Radical E: From GE to Enron--Lessons on How to Rule the Web

Finally, a book that tells the story of the Web's real (not virtual!) power. Rifkin and Kurtzman's book focuses on the click-and-mortar experiences of companies pioneering new business models combining the best of the on- and off-line worlds. A must read for executives, consultants, and anyone interested in understanding why the Web remains a potentially significant force despite the recent trashing it has taken on the capital markets and in the press.

We were all enthralled by the incredible rise -- and awful fall -- of the dot-com start-ups, and many of us have already written off B-to-B and B-to-C as dead letters. Meanwhile, the authors tell us, the enduring story of e-business was being quietly written by older players who saw the Internet as an opportunity to remake the rules. Through a series of smart case studies, the authors explain how those players succeeded. In the process, they give the rest of us a map so that we, too, can find our way.

I was delighted to learn that some of the world's most established corporations transformed themselves into successful e-businesses by defying conventional wisdom. Through a series of well-researched case studies, Radical E manages to be both inspiring and actionable. The examples helped me to think about new ways my company can embrace the Web and better weather the current economic downturn. I've recommended the book to colleagues and friends -- particularly those who are inclined to think out of the box.

With shrewd insight and hard facts, Kurtzman and Rifkin explain that we are at the dawn, not the eve,of the real Internet Revolution, and they give us the information and inspiration needed to enter this new age successfully. As the frenzy of the dot.com fad settles down, Radical E serves as a guidebook for businesses that want not only to endure but also to thrive and prosper in this twenty-first century marketplace. If the best way to learn is by example, Radical E offers us a tremendous opportunity: The creative and triumphant stories of Southwest Airlines, Victoria's Secret, General Motors and others who have embraced e-business and made it work.This book is not only for business leaders and CEOs. I recommend it to anyone who is looking toward the future and doesn't want to be left behind.

As a marketing consultant, I am often asked: "How can I develop a more profitable web site?" I recommend Radical E. To anyone with a head not buried in sand, it is obvious that the Internet bubble popped, leaving messy debts splattered on the faces of embarrassed CFOs. Then why are so many companies continuing to generate great quantities of e-commerce dollars? Their success is the result of well-conceived plans that Kurtzman and Rifkin delineate in one brilliant case history after another. They show how it can and SHOULD! be done. They offer practical and necessary advice: they don't spit out jargon and abstractions that rattle and shatter like broken glass in the tin cans of silly categories. Kurtzman and Rifkin are men of the Commercial Enlightenment; their solid thinking has been proven to work in the real world of e-commerce. They offer senior mgmt. a map that leads, not to the illusory promise of glittering pots of gold at the end of a mythical rainbow, but to real bankable rewards. It is not only for companies who have established web sites, but also for those who want to create larger and more profitable web sites. Any CEO who wants to be a hero to his shareholders would be negligent not to read Radical E! Radical E is the key that opens the locks on the doors of success. Read it and reap...the rewards of e-commerce.