One Click

Jeff Bezos and the Rise of Amazon.com

By: Richard L. Brandt

Narrated by: Neil Shah

Length: 5 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

An insightful look at how Amazon really works and how its founder and CEO makes it happen....

Amazon’s business model is deceptively simple: make online shopping so easy and convenient that customers won’t think twice. It can almost be summed up by the button on every page: Buy now with one click.

Why has Amazon been so successful? Much of it has to do with Jeff Bezos, the CEO and founder, whose business strategy and unique combination of character traits have driven Amazon to the top of the online retail world. Originally a computer nerd rather than a businessman, he had the vision to capitalize on the untapped online marketplace for bookselling and continues to discover new marketing opportunities, from groceries to auto parts. He’s a calculating machine, energetic, passionate, highly aggressive, and out to radically transform retail.

Through numerous interviews with Amazon employees, competitors, and observers, Richard Brandt has deciphered how Bezos thinks, what drives his actions, and how he makes decisions. Anyone in business can learn a lot from the example of Amazon’s ongoing evolution.

Richard L. Brandt is an award-winning journalist who has been writing about Silicon Valley for more than two decades. He is well known throughout the technology community as a former correspondent for BusinessWeek, where he won a National Magazine Award. He lives in San Francisco.

©2011 Richard L. Brandt (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

Praise for Brandt’s Inside Larry and Sergey’s Brain: “In this mustread for anyone who deals seriously with cyberspace, Brandt has a remarkable profile in presentday innovation and potential.” ( Publishers Weekly)

Dated

I wouldn’t waste time with this if you can read Brad Stone’s two books instead.

Just ok

If your really into Amazon, check this book out. It has lost of information. However, if you aren't...it's kind of boring. The book didn't have enough interesting anecdotes to really hold my attention. It probably doesn't help that I'd just read "Steve Jobs" (which I can't shut up about). This story is pretty vanilla...which is a shame because I'm sure there's all sorts of tantalizing stories to be told about such a wildly successful company.

I tore through this one

Before, I perceived Jeff Bezos as some kind of extra terrestrial super-intellect. After listening to One Click, he seems a more human, albeit very smart and analytical.

I listened to it in about 2 and a half days. Enjoyable throughout.

Mediocre at Best

Any additional comments?

A very cursory telling of the otherwise fascinating story of Amazon and its founder (Bezos). It just doesn't reveal much and seems weak.

very entertaining

very intriguing life not only of Jeff bezos but also of Amazon as a company

Now you know

it sounds like an accurate description of Bezos. I was surprised to realize how much him and Jobs are alike.

Worth it, but….

Worth it, but although I did get some insight into the business tycoon and his ways of thinking and methodologies, I would like to have gotten more. Just like precious time with any genius, you will always want more. Good book.

I Highly Recommend "One Click"

What made the experience of listening to One Click the most enjoyable?

My favorite takeaways from "One Click" were hearing the back story to how Amazon.com humble beginnings with tables made out of old doors and Jeff Bezos's decision tools the "Deal Flow Chart" and his "Regret Minimization Framework".

There were some funny insight into boot strapping a start up where everyone in the company had to pitch in to repack shipments from distributors, readdress and ship packages to customers until 2:00-3:00 AM. Early on Amazon did not even have packing tables so the employees ended up packing books kneeling on the cement floor for hours. After packing for several hours Jeff Bezos turned to an employee and suggested they get knee pads soon and the employee with a look of shock an horror responded why don't we just buy some tables which seemed to be the most amazing idea Jeff Bezos had ever herd.

After listening to One Click I am amazed at how much money Amazon spent trying to "Get Big Fast" and how that strategy would have bankrupted the company several times over if it were not for the free flowing investment during the .com boom and investors disregard for traditional valuations and earnings reports. Amazon.com lost almost 2,000,000,000 and went almost a decade before ever turning a profit.

What did you like best about this story?

My favorite takeaways from "One Click" were hearing the back story to how Amazon.com humble beginnings with tables made out of old doors and Jeff Bezos's decision tools the "Deal Flow Chart" and his "Regret Minimization Framework".

Interesting Book, Read in a Monotone

This was an interesting book about Jeff Bezos and the rise of Amazon.com. There were some interesting info and details about both the founder and Amazon. It covers a bio of Jeff and the founding, rise and reorganization of Amazon. While the book was enjoyable, the narration wasn't the greatest. The entire book was narrated in a monotone delivery. A better narrator would've made this book more interesting. No emotion either. Great book, just okay performance.

Enjoyable

Would you try another book from Richard L. Brandt and/or Neil Shah?

Yes

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

The begging was a little slow

Have you listened to any of Neil Shah’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

N/A

What else would you have wanted to know about Richard L. Brandt’s life?

We got a lot of the story

Any additional comments?

Was what I was looking for at the time