Customer Reviews

When the Caffeine Wears Off: De-Hyping the New Economy

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As a second-year MBA student who is interested in e-commerce and the new economy, I have read many recent books on relevant subjects. Unfortunately too often those ooks were written by consultants or vendors who purposely created unnecessary buzz words, confusions, and self-serving exaggerations that twist the truth and mislead the reader.

Well, finally here 's a book that brings fresh, unbiased, and insightful perspectives. It is written by a global e-commerce manager from a fortune 500 company, who managed his company's e-initiatives and venture capital fund. Maybe because he is very hands-on with his job, this book does not preach complicated economic theories or strategies, rather it offers real world cases and examples that makes the book simple but powerful, and abover all, REAL. It is hence very easy and enjoyable to read.

The portrayal of corporate America in this book is precise and revealing. I wonder which company the author works for. It certainly reminds me of my internship in the east coast this summer.

This book is ideal for MBAs interested in careers in start-up, consulting, and corporate America.

This book pulls no punches as it outlines the smoke and mirrors used to sell the internet to buisness. Brian outlines the methods used by these internet companies to obtain money and use your established company name to build their reputation, all without supplying a meaningful product. His view as a middle manager outlines the dangers company executives entertain and the burdens they place on their people when they have high expectations without understanding the true buisness model of the companies they want to partner with. See the recent writeup in the October 2001 Harvard Buisness Review.

Finally! A book that tells the truth about the so-called "New Economy." I'd always suspected there was more hype than reality being spewed forth by the consultants and Internet entrepreneurs. This book confirmed my suspicions. Like many other people, I've read a lot of books about the Internet and the New Economy. None of them have been as revealing as this one. The author's conversational style and humor make this an entertaining read. But don't let that fool you. There are serious lessons learned, which the author recaps in his Ten Lessons from the Front Line. His tips on how to deal with vendor phone calls alone makes the book worth purchasing. I wish I'd known about the gems contained in this book months ago. It would have saved my firm a lot of money.

This is a book for everyone who was ever enmeshed in a corporate boondoggle. Hilarious and candid, Ross tells horror stories from the New Economy that have plenty of relevance for the Old Economy.

Ross chronicles dot-com madness during the height of the vogue, no-profit frenzy. It was like the California Gold Rush of 1849 but with no location, no objective, no direction, no product, and no defined value - just big talk and empty promises. Nothing else I've read has captured it better. We always have to re-learn the lessons in this book. Why is it important? Well, I don't know about YOUR mutual funds and investments but mine went down the toilet this year. I'll be wiser next time.

This book is a therapy of laughter for those who have been there, eating bad food and listening to the mind-numbing drone of snake-oil salesmen. And it's a sobering warning for those who haven't. Wherever you are -- in the New Economy or Old Economy, a battle-scarred manager or fresh out of B School - this book is for you. With a catalog of anecdotes that will shrivel your privates, Ross shows what happens when you mix arrogance with buffoonery, brazenness with fear, and hysteria with money. He ties it all together with an easy-to-read analysis that is at times stunning in its insight. A great read and a great value that will leave you either laughing or crying, but never in doubt about the truth of the New Economy.