A Tale of Tails

Anyone that knows me is aware of the fact that I rarely follow the herd. Runaway best sellers in the world of business publications usually leave me a bit nonplussed as to how they deserve the status (that statement in itself is a good reason to read this book). Every now and then someone really, really gets it. Not since the "Cluetrain Manifesto" has a book been able to codify how the web is affecting commerce at all levels. Enter "The Long Tail" by Chris Anderson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine. In 1997 I had what one could say was a pre-cursor to a blog. I was working with an ISP that also had a web development division. We did some groundbreaking work with regards to early web advertising and interactive media, as a result I had a personal web site called the Internet Marketing Guide (real original huh?). I remember writing an article about the oxymoronic concept of mass customization. It was apparent to me that the web would change the way consumers would buy products and even came up with a few ideas that in retrospect I should have figured out a way to capitalize on (ah, 20/20 hindsight, what a time waster). The Long Tail uses unprecedented data from several sources to validate the theory. If you're considering the implementation of a Web 2.0 product or concept and wondering if you're taking a really big leap of faith, this book should help you feel better about your chances of making it over the chasm.