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Book review 

THE CULT OF THE AMATEUR  Keen, A. (2007, later revised editions are available.  Nicholas Brealey Publishing

An enjoyable and interesting read, this book is a useful text for budding Internet marketers. I read it one day [albeit on a sunlounger in Tenerife!] - which I suppose is some kind of recommendation. Mr Keen is to be commended for his presentation of what are [in the main] facts, stories and anecdotes that are common knowledge to those connected with the online industry. This means that I actually learned very little ... but that will not be the case for the majority of readers], indeed, judging by some of the back-cover reviews I would appear to be in the minority in this respect. For example, one A N Wilson of the Daily Mail for whom, apparently, the book's content 'came as a real shock'.

As with all books of this ilk, students should consider the objectives of its author. Unlike academic texts and articles there is an emphasis on creating a saleable commodity - and to achieve this Mr Keen takes a controversial stance. Whether this is through [his] true belief or how much he is playing devil's advocate I cannot be sure. I certainly find the content to be a retort to Tapscott & Williams' Wikinomics - and as a personal aside, I tend to agree with Keen. Students should also be aware that the Cult of the Amateur is about the impact of the Internet on society - and not about Internet marketing. However, what impacts on society will also impact on those marketing to, and in, that society.   

How to cite this article:
Charlesworth, A. (2007). Book review: The Cult of the Amateur. AlanCharlesworth.com:

https://alancharlesworth.com/some-books-on-digital-marketing-that-are-worth-a-look/the-cult-of-the-amateur



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