Descriptive analysis of a business book

I have never written a descriptive analysis of a business book before and I am finding it very challenging. I have read Amazon.com:Get big fast and I have mnay questions on how to write this very important paper. Firstly what should the thesis be? Should it include the summary of the company and my opinion or one or the other or neither.Secondly how do I include my opinion of the book and describe the authors viewpoint?Currently I am describing how the company came to be then describing how well the author wrote it and then giving my opinion(but it sounds terrible). Any comments would be helpful.Thank You!

Amazon.com: Get Big Fast
In many ways, Amazon.com is perhaps the company that is most closely tied with the e-commerce phenomenon. The Seattle,Washington based company began operating as an online book store in 1995 and unlike many of it's e-commerce counterparts, Amazon.com survived only to expand to a virtual Wal-Mart of the web selling everything from DVD's, music, electronics, toys, clothes and more. The company has also grown at a tremendous rate with revenues rising from about $150 million in 1997 to $3.1 billion in 2001 from customer perks such as online reviews, wish lists, and free shipping over $25. Amazon.com: Get Big Fast by Robert Spector effectively describes the development of Amazon.com along with the larger development of the internet, electronic retailing and Internet-related share offerings. Robert Spector examines the influence of the compnay's goals of providing great customer service and 'getting big fast' with the delimina of future competition of related services and websites from around the world.

Robert Spector gives an in depth description of the life of Jeff Bezos all the way from winning the 4th grade science fair to gradutaion from Princeton university making the reader aware of the magnitude of Jeff Bezos' intelligence, ambition, and determination. After a brief but helpful history of the internet Robert Spector coherently and throughly describes the inevitable meeting of Jeff Bezos and the internet. In 1994 at the start of the internet revolution, Jeff Bezos was the youngest senior vice-president of the Wall Street firm D.E. Shaw. After being asked to investigate business over the internet Bezos noticed an annual web growth of 2,300 percent and the growing popularity of books and came to the conclusion of an online book business.When the idea was pitched to David Shaw of D.E. Shaw, to Bezos surprise the idea was rejected. After Bezos could not let go of the idea, he told David Shaw he was going to resign and "do this crazy thing"-start his own Internet bookselling company. In a effort to keep Jeff at the firm David shaw told Bezos he thought a bookselling business was actually a good idea but it would be a better idea for someone who did not already have a good job. As a reader, the conversation between Jeff Bezos and David Shaw captivated me and allowed me to understand Jeff Bezos' actions and decisions then and in the future. Up to this point in the book it seemed as if the author had mentioned irrelevant experiences in bezos' life such as when he decided to make a toy his mother had refused to buy him or when he announced to his high school his intention of becoming valedictorian. Durng Jeff Bezos' and David Shaw's conversation everything made sense and I understood who Jeff Bezos was as a person.

Greetings!

The thing to remember about writing your thesis is that it is going to tell your reader what the paper is about. I liked your first sentence, but then you immediately launched into a history of the company before getting around to what your paper is really about: "Amazon.com: Get Big Fast by Robert Spector effectively describes the development of Amazon.com along with the larger development of the internet, electronic retailing and Internet-related share offerings." Don't try to cram everything into the intro; this is a common mistake.

If the essay is supposed to be an analysis of the book, you want to keep your focus on what the author has said (that's the descriptive part) and your views of how well he said it (that's the analysis part). You can either make the first half about what the author said, and then give your analysis, or you can intersperse your analysis with your description; just be consistent.

I hope this helps!

Thanks,

Sarah, EssayForum.com

Thank You. I have a better understanding now...I think, I took out a lot of things and I have a few questions to make it better.

- I was told never to use "I" in an essay. Is there an exception here or should I stick with using "one" and " the reader" or nothing at all.

-The development and success of Amazon.com is the first part of my thesis. I started a bit below and it just says how the author describes the start up, development and eventual success of the company. Is this too basic and specific? or should I try to write more broad?

-Lastly does it sound too much like a book review?

You are being so helpful, I really appreciate your help.

In many ways, Amazon.com is perhaps the company that is most closely tied with the e-commerce phenomenon. It was established during a time when the internet was new and used by a small group of people. Amazon.com: Get Big Fast by Robert Spector effectively describes the development and success of Amazon.com along with the larger development of the internet and electronic retailing.

In order for one to understand the development and success of Amazon.com one must know an understand Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com. Robert Spector addresses the childhood and early adulthood of Jeff Bezos describing in detail everything from winning the 4th grade science fair to graduating from Princeton university. Most of the events described in Jeff Bezos life seem irrelevant to Amazon.com but as Robert Spector continues to describe who Jeff Bezos is the reader unconciously is understanding what made Amazon.com the compnay it is today. Robert Spector writes very briefly about the start up of the company but gives great details during the first few months of establishment about how the company was performing and inteded to progress.

Greetings!

While the norm is not to use first person in formal writing, it does depend on the assignment. If you are required to give your own opinion, saying "I" is tempting, and may even be what your instructor wants. However, unless you were told to use first person, I'd stick with merely giving your opinions without it. For instance, you could say, "In order to understand" and leave out the "one." You could also say, "but as Spector [don't use his first name after the first time] continues to describe who Jeff Bezos is, it becomes increasingly clear what made Amazon.com the company it is today."

I'm afraid I don't really understand your second question. What did you mean by "I started a bit below"?

Yes, I do think it sounds a bit like a book review. Rather than extolling its virtues with terms like "gives great details" you could leave out the editorializing and just be descriptive: "gives intimate details," for example.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks,

Sarah, EssayForum.com

Thank You. I meant that I have only written a little bit of the first part of my thesis.(This part is now below) When I am finished with it I will have written about how the author described the development and success of amazon.com during its start up, rise and successful stages. I planned on doing that with the second part (development of the internet) and third part( electronic retailing)of my thesis and I didnt know if that format was too basic. What else could I mention to make it not like a book review?

Thank You!

In order for one to understand the development and success of Amazon.com one must know an understand Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.com. Robert Spector addresses the childhood and early adulthood of Jeff Bezos describing in detail everything from winning the 4th grade science fair to graduating from Princeton university. Most of the events described in Jeff Bezos life seem irrelevant to Amazon.com but as Robert Spector continues to describe who Jeff Bezos is the reader unconciously is understanding what made Amazon.com the compnay it is today. Robert Spector writes very briefly about the start up of the company but gives great details during the first few months of establishment about how the company was performing and inteded to progress.

Greetings!

It's difficult to tell without seeing all of it, but it doesn't sound to me like it would be too basic. As far as book review vs. descriptive analysis, I think the thing to keep in mind is the purpose behind it. A book review is written for the express purpose of telling the reader whether or not the book is worth reading; this is accomplished by explaining what the book is about and pointing out any flaws or outstanding aspects of it, and generally ends (and perhaps begins, too) with a recommendation to read or not read it. The book review is therefore persuasive. A descriptive analysis, while also explaining what the book is about and pointing out its weaknesses and strengths, is meant to accomplish a somewhat different purpose. The point is to analyze the work as a piece of literature, not necessarily to persuade someone to go out and buy it. If you keep this in mind while you're writing, it will help guide you. The analysis is going to be more in-depth than a review would be, less a "here's what I think of it" and more a "here is what the author did in writing this book."

I hope this helps!

Thanks,

Sarah, EssayForum.com