Amazon.co.uk Review
Looking for all the world like a glossy magazine,
Heroes.com is coffee table reference at its best. Like its stars, it's made for surfing and like west coast waves, they come thick and fast. Pretty much every tastefully designed page features some bright, young thing with a story to tell gazing out in glorious Technicolour. Wannabes should take note of the facial poses; there seem to be two main variations to choose from, the smiley and the sulky, though the sensible money is on perfecting both. It means added flexibility should your c'mon!.com turn into a come-off-it.com. The interviews are highly readable, often revealing, if occasionally veering into cosy backslapping territory. Author Louise Proddow's claim that the text is "scattered with gold dust" is largely justified. The basic thrust is, "how did you get involved in the Web?" "What's the story behind your site?" "What are your tips?" "What are your predictions?" It's resolutely "up" in tone--what else can explain Proddow's revelation that boo.com is [sic] "a brilliantly designed site?" Not a regular visitor then? It is also clear that the whole dot.com environment has changed in the time it's taken for the ink to dry on Proddow's manuscript. Some of the entries seem dated given recent stock market reshuffles and the odd business collapse. It all serves to confirm just how quickly the new economy is moving. Perhaps regular supplements and a free binder with Part 1 would have made more sense. Make no mistake, this is a decent book; a line in the sand charting where the Web is today(-ish) and anticipating where it might go from here. Two final chapters offer condensed shortcut strategies on how to go about getting your own face featured in the next edition with advice on moving from "big idea" through to Initial Public Offering.
Heroes.com is a recommended read, if only for the chance to find out who all these people are who are making fortunes out of your own ideas. Before you've even had chance to think of them yourself. --
Iain Campbell
Synopsis
This text celebrates key people - entrepreneurs, artists, visionaries and children - who have provided an inspiration for more people to embrace the Web. The main focus of the book is a series of individual interviews with these key internet players. The interviewees are asked such questions as: your personal vision for the Web - what makes you so successful?; how has your organization become so successful so quickly?; what is your ideal website?; and what is your advice for future .com heroes?
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