AllthingsD has a post on an ex-employee giving The Everything Store 4 stars vs. Jeff Bezos’s wife Mackenzie Bezos’s 1 star.
Amazon’s First Employee Disses MacKenzie Bezos Review That Disses New Book About Amazon
NOVEMBER 5, 2013 AT 2:23 PM PT
A day after MacKenzie Bezos, the wife of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, blasted a new book about her husband and his company in a one-star review on Amazon.com, Amazon’s first employee, Shel Kaphan, has published a four-star review of Brad Stone’s “The Everything Store,” in which he recommends the book and criticizes MacKenzie Bezos’s take. (Kaphan confirmed to me that he is the reviewer.)
One of the things I have learned being closer to media is how much written is not really that accurate. In one review of the book by an ex-amazon employee.
My biggest concern is that I have first-hand knowledge of many of the episodes in the book (high school, original web site, 9/11, earthquake, A9, Manber/Holden, Kindle, Netflix). Overall, from the parts that I know about, about 80% is correct and 20% isn't (often in details, but incorrect nonetheless). That, of course, taints my view of the book as a whole, because I have to assume that 20% of the stuff I don't have personal knowledge of is also incorrect.
That said, I would still recommend the book (and especially the picture of Jeff in High School!)
It is point well made give the lack of information on amazon.com as a business if 80% if correct is the book still worth reading. Most likely yes.
I ran into an old friend on the plane on Monday who is an ex-amazon early employee. We have had a good time discussing logistics methodologies. I think talking about the everything store book may be a good coffee conversation. Well, I guess that means I need to buy the book. Huh, maybe I’ll make The Everything Store the first purchase on my new Kindle HDX 8.9 I’ll get tomorrow.