The E-Commerce Book, Second Edition: Building the E-Empire (Communications, Networking and Multimedia)

What started as a curious exclusive property of the IT-initiated and the technologically hip is now a bona fide mainstream revolution embraced by prime ministers, pornographers, and poets. And in there, deep in the engine room, is business, buying in and getting bullish. Where would the modern manager be without an "e-commerce solution"? Problem is, the expertise that built the bricks-and-mortar business doesn't translate into success on the Internet gold rush. Half-term report for traditional businesses? "What your company lacks in e-skill, it makes up for in enthusiasm." Must try harder, boys and girls.

The E-Commerce Book is a paper-and-ink-solution, but don't let that put you off. It promises to transform buy-in and bullishness into results. Korper and Ellis set their out stall early on, their goal "to give each reader the right tools to jump head-first into the pool of e-commerce and to find it comfortable and deep with opportunity." What you get is a thorough, no-nonsense guide to launching and maintaining a business on the Internet, covering all points from sales and marketing to technology and architecture, stopping at globalization and off-the-shelf e-commerce solutions along the way.

Refreshingly for the hyped and happening world of e-commerce, the authors make no dramatic claims--it isn't going to be easy, but with ambition, creativity, and access to the right information (i.e., this book), it's possible to do e-business with the best of them. And if you're late, don't worry. "The Internet's extraordinary youth means its earnings potential has no apparent ceiling," they say. "Plenty of room still exists for pioneers to enjoy similar e-commerce success." The text is aimed squarely at businesses, and the language and aspirations resound to an accessible commercial rhythm--variations on the phrase "the beauty of electronic commerce is that when you do one thing right, you get paid over and over" are still in the count.

Age often takes second place to youth in adapting to technology and ideas--think of those organizations using preteen business advisors. With the help of The E-Commerce Book, your company could soon be surfing with the little boys. --Iain Campbell