Radical E: From GE to Enron--Lessons on How to Rule the Web

By Joel Kurtzman and Glenn Rifkin

Be an online success story with the built-to-last Internet strategies used by today's leading e-businesses General Electric Plastics Enron Victoria's Secret Nortel Networks David Bowie (DavidBowie.com) General Motors Southwest Airlines Progressive Staples "The Networked Economy is not about overfunded, overvalued start-ups run by recently minted MBAs. It is about the biggest business opportunity in decades. Radical E skips the hype (thank God) and gets right to the strategies and ideas that matter. It's packed with insider information on how smart managers are reshaping their thinking to take advantage of the Web, the most powerful business tool in our lifetime." --James Daly, Editor in Chief, Business2.0 magazine "In Radical E , Kurtzman and Rifkin invite us to 'learn from the best' nine players who did e-business right by combining traditional business methods with innovative thinking and ignoring the hype. The case studies are fascinating; the lessons, widely applicable. These nine did it right. In Radical E , Kurtzman and Rifkin show us how." --Shailesh Mehta, CEO, Providian Financial " Radical E is reason for rational exuberance. At last, a provocative yet pragmatic guidebook for global 2000 companies rushing to cross the chasm to bona fide e-businesses in one leap." --Michael Ruettgers, Executive Chairman, EMC Corporation " Radical E reveals the winning strategies of companies who have successfully embraced the Web. The authors examine exactly what it takes to survive in today's competitive online economy-from the tough decisions to the amazing innovations. This book will help you learn today's new rules." --George Conrades, CEO, Akamai

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471410470
• ISBN13: 9780471410478
• Release Date: April 2001
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.13 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.3" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Radical but Real

Finally, a book that tells the story of the Web's real (not virtual!) power. Rifkin and Kurtzman's book focuses on the click-and-mortar experiences of companies pioneering new business models combining the best of the on- and off-line worlds. A must read for executives, consultants, and anyone interested in understanding why the Web remains a potentially significant force despite the recent trashing it has taken on the capital markets and in the press.

An Indispensable Roadmap to the E-World

We were all enthralled by the incredible rise -- and awful fall -- of the dot-com start-ups, and many of us have already written off B-to-B and B-to-C as dead letters. Meanwhile, the authors tell us, the enduring story of e-business was being quietly written by older players who saw the Internet as an opportunity to remake the rules. Through a series of smart case studies, the authors explain how those players succeeded. In the process, they give the rest of us a map so that we, too, can find our way.

A rule-breaker?s dream

I was delighted to learn that some of the world's most established corporations transformed themselves into successful e-businesses by defying conventional wisdom. Through a series of well-researched case studies, Radical E manages to be both inspiring and actionable. The examples helped me to think about new ways my company can embrace the Web and better weather the current economic downturn. I've recommended the book to colleagues and friends -- particularly those who are inclined to think out of the box.

Everyone Must Read This Book

With shrewd insight and hard facts, Kurtzman and Rifkin explain that we are at the dawn, not the eve,of the real Internet Revolution, and they give us the information and inspiration needed to enter this new age successfully. As the frenzy of the dot.com fad settles down, Radical E serves as a guidebook for businesses that want not only to endure but also to thrive and prosper in this twenty-first century marketplace. If the best way to learn is by example, Radical E offers us a tremendous opportunity: The creative and triumphant stories of Southwest Airlines, Victoria's Secret, General Motors and others who have embraced e-business and made it work.This book is not only for business leaders and CEOs. I recommend it to anyone who is looking toward the future and doesn't want to be left behind.

An essential guide for e-commerce entrepreneurs

As a marketing consultant, I am often asked: "How can I develop a more profitable web site?" I recommend Radical E. To anyone with a head not buried in sand, it is obvious that the Internet bubble popped, leaving messy debts splattered on the faces of embarrassed CFOs. Then why are so many companies continuing to generate great quantities of e-commerce dollars? Their success is the result of well-conceived plans that Kurtzman and Rifkin delineate in one brilliant case history after another. They show how it can and SHOULD! be done. They offer practical and necessary advice: they don't spit out jargon and abstractions that rattle and shatter like broken glass in the tin cans of silly categories. Kurtzman and Rifkin are men of the Commercial Enlightenment; their solid thinking has been proven to work in the real world of e-commerce. They offer senior mgmt. a map that leads, not to the illusory promise of glittering pots of gold at the end of a mythical rainbow, but to real bankable rewards. It is not only for companies who have established web sites, but also for those who want to create larger and more profitable web sites. Any CEO who wants to be a hero to his shareholders would be negligent not to read Radical E! Radical E is the key that opens the locks on the doors of success. Read it and reap...the rewards of e-commerce.