The World's Best Book Summaries
Are Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google monopolies? How can competition be encouraged? In The Four, entrepreneur and marketing professor Scott Galloway takes a close look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google (the “Four”). He makes the case that it’s time for the law to treat them as monopolies. Keep reading for Galloway’s idea on how to break up Big Tech.
What are “the four” of big tech? What makes them so? Should—and can—they be reigned in? In The Four, Scott Galloway takes a hard look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. He discusses their success and their impact, how their power might be limited, who’ll be the next tech giant, and how you can make it in the economy they’ve created. Keep reading for our overview of this important book.
How is an organization’s purpose determined? Should profit be a driver or merely a byproduct? The strongest driver of a company’s culture is its overriding purpose in the world. As Frédéric Laloux explains in Reinventing Organizations, this purpose is not dictated from on high but emerges organically from the work the company does and the values of its members. Keep reading to learn about the preeminence of organizational purpose in visionary companies.
What effect do Amazon’s automated processes have on jobs? How are Facebook and Google eliminating jobs? The products and services from Amazon, Facebook, and Google fulfill some of our deepest human needs. However, they’re taking away our livelihoods, says Scott Galloway. He argues that these companies destroy more jobs than they create. Keep reading to learn how job elimination in their own and their competitors’ workplaces is caused by Amazon’s emphasis on automation and Facebook and Google’s massive advertising capabilities.
Is it possible to compete with Facebook, Google, Amazon, or Apple? How fair is the market’s environment? In his book, Scott Galloway harshly criticizes the Four’s efforts to eliminate their competition, creating a landscape of big tech monopolies. While large, powerful companies always have a competitive edge, he argues that the Four wield their size and power unfairly to purposefully eliminate competitors from the market. Read more to learn how the Four purchase competitors, force competitors out of business, and engage in other questionable tactics.
How are CEOs in visionary companies different from other CEOs? How should board members and investors be selected? In Reinventing Organizations, Frédéric Laloux discusses how upper management functions in visionary companies. He explains that the role of a CEO in a visionary company is different than it is in traditional organizations. He also discusses board members and principal investors. Keep reading to learn about Laloux’s assessment of a visionary management style.
Just how big are the big four tech companies? What are the four deep human desires that these companies appeal to? The Four—Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google—are among the largest companies in the U.S., and their products and services infiltrate every aspect of American life. In The Four, Scott Galloway takes a hard look at these technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace. Keep reading for an explanation of just how pervasive these companies are and the two factors that are major contributors to their continuing success.
Would you like your company to put purpose above profit? Are you eager to lead self-directed employees? In Reinventing Organizations, Frédéric Laloux identifies an emerging breed of company that operates from a new set of rules. These visionary organizations (“Teal companies”) embody principles of self-direction and individual authenticity while following a collective higher purpose. Keep reading to learn how to create a Teal company of your own.
Does your company operate on a “need to know” basis? Does management wield all of the power? Visionary companies eliminate the compartmentalization of information, and they distribute power. This transparency leads to trust. Employees feel respected, and performance increases. Read on to learn more about organizational trust and transparency.
Does your organization treat employees as adults or children? Do people feel as though they can be themselves at work? In Reinventing Organizations, business consultant Frédéric Laloux identifies many commonalities among the companies included in his research. These include encouraging all employees to be their authentic selves at work. Continue reading to learn the difference that authenticity at work can make.