What happens when the bottlenecks that stand between supply and demand in our culture go away and everything becomes available to everyone?

"The Long Tail" is a powerful new force in our economy: the rise of the niche. As the cost of reaching consumers drops dramatically, our markets are shifting from a one-size-fits-all model of mass appeal to one of unlimited variety for unique tastes. From supermarket shelves to advertising agencies, the ability to offer vast choice is changing everything, and causing us to rethink where our markets lie and how to get to them. Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it, from DVDs at Netflix to songs on iTunes to advertising on Google.

However, this is not just a virtue of online marketplaces; it is an example of an entirely new economic model for business, one that is just beginning to show its power. After a century of obsessing over the few products at the head of the demand curve, the new economics of distribution allow us to turn our focus to the many more products in the tail, which collectively can create a new market as big as the one we already know.

The Long Tail is really about the economics of abundance. New efficiencies in distribution, manufacturing, and marketing are essentially resetting the definition of what’s commercially viable across the board. If the 20th century was about hits, the 21st will be equally about niches.

The book received was in general good shape. The only issue I was not aware of was the fact that some parts of the book were highlighted. However, this does not suppose any kind of problem for me.

this book describes the impact of the increased variety of goods on the new economy. it is based on an article written by the author and on a blog maintained by himself.

note that there is a new version of the book which is cheaper AND has an extra chapter!

see also:

Brynjolfsson, Erik, Smith, Michael and Hu, Yu (November, 2003) "Consumer Surplus in the Digital Economy: Estimating the Value of Increased Product Variety atOnline Booksellers," Management Science, Vol 49, No. 11.

This book is a must-read for everyone who wants to understand
how the internet has changed our economy since 2000 and the change
it will cause in the dacades to come.

The Long Tail explains why everyone today can be producer of music, videos
and books. The internet as a new distribution media opens new opportunities in lots of market niches. This is for me the conclusion of this book.

This book gives also insight into following e-commerce
companies and websites:

Google
Rhapsody
Netflix
Amazon
Itunes
Ebay
Wikipedia
Lulu.com
technorait.com

The above mentioned sites are compared to conventional (bricks and mortals) shops:

Wal Mart
Britania encyclpedia
Barnes & Nobles
Tower Record

What is the major change brought to our society after we entered the netizen era? Some may say it's the free download of almost everything, or it's supre-abundance of information, or it's the gossip about anything rampant and fast on the web. But Chris Anderson tells us, what the internet has created is the "Long Tail" of almost any kind of commodities or services. The once neglected and overlooked niches become profitable. The "Hits" don't have so loud a say as before. Enterprises, if wise and aiming at long-term success, should dig deep and thoroughly to form their own long tails. Google, Amazon, Yahoo!, etc. are all successful examples.

Sagely written, this book can be read both for fun and for a serious study of our comtemporary era.

This book was very easy to read in that it was straight forward and had good explanations and examples of the topic. The title was explained from the onset and summarized the content of the book. The remainder of the book went on to explain why Long Tail economics is happening and how it got started. I agree with the premise of the book and can now appreciate and put a name to the changes I have seen in consumerism and my personal consumption.
This book is relevant because we are all consumers. The number of options available, reduced costs and connecting supply and demand are a few examples of the catalysts of Long Tail economics. Understanding why certain things are happening is also very important from the perspective of business. Recognizing opportunities and obstacles that result from the Long Tail will encourage better decision-making and in turn more success. Another factor that cannot be overlooked is the influence of technology. This niche market trend has been encouraged by the increased use of technology and the new realm it has created.
Two very different markets have surfaced as a result of the Long Tail. First, the traditional bricks and mortar approach still meets the needs of consumers, especially the desire for immediate gratification. On-line markets on the other hand have grown the idea of niche marketing exponentially. The ability of users to find exactly what they are looking for and the ability of businesses to provide unlimited options to consumers has taken advantage of and promoted the expansion of the Tail. Reduced consumer constraints, however, have begged the question of whether of not too many consumer choices is possible and what are its implications. In some cases this seems to be true, but it will be interesting to see how this issue is addressed in the future.
On a personal level, my role as a consumer is changing. The book identifies the increased faith in the individual and the increasing value of their input. Various companies and markets in general are realizing the importance of and relying more heavily on the advisory role of individuals.