50 Great e-Businesses and the Minds Behind Them by Angus Holland, Emily Ross

When it comes to business success, there is no better example than the rise of great e-businesses and the amazing minds behind them. In his book, “50 Great e-Businesses and the Minds Behind Them,” Angus Holland takes readers through the history, culture and people behind some of this century’s most successful digital-centric businesses.

The book looks at some of the most famous e-businesses across different industries, ranging from tech giants such as Apple, Google, and Facebook to entertainment leaders like Netflix and Amazon, to pioneering start-ups like Airbnb, Uber and Twitch. Holland puts considerable focus on the entrepreneurs behind these businesses, and he does an exceptional job at identifying their key traits and traits that made them successful. Through interviews and anecdotal stories, Holland paints a vivid and all-encompassing portrait of the modern business landscape and the monumental impact that these fifty master-minds have had on the way companies operate today.

Apple’s co-founder, Steve Jobs, is a crucial character in the book and the story of Apple’s creativity and innovation underscore some of the core themes that Holland presents. Jobs is one of many brilliantly ambitious minds featured in the book and Holland’s ability to capture their personalities and organizational philosophies captures a unique slice of the modern entrepreneurial experience. Holland also examines companies like Google, who adopted a decentralized approach to innovation and leadership under the tutelage of Larry Page and Sergey Brin. While arguably less famous than Jobs, Page and Brin’s pioneering approach to distributed decision-making, thanks to a less hierarchical corporate structure, has been an integral part of today’s digital business landscape.

The book also goes beyond the corporate behemoths, featuring the stories of innovative newcomers in the e-business space. Jeff Bezos is of course a key player and his founding of Amazon is not only credited with revolutionizing retail, but also catalyzing the modern economy and driving tremendous innovation. There is also an impressive and diverse array of entrepreneurs, including offbeat characters such as Mark Zuckerberg and Brian Chesky, the founders of Facebook and Airbnb, respectively. Holland crafts engaging and in-depth stories behind these characters and their journeys provide an important reminder that creativity, ambition, and determination are essential components of a successful e-business.

“50 Great e-Businesses and the Minds Behind Them” provides a comprehensive look at the history and evolution of the e-business industry, from its beginnings in the late 70s to its current position today. Through interviews and close examination of some of the most successful businesses, the book sheds light on the personalities and pluck that has fueled e-business growth and illuminated the modern economy. For aspiring entrepreneurs and digital executives, Holland’s book provides a window into some of the most impressive e-businesses and the intrepid minds behind them.