Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: The Sharing Economy: The End of Employment and the Rise of Crowd-Based Capitalism (MIT Press)

Top positive review

5 people found this helpful

A wonderful and absorbing treatise on the Sharing Economy

ByApostolos Filippason May 20, 2016

How often do we hear about the Sharing Economy, either through daily reports of the transformation it is constantly causing in markets and long incumbent firms, or the numerous debates between its proponents and skeptics? Very, if you read news outlets like the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, or if you are an entrepreneur, researcher, or executive. Even if not, you probably have already used a Sharing Economy platform (as has a whopping 70% of the US population).

Arun Sundararajan, a professor who is an expert on the Sharing Economy, opens up by drawing from personal experience to motivate the questions that this book seeks to answer. I find his proposed “Crowd-based Capitalism” term to be a much more accurate and clear description of this economic model, but (as he does) I’ll be referring to it by the more popular Sharing Economy denomination.

The first part of the book masterfully lays out foundations that should greatly benefit anyone attempting to delve into the Sharing Economy. The journey begins with the important lessons that the evolution of Sharing Economy thinking has taught us. Sundararajan then proceeds to uncover the factors that enabled the proliferation of these platforms, centering on digital technologies and on socioeconomic drivers such us the emergence of large urban centers - cities are, after all, Sharing Economies in and of themselves. A very intuitive framework is then constructed, that allows us to treat Sharing Economy platforms as structures spanning the spectrum between hands-off marketplaces and the traditional firm hierarchy. This part concludes by giving as a sneak-peek at a fast-approaching future, where blockchain technologies promise to further empower Sharing Economy platforms and even transfer a larger share of power into the hands of the people. It is not possible to overstate the importance of the first part to anyone who wants a firm grasp of the drivers of the Sharing Economy, as well as to those who have to predict whether such platforms are likely to succeed or fail.

The second part is devoted to studying the impact that the Sharing Economy has been shown to have on the economy and the workforce. The excellent discussion of regulatory issues is one of my favorite parts of the book; Sundararajan carefully examines why current regulation can be ill-suited and might stifle innovation in Sharing Economy platforms and hinder economic growth. He then provides well-thought and innovative suggestions towards a better regulatory framework which highlight the need for worker protections and rights. I found these suggestions not only particularly interesting, but also potentially applicable outside the Sharing Economy context.

I could go on for much longer, but I will stop the spoilers here. It should be clear from the above that this is not another hagiographic book touting the latest fad. Instead, Sundararajan provides us with a concise, deep, and multidimensional study of the Sharing Economy, pointing out both the tremendous potential benefits and perils. The arguments he makes are careful and detailed, always grounded on academic research and made clear through numerous examples.

Among the strongest points of this book is that it does not only impart deep knowledge about the inner workings of this new economic system, but will also unavoidably kindle your enthusiasm for the future that the Sharing Economy promises. Sundararajan is an affable optimist, and makes an important case why we should join him.

Top critical review

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4 people found this helpful

... high hopes for this book but it was a pretty big miss

Byjton August 30, 2016

I had high hopes for this book but it was a pretty big miss. A very high-level book that doesn't really get into sufficient detail on these dynamic companies or challenge existing literature. Very little in terms of analyzing the strategies that these companies have employed.

Many things that really don't have much to do with "The Sharing Economy" such as Bitcoin are discussed. Ethereum has been a mess as any realistic product but you would think it would be how we will all be transacting in 5 years from this book - just really off base.

I stopped reading with like 20 pages to go.

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This book really transforms the way you think about the ...

ByAriel Assafon April 21, 2017

Format: Paperback

This book really transforms the way you think about the economy and makes you question the deep underlying assumptions we have all been taking for granted, a must read!!

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Five Stars

ByAlejandro Ariason March 28, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great Book, Great Perspective

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... is a hard cover book that came in very good shape - brand new

ByTia A.on March 15, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

It is a hard cover book that came in very good shape - brand new. I purchased it for a school research project on the sharing economy. It helped give me a good foundation so that I could use complementary resources to further my knowledge. It is well written and also easy to follow. The sharing economy is a relatively new phenomenon so I was very pleased to see that there was a book already out about the topic matter.

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Share the Fluff

ByTrevor Crosson January 12, 2017

Format: Hardcover

Too much sizzle and not enough steak. Some interesting descriptive thoughts, but little to no mention of unit economics nor the cash burn of these companies (example: Uber's massive losses). Also, no insight into the dirty term sheets many of these "sharing" companies are under from their investors. A lack of sophistication takes away from the book and the author seems overly enamored with his thesis (severe confirmation bias).

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Highly thought-provoking, but perhaps a little unrealistic in its ...

ByDr Tony Sorensenon January 11, 2017

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Highly thought-provoking, but perhaps a little unrealistic in its prognoses, as is the case with many analyses of the future.

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One Star

Bysimranjit singhon December 28, 2016

Format: Hardcover

If you are looking for a superficial, distorted, and biased perspective about this very important topic, look no further.

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Five Stars

ByThomedyon December 5, 2016

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Insightful and very helpful!

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A lot of definitions and classifications of sharing economy companies.

ByA Mon December 2, 2016

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

The first part discusses definitions and classifications of sharing economy companies. This long discussion is somewhat tiresome and I fail to see why it is interesting or important. In the second part the author repeatedly claims that these companies improve our life (I hardly know anyone who disagrees). In the last chapter the author reviews ideas about possible legal statuses of employees (or independent entrepreneurs) such as Uber's drivers. of share economy companies. This long discussion is somewhat tiresome and I fail to see why it is interesting or important. In the second part the author repeatedly claims that these companies improve our life (I hardly know anyone who disagrees). In the last chapter the author reviews ideas about possible legal statuses of employees (or independent entrepreneurs) such as Uber's drivers.

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It is a pre-mature baby waiting to grow into a beautiful utopia. It is up to us people to ...

ByMoney Mikeon November 21, 2016

Format: Hardcover

The Sharing Economy by Arun Sundararajan is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. This is a PhD in a one book. His knowledge, wisdom, and research on such a focused yet emerging subject is light years ahead of the world. Arun is by far the leading researcher in The Sharing Economy. He explains the different sectors on the new economy and names each player in the space. He talks about the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and trends in each category. He did not show favorites to any platforms and spoke truth throughout the entire book. If you have not yet read this book I highly suggest this to anybody who is interested in understanding the economy your children will live. You cannot fight The Sharing Economy. It is a permanent shift in the way we live our daily lives. It is a pre-mature baby waiting to grow into a beautiful utopia. It is up to us people to create the new world that we live tomorrow.