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Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy
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Author: Carl Shapiro, Hal R. Varian, Carol Shapiro
List Price: $29.95
Our Price: Click to see the latest and low price
Publisher: Harvard Business School Press
Edition: Digital
Sales Rank: 4,449
Average Customer Rating: 4.19 out of 5
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Customer ReviewsRating: 2 out of 5
Really?
The book starts by proclaiming that neo-classical economics is adequate for explaining the information economy. This claim is not backed up in the book. First, textbook neo-clasical equilibrium theory contains neither money nor 'information'. Second, the book merely discusses qualitatively and nonsystematically ideas like positive feedback and increasing returns that were better presented by Brian Arthur. Third, even asymmetric information is not discussed (Ackerlof and Stiglitz are not even mentioned). Fourth (or zeroth), there is not a single empirical graph in the entire book, and nothing of modern ideas of network theory. So I would say that the book is more or less on the same level as Kelly's (pre-bubble-bust) "New Rules for the New Economy". All of these books implicitly hype the unregulated free market, in the face of both qualitative and empirical evidence that unregulated markets are not only unstable but are detrimental to human health and well-being.
Rating: 5 out of 5
The Best Among Analysis of Network Economy
It was astounded by what descriped in the opening of the book: at first, the events seem to be at the current, but then they were happened at the last turn of century!It is still the best anlaysis of network economy among 5 books that I read about, though 2 of which are also from Harvard. This book just touches the heart of network economy, and it gives me a lot to further analyze the continuous economics events happening in the globe.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Fascinating
I read this for an information-age econ class I'm taking, and I really liked it. The authors refute the idea that traditional economic rules don't apply to the age of computers, information trading and cyber sales. They make a convincing case that it's all the same econ, just a new application, and I learned a great deal from it about both the traditional models and the economics of selling information. I really recommend it for anyone. It's very readable, accessible and cogent.
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