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Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire Hardcover – May 11, 2021

by Brad Stone (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars 2,353 ratings
Goodreads Choice Award nominee
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A Washington Post Notable Book

This New York Times bestseller is a “masterful” (The Washington Post), “juicy tour of the company [Jeff] Bezos built” (The New York Times Book Review), revealing the most important business story of our time by the bestselling author of The Everything Store.

Almost ten years ago, Bloomberg journalist Brad Stone captured the rise of Amazon in his bestseller The Everything Store. Since then, Amazon has expanded exponentially, inventing novel products like Alexa and disrupting countless industries, while its workforce has quintupled in size and its valuation has soared to nearly two trillion dollars. It’s almost impossible to go a day without encountering the impact of Jeff Bezos’s Amazon, between services like Whole Foods, Prime Video, and Amazon’s cloud computing unit, AWS, plus Bezos’s ownership of The Washington Post. We live in a world run, supplied, and controlled by Amazon and its iconoclast founder.

In Amazon Unbound, Brad Stone presents an “excellent” (The New York Times), deeply reported, vividly drawn portrait of how a retail upstart became of the most powerful and feared entities in the global economy. Stone also probes the evolution of Bezos himself—who started as a geeky technologist totally devoted to building Amazon, but who transformed to become a fit, disciplined billionaire with global ambitions, who ruled Amazon with an iron fist, even as he found his personal life splashed over the tabloids.

Definitive, timely, and “engaging” (Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America), Stone has provided an unvarnished portrait of a man and company that we couldn’t imagine modern life without.
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  1. Print length
    496 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster
  4. Publication date
    May 11, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1982132612
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1982132613
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Amazon Unbound is particularly valuable in explaining how the company makes money, and the day-to-day decisions that end up having a big effect on consumers….Significantly, the book is also very much a biography of Bezos. And that makes it timely at a moment when our economy is dominated by giant firms headed by a small handful of men….[a] juicy tour of the company Bezos built.”
—New York Times Book Review

"Fascinating and deeply researched....Stone is at his best describing Bezos’s demanding style of management....[a] masterful book."
—Marc Levinson, Washington Post

"An excellent new book...Bezos emerges as the ur-billionaire of our time, the deft wielder of a fortune so vast that he and his company are becoming 'perilously close to invincible.'"
—Farhad Manjoo, New York Times

“How can you tell when the bullheaded and micromanaging boss who trusts his intuition is just nuts, and when he’s nuts but right? That’s a question I had after reading Amazon Unbound, a new book about Jeff Bezos and the last decade or so at Amazon by Brad Stone…While reading Stone’s book, I wondered if Amazon’s failures weren’t always the result of noble swings at big ideas but sometimes because of blind spots: a lack of self-reflection and a corporate culture that resists standing up to Bezos."
—Shira Ovide, New York Times' "On Tech"

"Brad Stone is now the Edward Gibbon of Amazon—a reliable and engaging chronicler of one of the great forces of our age. If a company and a culture can have a biographer, Stone is Amazon’s—which, given the retailer’s ubiquity, makes him a biographer of the way all of us live now."
—Jon Meacham, author of The Soul of America

"There are really only a handful of writers who can craft a page-turning narrative about the most transformative business ideas. Brad Stone is one. His topic of choice -- Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos -- is equal to his journalistic skill. In this book, he gives us his second must-read account of how the world's most important company and technology titan captured not only global retail, but Washington, Hollywood, outer space and your brain."
—Rana Foroohar, author of Makers and Takers and Don't Be Evil

"In this vivid, anecdote-filled page-turner of a book, Stone goes deep inside a company with colossal power, one we rely on for low-cost, wonderful service, and one that also kills many businesses and jobs. With rare access to Amazon executives, readers are taken inside Amazon meetings, see up close Jeff Bezos's brilliance but also his belligerence, understand the trade-off between impressive efficiency versus the perils of market dominance, and get an up-to-the-moment appreciation of why government is now awake to the monopoly dangers posed by digital giants like Amazon."
—Ken Auletta, author of Googled

"Innumerable gems...by one of the company's most astute observers."
—The Economist

“An excellent new book.”
—Deadline

About the Author

Brad Stone is senior executive editor of global technology at Bloomberg News. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon, which has been translated into over thirty-five languages, and The Upstarts: Uber, Airbnb, and the Battle for the New Silicon Valley. He has covered Silicon Valley for more than twenty years and lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Simon & Schuster (May 11, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982132612
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982132613
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.65 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 out of 5 stars 2,353 ratings

About the author

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Brad Stone

Brad Stone

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Brad Stone is senior executive editor for global technology at Bloomberg News and the author of Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire. The book, to be published in May 2021, continues the story that he began with The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon, a New York Times bestseller that won the 2013 Business Book of the Year Award from the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs and has been translated into more than 35 languages. He is also the author of The Upstarts: Uber, Airbnb, and the Battle for the New Silicon Valley. He is a twin, and the father of twins, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,353 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book to be a fascinating portrait of Jeff Bezos, with a well-written narrative that effectively balances multiple complex directions. Moreover, the book receives praise for its deep reporting and authenticity, with one customer noting it provides a fair accounting of Amazon's history. Additionally, customers appreciate the book's readability and consider it an outstanding sequel to The Everything Store.

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48 customers mention "Readability"48 positive0 negative

Customers find the book highly readable and engaging, describing it as a fascinating chronicle with facts, and one customer notes it's the best business book they've read.

"...Bezos is presented as a complicated, brilliant, flawed person, and it feels like an authentic, well-rounded presentation of who he actually is and..." Read more

"Brad Stone writes with the intensity of an investigative reporter and the creativity of a suspense novelist with a little sensationalism intertwined...." Read more

"Insightful journey into one of the world’s most successful, inventive, and game-changing entrepreneurs to have ever existed...." Read more

"Brad Stone has done it again. All of his books are excellent, and this one is no exception...." Read more

22 customers mention "Writing quality"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well written and easy to read voraciously, with one customer noting that every word is carefully placed.

"...brilliant, flawed person, and it feels like an authentic, well-rounded presentation of who he actually is and what the universal lessons are that..." Read more

"...The writing itself is however stellar to the point of amazement. Brad Stone asks an interesting question at the end of the book...." Read more

"...you're a fan of business, technology and Amazon, this book is very much worth reading. A+" Read more

"...I wold recommend that everyone read this book because it is extremely well written and very informative...." Read more

16 customers mention "Narrative quality"12 positive4 negative

Customers praise the book's narrative quality, particularly its ability to balance a complex story that spans multiple directions, with one customer noting its good detail on events and conversations.

"...chapters at a time without really realizing it, as the story flows so easily from one topic to the next -- that's not easy to do; the fact that..." Read more

"...with the intensity of an investigative reporter and the creativity of a suspense novelist with a little sensationalism intertwined...." Read more

"...I like to join the convo. Boring story in written form but after you finish the book and look back at the steps and how this monster was..." Read more

"This book deals with Amazon from 2010 to 2021 and is an absolutely excellent story of how this company that was already massive managed to 10X and..." Read more

8 customers mention "Insight"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful, with one review highlighting the fascinating evolution of the company and another noting its fair accounting of the company's history.

"...into one of the world’s most successful, inventive, and game-changing entrepreneurs to have ever existed...." Read more

"Great perspective and there were moments that leave us sympathising for Bezos when facing those extremely complex scenarios...." Read more

"...Amazon Unbound gives a thorough and fair accounting of the company's history, operational norms, and accelerating success over the last 10 years...." Read more

"...Like the book Power Play, this is a great read for the curious and open minded...." Read more

7 customers mention "Look"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's deep reporting and fascinating portrait of Jeff Bezos, with one customer noting its in-the-room detail.

"...The book is a fascinating portrait of Bezos as he's navigated his transition from someone famous in the tech world to someone who's famous,..." Read more

"...explains a division or aspect of Amazon's business, filled with in-the-room detail...." Read more

"...organization nor endorsement of its practices, but rather an interesting display of how the juggernaut got to where they are...." Read more

"...Everything Store, and I equally enjoyed this wide-ranging and deeply reported look at Amazon’s next chapter...." Read more

4 customers mention "Authenticity"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the authenticity of the book, with one noting it is deeply reported and grounded in facts.

"...as a complicated, brilliant, flawed person, and it feels like an authentic, well-rounded presentation of who he actually is and what the universal..." Read more

"...Mr. Bezos comes across as an affable and genuine. In this book that is basically how I see him...." Read more

"This is a deeply reported and fair look at Jeff Bezos and Amazon. Fascinating stories about a company so much a part of our lives." Read more

"...Well written, grounded in facts and objective" Read more

3 customers mention "Sequel"3 positive0 negative

Customers describe this book as an outstanding sequel to The Everything Store.

"Amazon Unbound is a great book and an excellent follow-up to The Everything Store, and you don't need to be an Amazon buff to enjoy it...." Read more

"An outstanding sequel to Stone's previous book on Amazon and Bezos." Read more

"Excellent sequel, shows how the sausage gets made..." Read more

Best written and researched book on Amazon, period.
5 out of 5 stars
Best written and researched book on Amazon, period.
Brad has long been the top journalist covering Amazon, and this book does not disappoint. I LOVED The Everything Store, and learned so much from how Brad chronicled Amazon's "Flywheel" and how that drove the first 2 decades of the company. (which then led me to Jim Collins, etc) In this book Brad managed to open my eyes about Amazon again, showing how the company had moved beyond just the canonical flywheel to a set of interlocking and "self-reinforcing" businesses. And like all of Brad's work, I not only gained deeper business and investing insights from reading it, but greatly enjoyed the ride along the way. He's a terrific writer and deserves to be counted alongside Lewis, Isaacson, and all the greats of business journalism. Do yourself a favor and read with a pen/pencil in hand... you'll be taking plenty of notes!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • SFWriter
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book! Fascinating portrait of Bezos and sequel to The Everything Store!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Amazon Unbound is a great book and an excellent follow-up to The Everything Store, and you don't need to be an Amazon buff to enjoy it. The book is a fascinating portrait of Bezos as he's navigated his transition from someone famous in the tech world to someone who's famous, period.

    The reason Bezos was interesting in this book to me is not because he's now the world's wealthiest person - what kept me turning the page were: Stone's very natural style of writing - I found myself reading multiple chapters at a time without really realizing it, as the story flows so easily from one topic to the next -- that's not easy to do; the fact that every page deepened my understanding of Bezos and what makes him tick as a kind of psychological study, even though Bezos did not actually sit for an interview for the book (which I think actually works to the book's advantage, because you wind up learning about him a better way, which is through his interactions -- good and bad -- with people in his orbit); and because Stone has done the hard work of finding the right people to tell this story and you can tell that he knows the Amazon story so deeply that you are getting the information from a place of real authority.

    The book works brilliantly on many levels and it's the definition of balanced journalism -- you get a sense of what's made Amazon one of the most successful technology companies the world has ever seen, and how hard all of that has been to accomplish, while at the same time getting an unvarnished inside look at how the company has responded as it's drawn the ire of Congress and labor groups and many of its own seller partners.

    Bezos is presented as a complicated, brilliant, flawed person, and it feels like an authentic, well-rounded presentation of who he actually is and what the universal lessons are that can be learned from his story -- which is a high compliment and a hard thing to pull off while constructing an entertaining read.

    Highly recommended!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • The Rebecca Review
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Revealing and Riveting Recounting of Amazon's Realities!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Brad Stone writes with the intensity of an investigative reporter and the creativity of a suspense novelist with a little sensationalism intertwined. Every word is carefully placed to induce the attention you'd pay to the most interesting subject you could imagine. For me, what happens at Amazon is so compelling that I need to read every book written about Jeff Bezos and Amazon. If you've read The Everything Store and One Click, this is like the next level and covers everything significant going on at amazon lately.

    What happens at Amazon seems so easy to the customer, but behind-the-scenes an incredible amount of work is going on. The Amazon employees who make everything possible should win the highest awards. How ideas turned into reality is basically what this book is about. You will learn amazing things about Alexa and who her voice really belongs to. Jeff Bezos was also so clever when selecting Alexa's name. You will also get a crash course in how artificial intelligence learns.

    The work that makes amazon what it is is mind blowing. In my mind at least I feel that the employees at Amazon are the smartest in the world. And Jeff's ideas have always led us into the future of the Internet. This book reveals all sorts of thought processes and ideas that made the realities we enjoy today.

    Brad Stone looks at the positives and negatives and in general he has a balanced view. I think he does not shy away from the truth, but maybe emphasizes more of the negatives for their appeal. If you ignore the little jabs at Amazon and Jeff, you will enjoy this book more. The writing itself is however stellar to the point of amazement.

    Brad Stone asks an interesting question at the end of the book. Basically he asks whether the world is better because of Amazon and I think it is. Not only did they manage to help millions of people during the pandemic, they continue to provide a high level of service to customers that is unparalleled online. Jeff Bezos is also indirectly responsible for me meeting all my best friends at Amazon. So my own life would be less interesting if it wasn't for Amazon. I've been reviewing for 21 years and have enjoyed every minute. I also love the convenience of shopping online! I sure do love getting a verified purchase tag on my reviews. :) It is a motivating factor.

    So I'd say read this book, but also balance it with your own experience of how Amazon has made your life easier as a customer. By reading this book I also found out about some coconut toffee roasted cashews which I immediately decided to get.

    By reviewing this book I am not endorsing all the movies and TV shows this book mentions. I have not seen them all or read all the books mentioned either. I am way behind in movies and TV shows because I've read thousands of books in the past 21 years. Having a kindle has majorly increased my reading habits. I love getting a book instantly. But this book – I bought the physical book.

    From this book I take away one line by Jeff Bezos that I think can apply to all of life for the most part: “Be the tortoise and not the hare.”

    So this book is thoughtful and it is one of the most interesting books on Amazon to date. I think you will enjoy it and learn some useful life lessons from reading about the experiences of the Amazon employees and Jeff Bezos.

    Amazon's beauty is in its diversity and we all have dreams and wishes. At Amazon a lot of the great ideas are wishes we did not even know we had when amazon first started. But over time this site has evolved into a pure delight for the customer. You don't have to agree with everything Amazon sells, but you have to agree you can normally find exactly what you are looking for!

    Onward to the continuing adventure...I can't wait to see what happens when Jeff goes up into outer space and then comes back to tell us all about it.

    ~The Rebecca Review

    P.S. There are two typos in the whole book. Not anything serious.

    P.S. II - Was happy to see Jeff return from space safely! :) 7/20/2021
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Chris M.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, start to finish.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Insightful journey into one of the world’s most successful, inventive, and game-changing entrepreneurs to have ever existed. Highly recommend to anyone starting and/or currently running a business.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Barbara
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well written biography
    Reviewed in Canada on May 3, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Author captures the amazing story of Amazon and its founder exceptionally well along with interesting behind the scene anecdotes. Well balanced portrait. Recommend.
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  • Niclas T.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beeindruckend, unterhaltsam, lehrreich.
    Reviewed in Germany on July 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Eine gute Story, wenn man sich für Internet, E-Commerce und Unternehmertum interessiert.
    Sicherlich muss man bei solch Büchern immer selbst mitdenken, ob tatsächlich alles so war/ist.
    Gefällt mir.
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  • FD
    5.0 out of 5 stars História da Alexa É Um Incentivo ao Empreendedorismo
    Reviewed in Brazil on August 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Jeff Bezos é, sem dúvida, um grande homem de negócios. Não só por estar sempre disputando a posição de Homem Mais Rico do Mundo (o que eu acho uma bobagem, aliás), mas pela criação da Amazon e sobretudo pela persistência em continuar investindo na Alexa quando todos duvidavam dele. O livro é bem escrito e a versão em Português está muito boa também. Li as duas. mas isso porque o Port não estava à venda ainda. Aliás li não, a Alexa leu pra mim. rs.
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  • Gamester
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great inside knowledge into one of the world's most secretive companies
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 25, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this as a follow up to his first book on Amazon, his 2013 The Everything Store. Equally as fascinating and really digs deep into the complexities of Amazon as it matured. If you are interested in Bezos and Amazon I would recommend reading The Everything Store first and then following on with this one.
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  • MichelNizon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Jeff Bezos, Extraterrestre ?
    Reviewed in France on September 6, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    La barre y était très haute question innovation, modèle économique et remise en cause indirecte de notre modèle social. Après plus de 20 ans de la vache sacrée des 35 heures en France, la quantité de travail abattue par la garde rapprochée des projets de Jeff Bezos me paraîssait tout simplement d'ordre extraterrestre...
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