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69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good overview about how to make money on the net, August 22, 2002
Multiple streams of Internet Income by Robert Allen is an excellent book for those considering starting a web based business or those interested in learning more about the world wide web and how businesses are marketing to them. The world wide web is truly transforming the global economy despite what the stock market might be stating. I would highly recommend this book for those not familiar with formal marketing strategy or those seeking to learn more about the Internet and various business opportunities available. Some excellent marketing books / concepts quoted include the 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing, Influence, Permission Marketing and Viral marketing buzz marketing or word of mouth.The new economy is knowledge based and based on expansive communication networks that grow in importance as related groups / interested parties meet each other and conduct business. Mr. Allen clearly understands this and I give him kudos for pursuing such an endeavor. Here are the pros and cons of the books.....a personal opinion: Pros: 1. The book is very broad and talks about sales, marketing and advertising, which is rare in such books 2. The book provides Allens example via his business. 3. The book was well written 4. Many excellent marketing books are quoted. Cons 1. This book is a sales pitch. Mr. Allen clearly has sales copy experience which makes the book interesting but definitely somewhat misleading. He knows what he is doing and he has a VERY successful marketing / product track record. As a result, he is very successful in his Internet trials / examples. He has customers that already know about him, have purchased his products for the last 20 years and others that are interested. He doesnt mention this in the book enough and marketing costs are a HUGE variable cost to businesses. This will likely result in readers being too optimistic about their ability to generate wealth on the web. 2. The book was written by several co-authors. It seems as though Allen, in a rush to get the book out, heavily relied on so called experts within various parts of Internet Marketing. 3. He plugs various peoples products that are not that good. I have perused many of these products and it is hit and miss. Some are good and some are not so good. My final thoughts on the book are this: Read it. It is worth the time for beginners. For those seeking a wide exposure to marketing/advertising/sales in an Internet world it is well worth it. There are some pitfalls though that I cant overemphasize. Any business, irregardless of distribution channel, is a lot of work. Internet businesses require hard work, lots of sweat, lots of perseverance, lots of testing, lots of learning and, for those interested, they can be very fulfilling opportunities. If you are trying to make major money or simply pursue a hobby online via a personal website this book is worth reading. Most of my reviews are in business / economics and I encourage people to read them, whether here on Amazon or at my personal website. If you are interested in economic history book I would encourage everyone to read The Worldly Philosophers by Robert Heilbroner since it is more international in scope and deals with the lives and times of the most famous economists in history. If you are interested in economic development / evolution of U.S. property history I would encourage you to read Hernando DeSoto's Mystery of Capital but note his lack of focus on corruption in certain countries. A great general business book is by the management guru Peter Drucker entitled "The Essential Drucker."
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