Indexed episode5 source moments

AcquiredSpecialMay 27, 2021

Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone)

Summary, books mentioned, source context, and timestamps for Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone) on Acquired.

Guest

Brad Stone

Books mentioned

Cannery Row Amazon Unbound The Last Days of Night+1 more

Listen

Loading the embedded player…

Open audio source More from Acquired

Context before you listen

Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone) includes mentions of Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, Amazon Unbound by Brad Stone, The Last Days of Night, and The Upstarts by Brad Stone, with indexed source context and timestamps where available.

Cannery Row Amazon Unbound The Last Days of Night The Upstarts

3 books from this episode

Cannery Row

John Steinbeck

Indexed context: The host referenced 'Cannery Row' to illustrate the contrasting traits admired and rewarded in society, particularly in the context of business succe…

Amazon Unbound

Brad Stone

Indexed context: The hosts mentioned 'Amazon Unbound' to provide insights into the significant changes at Amazon since 2013, including innovations like Alexa and Amaz…

The Last Days of Night

Indexed context: The host mentions 'The Last Days of Night' to illustrate the concept of invention systems, particularly in relation to Amazon's operational processes…

Guest: Brad Stone

Episode summary

Brad Stone joins us to discuss the making of the modern Amazon, and how it's morphed from the "flywheel company" of The Everything Store into a set of interlocking and self-reinforcing businesses that extended both wider and deeper into the global economy than anyone ever imagined. (except perhaps Jeff Bezos) Is Amazon the Standard Oil of our time, or maybe something much, much bigger? Tune in as we dive in!

Mention timeline

Jump between the book moments.

View every mention

Cannery Row

John Steinbeck

The host referenced 'Cannery Row' to illustrate the contrasting traits admired and rewarded in society, particularly…

Card

Amazon Unbound

Brad Stone

The hosts mentioned 'Amazon Unbound' to provide insights into the significant changes at Amazon since 2013, including…

Card

The Last Days of Night

The host mentions 'The Last Days of Night' to illustrate the concept of invention systems, particularly in relation t…

Card

The Upstarts

Brad Stone

The host reflects on the challenges of writing about rapidly changing tech companies, using his experience with 'The…

Card

The Everything Store

Brad Stone

The host mentioned 'The Everything Store' as the predecessor to Brad Stone's latest book, 'Amazon Unbound'. This refe…

Card

Book mentions5

Media mentions0

Event size10

Quick answers

Quick FAQ

Answers to common summary, books, and takeaway questions for this episode.

What is Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone) about?

Summary, books mentioned, source context, and timestamps for Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone) on Acquired.

Listen to the episode

What are the main takeaways from Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone)?

These themes are drawn from the indexed episode description and linked mentions for Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone).

The conversation centers on Amazon and its evolution.
A second recurring theme is Amazon's recent developments.
Referenced books include Cannery Row by John Steinbeck and Amazon Unbound by Brad Stone.
Related interests include Readers interested in business ethics and societal values and Listeners interested in technology and business strategy.

Listen with timestamps

Which books are mentioned in Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone)?

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck, Amazon Unbound by Brad Stone, and The Last Days of Night are the clearest linked books in this episode, each tied back to source cards and timestamps where available.

Jump to books mentioned

How can I check the source context for Special: Amazon Unbound (with Brad Stone)?

This page brings together episode context, book references, and links back to the source audio. Indexed descriptions help locate a passage; listening to the episode provides its original wording and context.

See conversation topics

Topics in this conversation

Explore the subjects connected to the book mentions below.

Topics

Amazon and its evolution(1)Amazon's recent developments(1)impact of business traits(1)system of invention(1)writing about tech companies(1)

Mention types

Deep Dive(3)Critical Analysis(1)Passing Reference(1)

Related interests

Readers interested in business ethics and societal valuesListeners interested in technology and business strategyReaders interested in business innovation and the complexities of large-scale systems.Journalists and writers covering technologyReaders interested in the history and development of Amazon.

Books Mentioned

The full list below is ranked by how useful each mention is to a listener: stronger recommendation language, clearer source context, and better timestamp support rise first.

Cannery Row

John Steinbeck

Best for Readers interested in business ethics and societal valuesOften cited around impact of business traits

Indexed context

A quote from Cannery Row is mentioned as a way to provoke thought about Amazon's impact, highlighting the contrast between admired traits and those associated with success.

View mention details

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: impact of business traits

For: Readers interested in business ethics and societal values

Indexed context: It has always seemed strange, to me, the things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding, and feeling are the concomitants of failure in our system.

The host referenced 'Cannery Row' to illustrate the contrasting traits admired and rewarded in society, particularly in the context of business success. The quote serves as a thought-provoking entry point for discussing Amazon's impact and the complexities of its business practices.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

Amazon Unbound

Brad Stone

Best for Listeners interested in technology and business strategyOften cited around Amazon's recent developments

Indexed context

Brad Stone joins to discuss his most recent book, Amazon Unbound, which covers everything that has happened at Amazon since 2013.

View mention details

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: Amazon's recent developments

For: Listeners interested in technology and business strategy

Indexed context: It is about everything that has happened at Amazon since 2013, including Alexa, Amazon Go, third-party sellers, well, the further development of the third-party ecosystem anyway.

The hosts mentioned 'Amazon Unbound' to provide insights into the significant changes at Amazon since 2013, including innovations like Alexa and Amazon Go. They highlighted that the book serves as a comprehensive follow-up to Brad Stone's earlier work, 'The Everything Store'.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

The Last Days of Night

Best for Readers interested in business innovation and the complexities of large-scale systems.Often cited around system of invention

Indexed context

The Last Days of Night is referenced as a novel about Thomas Edison, which influenced the author's thinking about Amazon's system of invention.

View mention details

Sentiment: Deep Dive

Trigger: system of invention

For: Readers interested in business innovation and the complexities of large-scale systems.

Indexed context: Well, first of all, let me start with the other quote on that page is from a book called The Last Days of Night about Thomas Edison.

The host mentions 'The Last Days of Night' to illustrate the concept of invention systems, particularly in relation to Amazon's operational processes. This book serves as a lens to examine both the positive and negative impacts of such systems on innovation and business practices.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

The Upstarts

Brad Stone

Best for Journalists and writers covering technologyOften cited around writing about tech companies

Indexed context

Brad mentions his previous book, The Upstarts, which was about Uber and Airbnb, illustrating the risks of writing about rapidly changing tech companies.

View mention details

Sentiment: Critical Analysis

Trigger: writing about tech companies

For: Journalists and writers covering technology

Indexed context: I jumped in the train, moved, and I fell onto the tracks because it was like a month after that book came out.

The host reflects on the challenges of writing about rapidly changing tech companies, using his experience with 'The Upstarts' as an example. He emphasizes the risks involved in capturing a moment in Silicon Valley, particularly when the narrative can shift dramatically in a short time.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

The Everything Store

Brad Stone

Best for Readers interested in the history and development of Amazon.Often cited around Amazon and its evolution

Indexed context

This book is the successor to Brad's first book, The Everything Store, which details Amazon's history up to 2013.

View mention details

Sentiment: Passing Reference

Trigger: Amazon and its evolution

For: Readers interested in the history and development of Amazon.

Indexed context: This book is the successor to Brad's first book, The Everything Store.

The host mentioned 'The Everything Store' as the predecessor to Brad Stone's latest book, 'Amazon Unbound'. This reference highlights the ongoing narrative of Amazon's growth and transformation over the years.

Direct Amazon listing · affiliate link

Check price

Book picks by email

Get more book picks with podcast context.

Cannery Row

Acquired · 4:33

Indexed context: The host referenced 'Cannery Row' to illustrate the contrasting traits admired and rewarded in society, particularly in the context of business succe…

Amazon Unbound

Acquired · 1:12

Indexed context: The hosts mentioned 'Amazon Unbound' to provide insights into the significant changes at Amazon since 2013, including innovations like Alexa and Amaz…

The Last Days of Night

Acquired · 5:07

Indexed context: The host mentions 'The Last Days of Night' to illustrate the concept of invention systems, particularly in relation to Amazon's operational processes…

Shop This Episode