The Perfect Store: Inside eBay
Author: Adam Cohen
List Price: $25.95
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ISBN: 0316150487
Publisher: Little Brown & Company (05 June, 2002)
Sales Rank: 24,897
Average Customer Rating: 4.02 out of 5
Customer Reviews
Rating: 5 out of 5
Fascinating account of one of the few successful dotcoms
When Adam Cohen set out to chronicle of eBay, he probably did not realize that it would ultimately leave so many other dotcom businesses in its wake. This book is a thoroughly enjoyable account of all the quirky characters who built eBay into an empire, as well as a company that survived the dot-com bust. From the community of people who buy and sell on eBay -- and sometimes wind up getting married in the process -- to the site's enigmatic founder Pierre Obidymar, Cohen's book presents the story of a business that is not just successful but has upset all the traditional business models, became a highly fun place to work -- and extremely interesting to read about. I'd also recommend Andrea Orr's Meeting, Mating and Cheating --- for another fascinating account of a thriving Internet business. This book is about the Internet dating industry and how it has profited from loneliness and infidelity. Another fascinating read.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Excellent book, brought back good memories
I remember when eBay was called AuctionWeb, and the first auctions that occured on the site. Reading this book made me remember so many other details about the company and about that "pre-boom/bust" era in general. Adam Cohen weaves an interesting tale, switching back and forth in mid-chapter between short stories about users and the eBay community and the company itself. Perhaps the most fascinating insight the book provided was how seriously eBay takes the message boards and chat rooms they offer their users. It seems to me that so few eBay users actually use these services (I certainly don't), so the tension that this "community" feels when eBay changes policies may not accurately reflect the actual tension felt by all of eBay's paying sellers. Insightful and entertaining, this quick read will bring back memories and offer an excellent insight of the launch and development of (maybe the greatest) internet company.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Surprisingly fascinating
As a frequent user of eBay, I always wondered little things like how the site came to be and why is it called eBay... This book answers those questions. While reading this I was fascinated about how eBay has influenced so many things outside of the internet. The book details the humble beginnings of eBay by one person and his ideals. Along the way it shares stories about the sometimes quirky personalities that have helped make eBay the powerhouse that it is today. It also chronicles the whole dot com era and mentions other players such as Amazon and Yahoo. The book is surprisingly interesting. I don't usually read "business" books but this one I finished in 2 days. I would highly recommend this if you are interested in eBay, the internet, or the internet's influence on everyday life. Similar Products
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