The Long Tail

Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More

By: Chris Anderson

Narrated by: Christopher Nissley

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Our world is being transformed by the Internet and the near limitless choice that it provides to consumers; tomorrow's markets belong to those who can take advantage of this. The Long Tail is really about the economics of abundance, an entirely new model for business that is just starting to show its power as unlimited selection reveals new truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it. The record business has been transformed by iTunes and Rhapsody; a similar transformation is coming to just about every industry imaginable.

What happens when everything in the world becomes available to everyone? When the combined value of all the millions of items that may sell only a few copies equals or exceeds the value of the few items that sell millions each? When a bunch of kids with no profit motive can record a song or make a video and get the same electronic distribution for it as the most powerful corporation?

Chris Anderson, editor in chief of Wired magazine, first explored "The Long Tail" in an article that has become one of the most influential business essays of our time. Using the worlds of movies, books, and music, he showed how the Internet has made possible a new world in which the combined value of modest sellers and quirky titles equals the sales of the top hits. He coined the term "The Long Tail" to describe this phenomenon, a phrase that's since appeared in boardrooms and media around the world.

"In short, though we still obsess over hits," Anderson writes, "they are not quite the economic force they once were. Where are those fickle consumers going instead? No single place. They are scattered to the winds as markets fragment into a thousand niches."

©2006 Chris Anderson. All rights reserved (P)2006 Hyperion. All rights reserved.

Critic reviews

• Winner of Audio Publishers Association 2007 Audie Award, Business Information/Education

"Anderson manages to explain a murky trend in clear language, giving entrepreneurs and the rest of us plenty to think about." (Publishers Weekly)
"Christopher Nissley's reading style fits the content; he's clipped and staccato, like Anderson's writing. His narration is helpful to the listener who prefers not to get bogged down in the theoretical and technical parts of the book." (AudioFile)

Great, concise but needs a refresh

Open-minded. Wish I could have read it 10 years ago. Now seem very old examples but the concepts still legit.

A Must Read

This book is a fantastic doorway to the web 2.0 world. Wheather you look at it from the economical or sociological size its trully fascinating

Informative & Thought Provoking

The Long Tail provides a solid foundation about how the world of business is changing. Chris Anderson provides real-world examples of the challenges and benefits of adapting a long tail strategy.

If you are a business owner or work in the field of marketing, listening to this book will beneficial.

Well worth the read/listen

The overall gist of his message is very compelling, though some of the content is outdated and some is inaccurate due to the way online had shifted things. That said, still a very interesting book that I recommend to anyone interested in how markers/media/advertising/etc have shifted to a more long tail focus.

A revolutionary change in business models.

One of the most important books you can read explaining the paradigm change currently taking place due to the Internet Economy. The information in this book is something every company can benefit and learn from. It explains how companies like Amazon can do what they do and still turn a profit, and how you can position your company to do the same.

One of the most enlightening books I've ever read

Would you listen to The Long Tail again? Why?

Yes, it deserves revisiting, due to the vast amount of information delivered

What did you like best about this story?

Content

Which character – as performed by Christopher Nissley – was your favorite?

N/A

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Amazon's start

Any additional comments?

N/A

vision into the future

very powerful concepts for the future of business and culture explained interestingly and simply.

Good Book, Flawed by Repition

I thought this was a good book that should have been about half the length that it actually was. It's too bad no abridged version is available. I agreed with the author's ideas, but about 3 hours in, I really felt that he was repeating himself unnecessarily.

Super cool

I was really impressed with this one. Rarely has a business book made me think so much. Can't wait to read more from this hip, insightful author.

Important and enlightening

I've almost finished listening to this book; I think I'm saving it so it doesn't end. It's been revealing and meaningful, well put-together, well narrated, and empowering to those of us at the really thin end of the long tail.

One of it's messages, about the importance of our ability to filter, to search, and to use peer recommendations to find related and relevant content, has changed the way I evaluate web sites (including this one) and led me to post this review.