The Internet Economy: Technology and Practice

by Soon-Young Choi and Andrew B. Whinston

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0967621704
• ISBN13: 9780967621708
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: SmartEcon Publishing
• Length: 376 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Novel Perspective on the Internet Aimed at Managers

There are three characteristics I like about this book. First, it explains the technology of the Internet in sufficient detail for a manager to understand how it is relevant to his/her business. The reader learns the capabilities and limitations of Internet technologies without becoming bogged down in the details of how to make it operational. Second, the book analyzes the Internet technologies and e-business from an economic perspective, using the tools of the micro-economist. The resulting conclusions are more rigorous and authoritative than those offered by other commentators on e-business. This is the first time I've seen such analysis aimed at other than an academic audience. This is the first time I've seen some of the analyses in the book aimed at *any* audience. Finally, the authors have combined old information distribution techniques (the book) with new (a website) by making a website available to purchasers of the book with a promise to keep the website up to date. If you buy the book, don't lose your receipt, as you need to send a copy of it in in order to get access to that website.

The New Economy - explained for you!

Choi and Whinston's new book presents another landmark publication in the e-commerce literature. A very well written account of the economic mechanisms that drive the new economy. Among the most accomplished academic researchers in the field, the authors achieve a great balance of high readability without sacrificing rigor. Truly in spirit of the Internet economy, it is much more than just a conventional textbook. The physical book complements one of the most innovative and accomplished e-learning portals (smartecon.com) to be found online to-day. One of the richest learning and teaching environments for topics related to the new economy, it contains modularized learning materials (so called learnules), teaching cases, research articles, FAQs, links to other sites in academia and industry, presentation slides, and a whole range of other features useful for students and instructors. The purchase of the book allows the buyer full access to the SmartEcon e-learning portal. The book comprises a fine selection of customized learnules from the online site that covers the current issues in the digital economy debate. Unlike other authors in the e-commerce area, Whinston and Choi develop their concepts from principles of economics research and thus provide new insight into why certain technologies or business models succeed or fail in the new economy. The book includes a review of the essential Internet computing and communication technologies but the focus is on their economic applications. In particular, they discuss online market mechanisms, e-business firms, smart marketing and interactive customers, digital product spaces, online auctions and electronic marketplaces, trust and privacy, e-crimes, and regulatory and governance issues. This book should prove highly valuable to anyone with an interest in fields related to IT, E-commerce, or economics. Together with the online materials the book can be customized to perfectly fit a range of e-commerce classes. I have used a preliminary version of the book with great success teaching MBA and MSc students at the Hong Kong University of Science & Technology, the premiere Business School in Asia. The combination of dynamically updated online materials (digital) and a convenient reference and textbook (physical) make The Internet Economy: Technology and Practice a unique product in the literature. In some ways this combination successfully parallels current trends towards brick-and-click models. I highly recommend it.