The Digital Economy ANNIVERSARY EDITION: Rethinking Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence (BUSINESS BOOKS)

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“Twenty years of hindsight prove how deeply Tapscott understood the impact the Internet would have on the way we live, work, play and learn. This important book, now updated, is just as relevant today as it was then.” John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco With a new foreword by Eric Schmidt, Chief Executive of Google Two decades ago, The Digital Economy changed the way the world thought about the Web and Internet. While everyone else was in awe of “websites” and "dot coms," Don Tapscott was among the first people to argue that the Internet would fully transform the nature of business and government. It goes without saying that his predictions were spot on. Now, in this new edition of his classic work, the New York Times bestselling author provides topical updates with a sweeping new analysis of how the Internet has changed business and society in the last 20 years, covering: Natural frictions between present-day Industrial Capitalism and the Digital Economy The radical effects of the Internet on traditional corporate structures and systems Dramatic changes in business collaboration and culture thanks to social media The rise of web-based analytics and how they have transformed business functions Government transparency, citizen empowerment, and the creation of public value Teaching and learning―revolutionary developments driven by digital content When Tapscott was writing the original edition in 1994, he was living in a world where Netscape had been just introduced as go-to browser, websites didn’t do transactions, dial-up was the only way to get online, and mobile phones sightings were rare. Google, YouTube, eBay, Facebook, Twitter? They didn’t exist. Preserving all the original text as it appeared 20 years ago, this new edition includes detailed essays ending each chapter―Tapscott’s highly informed reflections on his predictions, along with new forecasts of where the digital world is headed. Praise for the new edition of The Digital Economy “1994 was a good year. Netscape Navigator and The Digital Economy . With this anniversary edition, Tapscott provides lucid insights for the next stage of these amazing times.” Marc Andreessen, Co-founder and General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz “Brilliant. Governments can learn from The Digital Economy how to democratize access to prosperity, minimize social and economic divides and transform government and democracy for the 21st Century.” Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico “We’re now into three decades of terrific insights and analysis from Don Tapscott about the digital revolution! Read this book!” Ajay Banga, President and CEO, Mastercard Review: A brilliant exploration and analysis of what has become an "age of connected intelligence" worldwide - This is the 20th Anniversary Edition of a book first published in 1995. Don Tapscott's other books include Macrowikinomics: New Solutions for a Connected Planet (2012), Grown Up Digital (2008), and Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything (2006). I commend him on how skillfully he correlates material in the earlier edition with material that updates it. More specifically, he provides a "20th Anniversary Edition" Preface and then a Commentary that serves as an introduction to each of the 12 chapters. He carefully organizes and presents all of the material within four Parts: Thriving in a New Economy (Chapters 2-4), Internetworking (5-8), Leadership for Transformation (9 & 10), and Leadership for the Digital Frontier (11 & 12). These are among the dozens of passages of greatest interest and value to me, also listed to suggest the scope and depth of Tapscott's coverage in the first three chapters: o The Digital Economy -- The Big Ideas (Pages xii-xv) o Major issues, then and now (xvi-xxi) o The Challenge of Leadership (8-10) o A Time of Transformation (11-14) o The New Economy (15-18) o The Internet: Hype, Reality, and Promise (22-35) o The Four Problems with Reengineering as Practiced (36-38) o The Dark Side of Networked Intelligence (40-46) o Twelve Themes of the New Economy (54-77) o Twelve Corresponding Themes: Economy, Organization, and Technology (78-80)( o Social Media and New Business Models (83-90) o The High Performance Team (97-102) o The Extended Enterprise (102-107) o The Internetworked Business (107-111) I agree with Tapscott that past technological paradigms, such as the broadcast media and the old model of the computer and other transitions covered so well in Walter Isaacson's most recent book, The Innovators, were hierarchical, immutable, and centralized. How could they be otherwise? They were disruptive precisely because "they carried the power of their powerful owners. The new media are interactive, malleable, and distributed in control. As such, they cherish an awesome neutrality. Ultimately they will be [or become] what we want they to be. They will do what we command of them." In other words, we can shape the future for the common good. That is, "create a new social consciousness and conscience. If we act, rather than passively observe, we can seize the time. And the Age of Networked intelligence will be an age of promise fulfilled." Review: Good read, to see into the future of technological improvement(s). - Don Tapscott, seem to have a crystal ball, when he wrote about future event/happenings in technology in 1995 and real enough in 2014 it happened, some are yet to happen though, but if you are observant and have read this book I am reviewing "The digital economy", you will see it too that it is also going to happen, Kudo to Don. Well done/said Don, well said Don.