeks to create or increase demand for what it sells...whatever that may be. I consider both books "must reading."ÿ

Crossing the Chasm (1991) and Inside the Tornado (1995) should be read in combination. Having just re-read both, I consider them even more valuable now than when they were first published. Chasm "is unabashedly about and for marketing within high-tech enterprises." It was written for the entire high tech community "to open up the marketing decision making during this [crossing] period so that everyone on the management team can participate in the marketing process." In Chasm, Moore isolates and then corrects what he describes as a "fundamental flaw in the prevailing high-tech marketing model": the notion that rapid mainstream growth could follow continuously on the heels of early market success.

In his subsequent book, Inside the Tornado, Moore's use of the "tornado" metaphor correctly suggests that turbulence of unprecedented magnitude has occurred within the global marketplace which the WWW and the Internet have created. Moreover, such turbulence is certain to intensify. Which companies will survive? Why? I have only one (minor) quarrel with the way these two books have been promoted. True, they provide great insights into marketing within the high technology industry. However, in my opinion, all e-commerce (especially B2B and, even more importantly, B2B2C) will be centrally involved in that industry. Moreover, the marketing strategies suggested are relevant to virtually (no pun intended) any organization -- regardless of size or nature -- which seeks to create or increase demand for what it sells...whatever that may be. I consider both books "must reading." Those who share my high regard for one or both are strongly urged to read Moore's more recent business classic, Living on the Fault Line.

As a long-time strategy consultant who has worked with hundreds of companies and now as an entrepreneur establishing a new company in Asia, utilizing the Internet, I find Evolve! to be packed with extremely useful ideas and powerful lessons. I recently spoke at a forum on the major challenges facing businesses in Greater China over the next ten years. Having just read Evolve!, I centered my talk around the new environment, new culture and new rules affecting businesses throughout the world, as a result of the Internet. These changes and their implications are certainly revolutionary, but they are also evolutionary. The attendees unanimously agreed that mastering this topic is a key success factor for their businesses.

Evolve! provides excellent perspectives on how the web acts both as a stimulus for new organizational culture and as a facilitator for change -- allowing this culture to change in an orderly and timely manner.

The extensive research done for this book provides fascinating case studies, anecdotes and insights for those readers who already have considerable experience with the Internet world. For readers who have less firsthand exposure to the key elements of the Internet and all that it implies the book provides, in an easy to relate to manner, excellent insights into understanding how the workplace of today needs to evolve in the future.

In the genre of e-commerce handbooks Evolve! does not give all the answers. There is no blueprint step by step process to Internet success that is outlined in her writings. Rather, the book presents a view of the correct culture, and outlook of a successful e-business. Social interactions are modified, and conflict is encouraged. In the end the focus is then shifter to the individual who is reading the book. Attention is given to the qualities of an effective leader in a fast changing internet environment where one must be a salesman and visionary while keeping track of concrete deadlines. Evolve! also has a large collection of research to back its claims. The Author, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, is a Harvard professor with a multitude of graduate students at her disposal. This gives her book a large amount of data and research into the various companies that have shaped the Internet and the world of e-business. It divides the players into the categories of Dotcoms, Dotcom Enablers, and Wannadots. It also shows the mistakes, and changes that occurred when the market leaders were first developing their focuses and strategies. To me the greatest aspect of the book is the in-depth historical perspective on the last four years in Silicon Valley. Big players, and company insiders give valuable information on their struggles to become the market leaders. The information is current, the background information is informative, and its message is useful.

I found Evolve! by Rosabeth Moss Kanter to be a fascinating look at how the Internet has changed the business world. As someone in his mid-20's working at a company that is stumbling into the Internet age, I know that Kanter's insights are right on target.

The best part of the book is its case studies. Kanter's extensive research enables her to give the reader behind-the-scenes stories of businesses struggling to succeed (as well as businesses struggling with success). These stories are fun and easy to digest -- I seriously couldn't put it down once I started reading it. The stories are woven together seamlessly, and each one is just as fascinating as the last. They uncover the inner-workings of business, which makes an understanding of familiar companies like E-Bay, IBM, BarnesandNoble.com, and Sun Microsystems much richer.

This book is also particularly good because it reveals the benefits and drawbacks of the "dot-com style." We have all been attracted to this type of work environment (no dress code, cool office spaces) and Kanter understands this -- but she has a fresh perspective on the extent to which this style can enhance or cramp an organization. She also explains the demands that the Internet has placed on businesses to be quick to move, network, improvise, and take chances.

As an employee myself, I found one of the best lessons to be that there are ways of making your job more meaningful, and there are ways of making your company feel more like a community. Some of it involves peppering the "dot-com style" around the company, but that is just a tool -- it has more to do with communication and teamwork.

Overall, this book is a great source of insights all told in Kanter's enthusiastic, animated narrative. I have recommended it to my friends and I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in understanding the real story behind how e-business has impacted and will continue to impact all types of businesses, from the inside-out.

It's not everyday you find a five hundred page book on the history of coffee. But then again, most coffee fans take their jobs quite seriously. Author Mark Pendergast has chronicled ups and downs of this remarkable commodity on an unprecedented scale. He takes us from the discovery of the bean in the hills of Ethiopia all the way to the despicable excesses of Starbucks. The first few chapters of this book take us on a jaunty trip through coffee's early history, including the ruthless and colorful European traders who were responsible for introducing the Western world to the bizarre beverage. Pendergast, a businessman by education, then settles into a wonderfully readable economic history. The structure of the material centers on the companies and international agreements that make up the international coffee system. But unlike so many commercially-oriented histories, Uncommon Grounds is eminently readable and captivating. The characters in the saga are fascinating: from American industrialists to Latin American peasants to African warlords to European consumers, there are people involved in this story, not just money. If you have a yen for coffee, grab an espresso and read this book. You won't find weighty theories on how coffee forms the basis of all human history, rather a fun, a caffeine-inspired trip through modernity with java-tinted glasses. -- HistoryHouse.com

This book outlines the history of coffee with a focus on the industry as a whole. It's main focus is on the late 19th century to the present. I think it provides an excellent overview and history of the business. I found it very readable and quite interesting. It is not dry like you would expect a business history book to be. Pendergrast does a good job of sprinkling in tidbits of facts throughout the book without bogging down. He also illuminates some of the drama behind the early days of small roasters in America growing and consolidating. This book is not for people who want to learn how to make coffee (it does have a few pages in an appendix on this). It is purely about the history of the business with a focus on events during the 20th century. I disagree with some comments made about this book. This book does reveal how coffee has transformed several Latin American and African countries even to this day. It does not spend entire chapters on specific countries but rather surveys several countries and the impact the industry has had. I thought Pendegrast did a fairly good job at balancing the different perspectives of retailers, roasters, importers, and growers. He also sheds some light onto the origins of specialty coffee and the explosion of retailers such as Starbucks. Some have argued this book is leftist, others argue it does not adequately cover the exploitation of Latin America and Africa by the industry. I think the author does a fairly good job of portraying both views, perhaps with a bit of leaning left. Pendergrast reveals fascinating personalities such as C.W. Post the inventor of Postum and many other health cereals still produced today or Howard Schultz - without whom Starbucks would never have been the phenomenon it is, but rather a regional roaster and retailer at best.
I do agree with one reader's review - this is not a coffee table book. It is a history book - a history of the commodity we know as the coffee bean. Since it is such a book - expect it to read like a history book, a good, readable history book. It is not riveting, rather it is interesting.

A discovery made in an Ethiopian rainforest centuries ago no commodity such as coffee has brewed up a rich and troubled history. Over the years, the beverage has fomented revolution, spurred deforestation, enriched a few while impoverishing the many, and addicted millions with its psychoactive caffeine. Little do people know that coffee is now the world's second most valuable legal commodity behind oil. The book details the rise and fall of regional coffee brands in the United States, the role of advertising in the industry, the global economic impact of coffee prices, and the recent emergence of specialty coffee retailers like Starbucks. This book serves up a rich blend of anecdote, character study, market analysis and social history. You will always remember this book every time you take that sip of coffee.

FinancialNeeds.com

As a regular reader of financial "self-help" books, I found Markman's book not only an easy read, but also a valuable long-term resource. Too often authors profess to have found the veritable "holy grail" of investing, only to have the markets later prove their theories wrong. What Jon has done here is to empower the average investor, who is already overloaded with information, to quickly and easily glean the ingredients to building a successful portfolio with minimal work. His specific reference to resources, both at MSN MoneyCentral and also at outside research sites such as LionShares.com, point out to the reader the user most useful tools on the web, and also how to analyze and use those tools. I particularly found the ability to research what the institutional "big boys" on Wall Street were investing in (through LionShares and other sites) an incredibly valuable tool.

The book is a handy refence guide and will help improve the stock-picking skills of most investors. Rather than tell us what to do, he gives us the tools to learn how to properly research and evaluate stocks ourselves; this approach alone is a welcome sigh of relief in the crowded landscape of investment guides.

A quick and enjoyable read that will enhance the skills of most reader/investors.

I have had extraordinary results using Money Central's investment finder and Jon Markman's FOG screens in searching for momentum stocks. Online Investing is very easy reading for a beginning investor to understand. There is a chapter explaining basic concepts to understand financial statements and technical analysis on stocks. Markman has great insight on how to research stocks on the Internet. In the summary of the book, he discusses how to allocate your time you are willing to spend on a daily, monthly or yearly basis to use the techniques in the book. Great book for persons wanting to start investing and researching online.

I was familiar with Mr. Markman from the MoneyCentral.msn site. Prolonged reading from a monitor and the discomfort associated with it, limited my familiarity with the author, though it was evident to me then that he had an important contribution with his SuperModel portfolios. I purchased this book primarily to learn more about his use of stock screening tools to choose stocks based on researched criteria that select stocks with excellent returns be they momentum, growth, or value.

I did not anticipate the "wealth" of information this book would provide in addition to stock screening. With it I've unearthed gems of information on the internet that I was previously unaware of. ONLINE INVESTING contains information relevant to fundamental and technical analysis, analyst recommendations, bulletin boards, and more. For the beginning investor, and those investors less familiar with what the internet has to offer, this is a must read. This book is comprehensive in its scope and I believe will result in an accelerated learning curve for beginning investors. More experienced investors who may have less experience using the web should appreciate the "user friendly" manner in which he step by step takes you to a site and actually serves as a host to the site and the tools and information contained within. I wish ONLINE INVESTING could have been written sooner as I would have avoided some costly investing mistakes.

I found this book extremely useful for beginning e-commerce. If you have no idea where to start when tackling an e-commerce project, I highly recommend this book. The ideas it provides along with the methods are essential for any project. The book covers essentials such as working with files, creating the shopping cart, working with credit cards, security, using wallets, and even how to set up an SSL connection. The information in this book is without a doubt vital for beginners. I have to say that this is not the best ASP e-commerce programming book in the world, but it will teach you the basics in a clear and quick manner. The examples are real world examples and can be implemented in a basic e-commerce site. (Don't expect to re-create amazon.com through this book.) The reason I give 4 stars to this book is that not all the files for the examples are on the CD. Also, the URL that is listed to see the site online does not exist. Other than that, it's a very useful book.

As an experienced ASP Web Developer and Internet consultant for over four years, I am often asked by beginners: "What do I need to learn to get into VB, ASP, SQL, Server-IIS, JavaScript, VB Script, COM, etc....". I usually give the answer to start with a Teach yourself book. These are self paced and call guide you through some of the most simple problems or applications.

Sams created a very good book for those Internet startups companies and individuals. You will most definitely find most of your answers like personalization. A key factor in the E-Commerce industry now. On page 280 there was the checkpassword.asp file missing, but Sams has corrected that in a download.

Also, I have to admit that the coding used is well-formed, neat & clean, and extensive. I'm sure that the example would bring new content to some seasoned eCommerce expert as well.

For newbies you might consider another book such as Beginning ASP 3.0, Beginning ASP Databases. Even though this book is pretty easy to follow, it also assume you have some asp programming knowledge.

Overall Great Job and the examples do work!

I teach ASP in the California State University system and my students are generally happy with this book. It provides enough source code you could make a shopping cart and catalog and understand what you are doing and why you were choosing to do it with Session variables or not. There is definitely some annoying errata, and the source code doesn't match entirely with the source on the CD. I was disappointed in it's coverage of password protection. So, this is far from a perfect 5.

Someone could get up to speed with ASP pretty quickly with this book. I use it to teach ASP to a cross-section of students with moderate computer backgrounds--not computer science majors. It does not cover the basic functionality, like loops and variables, so a better book for beginners may be one such as Learn ASP in 21 Days. That is if you are still teaching or learning ASP rather than dot-Net. And I honestly don't know which is best to learn at this transitional point. I find ASP very simple to learn and teach from books like this that just tell you what to do, show you, and let you do it.

Seth Godin may "get" the Internet better than just about anyone else out there, and proves it in this brisk but pithy little volume. THE BIG RED FEZ really looks at two very important components of design in an e-commerce site; ease of use and marketing focus.

These two concepts go hand-in-hand in ways that I blushingly admit I did not see before I read this book. Godin's insights into how sites work are smart, sensible, and entertaining.

It's a quick read (I got through it in a couple of hours, at my computer, visiting many of the sites he uses in the book), but the concepts Godin presents are valuable and worth frequent revisiting.

If you read only one web-design book this year, make it this one!

(and a special PS to Seth: Thanks for pointing out the "SADWEEK.COM" parody site; best laughs I've had in months!)

Think of this book as Cliff Notes for profitable web development. Seth Godin uses web site examples in pictures, with concise explanation, providing memorable snapshot summaries of key ideas. Topping out at 110 pages, this is an informative, evening read.

"There are two definitions of what happens online.
There's the engineers version, which is that smart people, with plenty of time, who know precisely what they want . . . are able to make a considered decision with access to all the data. . .
Then there's the marketer's version. This version says that people are busy, ill informed, impatient, not very thoughtful and eager to click on something right now. Marketers also believe that if you don't give a prospect the right thing to click on right now, he's going to hit the "Back" button and leave.
The second version is the one that's backed up with all the data and all the successful results. "
To help us to remember what we're trying to do with a web site, Godin suggests we think of a monkey in a Big Red Fez. What is going to get and keep his attention? This monkey is always thinking "Where's the banana?"
Seth Godin visits many sites, showing clear successes, blatant failures and many memorable, well-intentioned misses. His common-sense dictum keeps it simple: "The web is a giant direct-marketing machine, and the best tactic is to use direct-marketing thinking to create a site where your margin per relationship is greater than the cost of that relationship." Take an evening and find the banana for your site.

Seth Godin can give you more valuable information on the do's and don'ts of Web site design in this small book - with a 1 picture/1 textpage approach that at first glance makes it similar to a kids' book - than any of the boring 500-page encyclopedias by wannabe web "experts" I've read recently.

This is a must-read for anyone that USES the Web, let alone for those whose work is making it. As an interactive marketer, you bet I'll be giving this book to my clients each time they want to put their entire company's history in the homepage. Way to go, Seth!

This is not a very good book on daytrading.

Best book I read regarding this subject is "Fiancial freedom trough electronic daytrading" by Van K Tharp and Brian June. They give you a step by step way to build your plan, including the three main elements of any trading plan: Psicology, risk control and posotion sizing.

Second best is Tony Oz's "Stock trading wizard".

Anyway, Appendix A of "The Undergroundtrader.com Guide to Electronic Trading" ,written by Russell Arthur Lockhart, Ph.D. and titled "A different style of trading", is excellent and gives you, as the title says, a different way to daytrade, without the stressing pressure of level 2 surveillance and the subjectiveness inherent of the decission making using this tool.

Lockhart method (3PB)is purely mechanical and focussed only in price action. No indicators such as stochactics or MACD are needed. It tells you, also, how to improve this method using fibonanci price targets and pivot points.

Based solely on this appendix ( 35 pages) i'm glad I bought this book.

FSC

There are many books on trading that suggest that a combination of psychotherapy and technical analysis provide the key to the bank. This is the only one I have come across that describes in detail the many and varied ruses used by market professionals to deceive/terrify/seduce individual investors into making dreadful trades, and for this reason alone is worth its weight in gold for anyone who wants to master quickfire intraday trading and the consistent profits it can bring.

Perhaps I should declare my interest by stating that I am a member of the Undergroundtrading pit, which I am also finding to be genuinely helpful. At the same time, those planning to act on this book should be aware that it is only the first stage of a long, arduous (and potentially expensive) apprenticeship, and that the real life application of the author's ideas require finely honed response skills, powerful computers and brokers that allow direct routing of orders. For those who want to go down this path, however, the author is a pretty good guide.

I join the other reviewer in singing praises to this book. The author gives important information and techniques; thinks like how to watch the AX, how to figure out if he's head-faking, order routing, the best price in order to get an immediate fill. He also gives us his thoughts for 2 trading days. Unlike the Velez / Capra book, this book isn't a sales brochure. I think undergroundtrader.com was only mentioned twice, one in the author's bio, and the other time in the title. I'm sure the money I'll save from the knowledge I gained from this book will be worth at least 100 times the price.

Site Server is a large and complicated product. The documentation that comes with it is unclear. For someone who wants to master the most powerful and useful part of Site Server, Membership and Personalization, this book is a must read. It explains the technology in terms of how its used in the real world. While I don't usually like "how to" books, this one is an exception.

I learned a lot from this book that I could not get from the Site Server documentation. I hope a book will come out soon on the publishing aspects: content areas, stores, etc. I also do not like the trend of Wrox books putting the author's mug on the front cover, spine and back cover. It is thoroughly obnoxious.

The level of useful detail in this book is just amazing. From simple setup info to get you started, API discussions and performance considerations to common sense learned through experience, etc., it's there. "It" is also scattered about the MS white papers and product documentation, but this book nicely collects all the interesting stuff into a single volume. I'd put it up with the NT Services book, as one of the best Wrox books for programmers doing server applications on MS platforms. (BTW, if you're one of these, you might also like Nik Okunsteff's NT 4.0 Security and Exchange programming books). Programming examples are in VB and C/C++; one or two might be in Java. So, the more widely-versed you are in languages/environments and the more you have worked on Web-based applications, the more you're going to get out of this book, although it contains rather intro-level coverage of app-building Wizards and the like, as well.

I _read_ all the MS white papers and product docs while developing a prototype app soon after Site Server 3.0's release; it would have saved me a lot of time if this book had been available a couple months earlier. Reading it, I said, "Yep, I found out THAT's important, and it's only mentioned in one obscure MS white paper," and "Wish someone had told me THAT before I spent a day trying to do it this other way that sounded good," etc. It just contains that much stuff that is useful In Real Life, rather than merely satisfying academic curiosity (do YOU have time for that any more?).

It even goes a bit into Site Server administration (You're a developer, so you don't need that? Guess again; Site Server 3.0 can be a challenge to even install, depending on what else is on your machine, and if you can't install Site Server, or your company's admin can't install it on their production server, your app isn't going to get far...).

Doing an app in a Site Server environment? Or thinking of doing an app requiring visitor personalization services, and considering using Site Server? Buy this book. (And no, I am not related in any way to any of the zillion authors. This is an unbiased programmer-to-programmer recommendation.)

I have read several books on this topic and this book is by far the most complete guide and reference book on day trading. Everything is there: from Level I and II screens, technical analysis, order executions, risk management, to day trading strategies. The apendices even include a list of Nasdaq and NYSE stocks that are suitable for day trading. The best part is that everything from A to Z was well explained in simple and easy to understand terms. Finally, the book was professionally illustrated.

I liked the fact that the author and publisher did not promote this or that trading software, or endorse a specific brokerage firm. The author wrote responsible book, which disclosed upfront the risk of day trading. Well done!

This was an excellent book. Finally, a book on daytrading that really covers actual strategies for trading both the NASDAQ and the NYSE. At first I was thrown by the title since there is nothing easy about trading. I thought that it was another of the "get rich quick by daytrading" books, but I was wrong. This book doesn't just give the history of SOES bandits and then plug the author's seminar or brokerage. It gives actual strategies and techniques to put into practice. My favorite part was the section on determining the type of trading best suited to the reader. The author gives real life examples of traders who are successful using various styles of trading from scalping to position trading. I haven't read another book that spent any time on this but it may be one of the most important things for new traders. If you buy one book on daytrading, buy this one. Then if you feel trading is for you move on to Tony Oz's book "Stock Trading Wizard".

I wish I had this book when I started day trading. It would have saved me a lot of money, eliminated a lot of trading mistakes and strees and pushed me up the learning curve much faster. Everything was here in the book: from A to Z, from the Level I and II information to technical analysis indicators, from the day trading strategies to tax issues. This is by far the most complete guide to day trading that I have read so far, I have read most of them.

The trading information was presented in easy to understand language, and most significantly, it was well written so it was pleasure to read. The author defined and explained all of the day trading terms and concepts so there are no gaps in the material. The book was logically organized, so the information was easy to follow from chapter to chapter. All illustrations and particularly the technical analysis charts were professionally done and easy to understand.

Finaly, what I like about this book is the author's honesty. The author disclosed all of the risk of day trading up front. This book is not a promotional piece. (I really liked the risk management chapter.) The author made it clear that day trading is a risky business that requires a lot of knowledge. Consequently, this book is a step in the right direction. It will help readers to acquire that knowledge.

Christopher Locke is known for his online rants against traditional corporate systems, and his last book Cluetrain was a hit with marketers looking to engage, rather than target, potential consumers. While I haven't read his rants or his previous book, I did have the dubious pleasure of receiving his new one, Gonzo Marketing, which apparently builds upon his ideas from Cluetrain, but adds more scattered filler.

Like his idol Hunter S. Thompson, Locke's writing is all over the place. Uptight suits might find his prose amusing and cutting-edge, but to me it seemed like a lot of hot air. After almost 200 pages of random etymology, philosophy, and sociology in the vein of Robert Anton Wilson, but spliced with embarrassing dad humor, he finally gets to his theory, which is that companies looking to market on the web shouldn't think about marketing. Rather, they should build personal relationships with potential consumers, but still not push their products or services, since that would still be a form of marketing (one-on-one, or personal selling). As an example, he suggests that Ford pay employees to stay home and build web sites based on their own personal interests, such as organic gardening. And instead of linking Ford to their site, Ford would link the gardening site and encourage people to visit these underwritten - but not sponsored - sites. The hope is that organic gardeners might somehow become interested in Ford's products.

While he makes some good points about consumers' repugnance of all forms of online advertising, and the overall ineffectiveness of mass communication on the web, his solution doesn't seem to hold much water or make any financial sense. And even if a company did use its resources to underwrite completely unrelated web sites to create these micro-communities and forums around unrelated fields, consumers would STILL be distrustful of the company. No matter how much Locke tries covering it up with his "zany" writing style, the fact remains that anti-marketing is still marketing, and in the end, his theory would, in practice, appear even more dubious and dishonest than traditional marketing.

However, Locke does succeed at selling himself, and while I didn't find his "hey-look-at-me-I'm-not-wearing-a-tie!" shtick very entertaining, his charisma (or penchant for quoting dorky classic rock songs) will definitely win him over with the balding, stuffy suit set.

I disagree with the recent review that thinks this subject only deserves an "article" instead of a book. The reviewer seems to think that because Locke does not provide a nice neat little well annotated map of the future of the Net as it relates to business and marketing that he hasn't done a service worthy of "book" status.

Just because you recognize that something is wrong doesn't mean you know precisely what right is. We all know that the torrent of spam that we are daily assailed with is the wrong way to market on the Web (how many of you have really bought anything that was so advertised). But while Gonzo Marketing does not spell out the precise ABCs of what is developing in this New World, he does a very exemplary job of talking about it's roots and realities. I think perhaps the most important single word that is used in both Gonzo Marketing (and The Cluetrain Manifesto) is "voice". The Net and it's derivitive, the Web, are forums for the individual voice to speak quietly but to a huge audience. It is this voice, this individual human communication that matters, because while we'll all trash a spam email within milliseconds, most of us will responed to a truly individual message from another human being. This takes the market back to what is originally was before it was usurped by corporations to mean masses of blank faces, and present it as the simple aggregation of people who wish to have discourse about their daily needs and perhaps exchange a few items for a few other items. Never mind that we're not really a bartering economy anymore, the character of that ancient market place is still deeply embedded in our psyches and most of us feel comfortable on that more personal basis. Locke even points out that Amazon is participating in his view of the current Net market by the very fact that it lets it's buyers review the books they purchase and thereby pass on to others a personal account of the value of the product.

So I say that you should buy the book if you are prepared to think for yourselves and project what Locke says onto whatever micro world you live and make money in. There simply are no books that can tell you extactly how to do it, although many claim to, but this book reminds you of lots of truths that you may have let slip into the sub-conscious realm, and once you have brought them back into view it is quite possible that you can apply Gonzo principles to whatever it is that you do with your life.

I disagree with the recent review that thinks this subject only deserves an "article" instead of a book. The reviewer seems to think that because Locke does not provide a nice neat little well annotated map of the future of the Net as it relates to business and marketing that he hasn't done a service worthy of "book" status.

Just because you recognize that something is wrong doesn't mean you know precisely what right is. We all know that the torrent of spam that we are daily assailed with is the wrong way to market on the Web (how many of you have really bought anything that was so advertised). But while Gonzo Marketing does not spell out the precise ABCs of what is developing in this New World, he does a very exemplary job of talking about it's roots and realities. I think perhaps the most important single word that is used in both Gonzo Marketing (and The Cluetrain Manifesto) is "voice". The Net and it's derivitive, the Web, are forums for the individual voice to speak quietly but to a huge audience. It is this voice, this individual human communication that matters, because while we'll all trash a spam email within milliseconds, most of us will responed to a truly individual message from another human being. This takes the market back to what is originally was before it was usurped by corporations to mean masses of blank faces, and present it as the simple aggregation of people who wish to have discourse about their daily needs and perhaps exchange a few items for a few other items. Never mind that we're not really a bartering economy anymore, the character of that ancient market place is still deeply embedded in our psyches and most of us feel comfortable on that more personal basis.

So I say that you should buy the book if you are prepared to think for yourselves and project what Locke says onto whatever micro world you live and make money in. There simply are no books that can tell you extactly how to do it, although many claim to, but this book reminds you of lots of truths that you may have let slip into the sub-conscious realm, and once you have brought them back into view it is quite possible that you can apply Gonzo principles to whatever it is that you do with your life.