FREE: The Future of a Radical Price

By: Chris Anderson

Narrated by: Chris Anderson

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling author heralds the future of business in Free. In his revolutionary best seller, The Long Tail, Chris Anderson demonstrated how the online marketplace creates niche markets, allowing products and consumers to connect in a way that has never been possible before. Now, in Free, he makes the compelling case that, in many instances, businesses can profit more from giving things away than they can by charging for them.

Far more than a promotional gimmick, Free is a business strategy that may well be essential to a company's survival. The costs associated with the growing online economy are trending toward zero at an incredible rate. Never in the course of human history have the primary inputs to an industrial economy fallen in price so fast and for so long.

Just think that in 1961 a single transistor cost $10; now Intel's latest chip has two billion transistors and sells for $300 (or 0.000015 cents per transistor - effectively too cheap to price). The traditional economics of scarcity just don't apply to bandwidth, processing power, and hard-drive storage. Yet this is just one engine behind the new Free, a reality that goes beyond a marketing gimmick or a cross-subsidy.

Anderson also points to the growth of the reputation economy; explains different models for unleashing the power of Free; and shows how to compete when your competitors are giving away what you're trying to sell.

In Free, Chris Anderson explores this radical idea for the new global economy and demonstrates how this revolutionary price can be harnessed for the benefit of consumers and businesses alike.

©2009 Chris Anderson (P)2009 Hyperion

Critic reviews

"As in Anderson's previous book, the thought-provoking material is matched by a delivery that is nothing short of scintillating." ( Publishers Weekly)

Great book, good theory

This is a great book that explains well the advantage of the "free" market nowadays, the principle of 5% pays for 95% free.

Free Is As Free Does

Since this book was about the idea of free and especially its use in the internet age, it was a free download from Audible. Of special interest to me was the history of free in business - the marketing of Jello and Gillette razors for instance - where the makers creatively promoted their products. When the author presented economic theories, my mind began to wander, but that was only a tiny part of the book. I learned how the internet has changed the concept of free and that the pre-internet ways of making a profit may not apply anymore. The author's reading of his work was enthusiastic and he spoke in a clear voice; I do think he could have spoken a bit slower as I sometimes wanted a second to digest the thought. All in all, this was an informative listen and I'm happy I downloaded it.

good book

The author makes a well thought out case for his argument. I don't necessarily agree with everything he says but that in no way diminishes the quality of the book and the content.

Couldn't believe how much was in a free book

What made the experience of listening to FREE the most enjoyable?

It's hard to believe how much research went into making a free book, I was very impressed. I really enjoyed the book and can use the info in my business.

What does Chris Anderson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I love audio books by the author because you can really get into their mood from the first word. you can feel Chris' believe in what he's saying right away.

What’s the most interesting tidbit you’ve picked up from this book?

The history of Free

Very, very illuminating. Groundbreaking.

Would you listen to FREE again? Why?

Yes, I'd listen again, but I already purchased the hardcopy of the book (though at half-price), which proves the basic point. Had this book not had such a provocative title and been offered as an audio book with the price of Free, I likely wouldn't be raving about it to anyone who will listen as I have for weeks now. The ideas explain the phenomenon I and virtually anyone wired to any extent is witnessing--the ever growing free economic sphere. I once had an enormous collection of recorded music and about 90% is gone----and I don't really care, as I have all the music I want on Pandora, which is a "free" add-on to my cellphone subscription. I may not be able to access any song I want free, but I can access from such a wide variety of great free music, that why pay for a CD or a 99¢ download. The competition of the free price diminishes my desire to pay a monetary price for any recorded music, except for a very small number of items I must have. It's the same for so many other items ultimately made of bytes. Once again, bravo-one of my best non-fiction reads.

Concise, summed and well, Free.

Anderson's book is salient. That is to say, it is a clear and well thought out enunciation of the principles of the economic basis of the internet. Some of the material has been around for a while. Fans of Open Source, GNU and Linux will find familiar footing. However, sprinkled here and there are anecdotes and commentary about realworld vs. electronic value and what it will mean to all of us.
Without bogging down in footnotes and academic jargon, Anderson finds a way to transmit the veracity of insight the labor he spent researching the text gave him, and he shares it. If you are a fan of economics, a fan of computer science or a fan of money, you should read this book.
The price is right, the book is right.

Great information!

this is very good information on how things work in today's current economy. I will be listening to it again.

Interesting but missing details

Google products are often mentioned as free. Free means no payment required, this includes payment through information tracking. Just like how a wealthy person may not consider a few dollars as a significant cost you cannot assume that all people will regard a few dollars as insignificant. Those that also don't understand the value of their personally tracked info should not assume that everyone doesn't understand the value.

Interesting and Informative

Fascinating book going through the history and future of free. Delves into an interesting aspect of our modern economy in an engaging way.

Essential Reading

This guide has made certain economic models far more understandable than any money, economy article I've ever read, so I'm extremely thankful for this read!!!