Wired Magazine editor Chris Anderson’s book The Long Tail discusses the phenomenon that as technology has evolved and people have more choices in what they buy, use, and read, there is a lesser demand for the “common culture” hits and a greater demand for niche products and services. He discusses how the Internet is opening up markets and removing the barriers of entry for niche products. It’s a fascinating book.Anderson discusses the three forces that create Long Tail markets:
- Democratization of the tools of production - The best example he uses here is the personal computer, which has put production tools that once cost big dollars (such as the printing press, film editing equipment, and music studios) into the hands of anyone who wants to use them.
- Democratization of the tools of distribution - The internet allows everyone to become distributors. The internet has made it increasingly more cost effective for even the smallest of distributors (me for example) to reach people around the world, which would’ve been impossible prior to the internet’s invention.
- Connecting supply and demand - Supply and demand are connected by powerful forces on the internet including Google searches, filters, product recommendations, and blogs.
The book also discusses other interesting topics such as the future of television, 3-D printers, and provides various examples of the long tail in action today. I recommend this book and I highly recommend the Wired Magazine website and Chris Anderson’s own website, Longtail.com.
On the Daddy Dan scale of 1-10, I give this book an 8.
[...] Daddy Dan wrote an interesting post today on Short Book Review: The Long Tail by Chris AndersonHere’s a quick excerptWired Magazine editor Chris Anderson’s book The Long Tail discusses the phenomenon that as technology has evolved and people have more choices in what they buy, use, and read, there is a lesser demand for the “common culture” hits and a … [...]