Customer Reviews

The Entrepreneurial Web

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the better books I have read on e-Business and Entrepreneurship. Two of the previous reviews lament the lack of practical ideas. However, the author states that this is not a "how-to" book, but a book on ideas. If your purpose is to find specific strategies and to be walked through the implementation, then you will be disappointed. If you are looking for new ways to think about business in order to create your own ideas, then the book will serve its purpose.

Some key take aways were the concepts of growing solutions, cooperative game theory(which is validated in Coopetition), communication strategy and new venture probability. I am using the concept of growing solutions via listserves and virtual teams to create a strategy for a deregulated electric utility. In trying to start my own company, I have been stumped on how to get started. The author addresses this problem by using the Hilbert Space/Green Frog concept to get started, which is half the battle in itself. It's been said that the definition of an entrepreneur is a person who brings together resources. This book discusses ways to do this utilizing the Internet.

The book is not without it's drawbacks. The reading tends to get bogged down as you get into the latter half of the book, though the author summarizes everything in the last chapter. Some of the explanations do get academic(Hilbert Space and Game Theory). Finally, better examples and cases would have been nice.

Overall, the ideas sparked by this book was worth the price and the 5 star rating.

I found this book disappointing and self regarding. Although promising to look at the 'new world', set aside from 'bricks and mortar', without concrete examples of his strategy, it remains wistful thinking. Connections and collaboration are fine - up to a point. When real money is involved one has to be much more certain of the pedigree of one's collaborators. I for one need a great deal more convincing.Until he has a successful business built upon his ideals, they remain ideals and should be regarded as fodder not fact.

There is no doubt that Peter is a genius and a unique thinker in the digital age. However, this book requires some huge leaps of faith as it is based on unsubstantiated assumptions.
One also has to question Peters credentials for writing this book - what is his relevant hands on experience? He is an academic, a great thinker, but with little experience.
A great book if you are the sort of person who can ask why and question the assumptions, as you will be capable of sifting the dross from the gems (which are there!)
To summarise, if you want your ideas deeply challenged, and want to discover new outlooks on the new economy, this is a great book. If you want to actually create a viable business, be prepared to take a leap of faith.

Peter Small is known for being an "outside the box" thinker. This book is yet another example of his interesting and refreshing ideas. I found myself arguing with him through most of the book, thinking, "this guy's crazy! Again!" but I eventually came around to his way of seeing things. This certainly isn't what you read everywhere else about putting up a Web site.