Spirit of America Bookstore

Amazon, Inc.
"The World's Largest Bookseller"
[est. July 1994]

Amazon, Inc.'s new headquarters in the South Lake Union neighborhood in Seattle, Washington - relocation started mid-2012              short history

primary divisions

subsidiaries

business practices

other products & services

works about Amazon

execs

image gallery

links


Amazon, Inc.'s sales for all of 2011 totaled $48.08 billion, up 41 percent from $34.2 billion in 2010,
while net income dropped 45 percent to $631 million (down from $1.15 billion in 2010).

If Amazon, Inc. were a country, it's revenue would put it around 75th place, comparable to
the 2011 G.D.P. of Sri Lanka, Bulgaria, or Guatamala.

According to Publishers Weekly in June 2014, Amazon sells 41% of all new books that are sold in America;
Amazon also sells 65% of all books purchased online, whether digital or print.


          H I S T O R Y
          t e x t
          h e r e
  • Amazon, Inc. [est. July 1994] as Cadabra, Inc. (name changed in 1995)
  • ann ipo for 2.5M shares [11% stake] at $13 4/97
  • 22% of biz w/non-US customers (98)
  • settled name suit by Amazon Books Mnpls 11/99
  • bot IMDb [qv] 1998 along with Bookpages & Telebook [for European mrkt]
  • February 2, 2005; Amazon launched the Prime subscription service, offering 'all-you-can-eat' shipping in 48 hours for a monthly fee; in April 2021, Amazon reported that Prime had more than 200 million subscribers worldwide.
  • 2015: Amazon Prime Day launched in Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the UK, and the US to celebrate the company’s 20-year anniversary, lasting for 24 hours.
  • 2021 February: Amazon chair/president/CEO Jeff Bezos announced that he is stepping down as Amazon CEO; he will transition to the role of executive chair in the third quarter of this year; Andy Jassy, the chief executive of Amazon Web Services, will take over as CEO of Amazon.
  • 2024 March 20-25: Amazon held its first “Big Spring Sale” Wed March 20 to Mon March 25, which is open to all shoppers (not just Prime members).
  • Amazon.com entry at Wikipedia
    Amazon.com, Inc. Common Stock Quote & Summary Data at NASDAQ

    Amazon removed their useful site directory page around 2022
    but you can click on Amazon bestsellers and make it a Favorite using your browser.

    Primary  Divisions

    ¨            ¨

    Amazon, Inc. [est. 1994]
    Amazon.com site directory
    Amazon's main book page

    Amazon's Kindle ebook reader [launched 2007]
    Amazon's Kindle ebook reader launched in late 2007; the free 'Kindle for PC' download was made available in November 2009.
    Nordell Bookstores Group's Kindle Hardware & Content Page

    Launched July 2014: Enjoy unlimited access to over 600,000 Kindle Edition titles and thousands of audiobooks on any device for just $9.99 a month — Or start your 30-day free trial!

    Amazon Prime      Amazon Prime Student      Amazon Prime Video
    Amazon Prime was launched in the United States in 2005; in Japan, the United Kingdom & Germany in 2007; and as 'Amazon Premium' in France in 2008.
    The Amazon Prime service began offering 'unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of 5,000 movies & TV shows' in February 2011.

    sign up for Amazon Prime
    members enjoy fast & FREE shipping, exclusive access to movies & TV shows, ad-free music, Kindle books, original audio series, and unlimited photo storage.
    After your 30-day free trial, Amazon Prime is just $10.99/month or $99/year (cancel anytime).
    Effective May 11, 2018, new members will be charged $119/year for an annual Prime membership and $59/year for an annual Prime Student membership.

    sign up for Amazon Prime Student
    members enjoy same benefits as Amazon Prime at half the cost, exclusive discounts available only to students, 6-month free trial courtesy of Sprint

    sign up for Amazon Prime Video
    FREE with Amazon Prime; now available in over 200 countries; separate monthly charge after 30-day free trial varies by country.

    Amazon Prime Pantry
    Amazon Prime Pantry [2018-2020] - FREE shipping with membership.
    Amazon announced in June 2018 a $3.00 bounty to Associates for each successful registration for a Prime Pantry Free Trial;
    rules were complicated, shut down at end of 2020; the above link redirects to Amazon Pantry Staples.

    Amazon Prime Day [est. 2015] is in July
    Amazon Prime Day [est. 2015] is in June or July
    intended as a mid-year super-sale for Prime members, much like Black Friday before Xmas

    Amazon Prime Day Rewind follows Prime Day, active until September
    Amazon Prime Day Rewind is active June/July to September

    Amazon Payments / Amazon Pay
    Launched in 2007, Amazon Payments is a service that allows small businesses to utilize Amazon's vast database of users to pay for goods & services directly, i.e. without going
    thru credit card delays, or without joining new or minor credit card services. Announced 2/2017: Online payment buttons will gradually be converted to read 'Amazon Pay'.
    Online merchants that signed on early include: Nine West + Lulus + FragranceNet.com + MidwestSports.com + dyson + Vacatia + seattlecoffeegear + purple
    official company websitecompany entry at Wikipedia

    Amazon Video On Demand
    Amazon Video On Demand launched in September 2008

    Amazon Publishing

    In Spring 2011, Amazon hired Larry Kirschbaum (ex-Time Warner Books) to head Amazon Publishing; a deal soon
    was made with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to handle distribution under the brands New Harvest, Montlake Romance,
    AmazonCrossing, Thomas & Mercer, 47North, AmazonEncore & The Domino Project
    AmazonEncore bought all the assets of Avalon Books

    Amazon Studios [est. 11/2010]        logo for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer [est. 1924]
    Amazon Studios [est. 11/2010] Section at Magic Lantern Video & Book Store

    Amazon Studios [est. 11/2010]

    Amazon announced in June 2021 that it is acquiring Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for $8.45 billion (Amazon's second-largest acquisition ever, behind its purchase of Whole Foods for $13.7 billion in 2017); the deal is still subject to regulatory approval. The New York Times wrote that Amazon's purchase of M.G.M. will "bolster Prime Video at a time when the biggest old-line studios are becoming less willing to license their libraries to outside streaming services".

    Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) 'An Amazon Company' [est. 5/2011]
    Audiobook Creation Exchange (ACX) was spun off from Amazon's Audible.com in May 2011; its purpose is to connect owners of intellectual content
    such as authors & agents (called 'producers' here) with technical talent who can craft recordings of books, etc. for sale on Amazon thru the Audible division.
    The DIY Workflow option was added in February 2012 for uploading pre-existing audiobooks.
    official websiteentry at Wikipedia

    Audible 'An Amazon Company' [est. 1999]
    Audible, Inc. was founded in 1999 and was purchased by Amazon in 2008 for about $300 million. The company is based in Newark, New Jersey
    and has a near-monopoly in the commercial online digital download market for audiobooks, as well as providing access to spoken audio entertainment,
    information & educational programming, digital audiobooks, radio & TV programs, and audio versions of magazines & newspapers.
    official websiteentry at Wikipedia

    Audible Plus   Audible Plus: Listen all you want. [est. 8/2020]
    Free for 30 days, then billed at $7.95/month; cancel online anytime.
    sign up for Audible Plus
    browse the Audible Plus Catalog {over 10,000 titles}
    Audible Premium Plus   Audible Premium Plus [renamed 8/2020]
    Free for 30 days, then billed at $14.95/month; cancel online anytime; plan includes Audible Plus, one free download per month, 30% discount, and exclusive sales
    sign up for Audible Premium Plus
    browse the Audible Premium Plus Catalog {over 9,000 titles}

    Amazon Game Studios [est. 8/2012]        Reflexive Entertainment [est. 1997] is based in Lake Forest, California        Double Helix Games, LLC [merger 2007] is based in Irvine, California
    Amazon's interest in the gaming business began in October 2008 with the purchase of game developer/distributor Reflexive Entertainment [est. 1997], which continues to develop games for PC, Mac OS, and Kindle eReaders. Amazon announced the formation of Amazon Game Studios in August 2012 to produce 'innovative, fun and well-crafted games'; apparently produced only one game, Air Patriots. Amazon acquired gaming company Double Helix Games, LLC [est. 2007] in February 2014; the 75 Double Helix employees became Amazon employees and remain at their Orange County, California headquarters. Amazon acquired the video game streaming website Twitch [est. 2011] for $970 million in August 2014, with the intention of increasing internet traffic, boosting its Prime membership program and video ad sales, and promoting its Fire TV set top box business.

    Amazon Game Studios official websitesub-entry at Wikipedia
    Reflexive Entertainment official website {redirects to Amazon Games}entry at Wikipedia
    Double Helix Games official websiteentry at Wikipedia

    Twitch TV [spun off 6/2011] is based in Irvine, California
    Twitch.TV [est. 6/2011] video game live streaming service
    Founded in 2011 by Justin Kan, Emmett Shear (CEO 2011-2023), Kevin Lin, Kyle Vogt & Michael Seibel; acquired by Amazon in August 2014 for US$970 million.
    official websiteentry at Wikipedia

    Twitch operates IGDB: The Internet Games Database - the guiding star in your world of gaming [est. 2015]

    TwitchCon live convention events
    official websiteentry at Wikipedia

    logo for Amazon Web Services [launched 2006]        Amazon Web Services [launched 2006] cloud logo
    Amazon Web Services [launched 2006] aka 'AWS' is the Amazon-owned user storage division; products/services include Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud
    aka 'EC2', and the company's popular cloud-based storage platform Amazon Simple Storage Service aka 'S3'.
    The service is divided into 16 regions around the world; headquarters is centered near Washington, DC and the C.I.A. and N.S.A. facilities in Virginia,
    which may not be a coincidence. As-of March 2017, Amazon's AWS handles about 42% of the cloud-computing market.
    official company websitecompany entry at Wikipedia

    logo for Amazon Channels streaming & DVD sites [est. 1/2017]       logo for Amazon Heera India movies channel
    The Amazon Channels streaming & DVD sites [est. 1/2017] include Starz, H.B.O., Cinemax, Heera (India movies), Showtime, Acorn TV,
    Anime Strike, P.B.S. Masterpiece, Curiosity Stream, Lifetime Movie Club, and several Xian-content channels.
    official subscription pageAmazon Video entry at Wikipedia

    Amazon  Country  Sites

       •       •       •       •       •       •       •   

    logo for Amazon Associates Program [launched 1996]
    The Amazon Associates Program was launched in July 1996; Amazon submitted a patent application on components of an affiliate program in June 1997, which
    was granted in February 2000. Typical sales commissions are 4-6% (on a sliding scale) of the purchase price, with other fees and bounties on selected products and services;
    Amazon has 'over 900,000 members' in its affiliate programs worldwide.
    official website • there is no distinct entry at Wikipedia

    Amazon Associates shut down the aStore function at the end of October 2017 because of low usage.
    Amazon Associates launched OneLink software to monetize Canada & UK visitors in August 2017; Germany, France, Japan, Spain & Italy were added later.
    Amazon Associates retired the Recommended Product Links & Self-Optimizing Links Widgets in December 2017.
    Amazon Associates halted their CPM (cost per impression) ads program effective at the end of September 2018.

    Amazon Associates unveiled the Creator Central for Mobile in November 2024; the free app allows members to access
    all their Creator content and reporting needs in just a few taps in the basic Amazon app.

    logo for Amazon Pharmacy [launched 11/2020] with slogan 'Your trusted medical store'        Amazon PillPack service [est. 2021] via Amazon Pharmacy
    In June 2018, Amazon purchased PillPack [est. 2013] for a reported US$753 million. The words 'by Amazon Pharmacy' replaced 'an Amazon company'
    on the PillPack logo in November 2019. The Amazon Pharmacy was launched as a separate online service in November 2020, for U.S. customers only.
    Amazon Pharmacy HQ, 4500 So. Pleasant Valley Road in Austin, Texas
    PillPack official websitePillPack entry at Wikipedia
    Amazon Pharmacy official homepageAmazon Pharmacy entry at Wikipedia

    Amazon  Business  Practices
    Like many corporations, Amazon wants the approval of their customers, espousing progressive and sensitive and ecological ideals
    while actually practicing anti-union, anti-competitive, and pro-pollution activities – Amazon's hypocrisy is a matter of record.


    Hachette / Amazon    Amazon executives have long been trying to negotiate lower prices for ebooks (i.e. Kindle Editions) sold on Amazon's website while increasing Amazon's share of each sale (to as much as 80%). Negotiations with international publisher Hachette Book Group reached an impasse in Spring 2014, at which point Amazon re-coded entries for Hachette's books to tell Amazon customers that the books were available for the retail price only (standard discounts removed), that the books were out of stock or delivery would take two to three weeks (not true), and also recommending books from other publishers as 'better'.
    Many Hachette authors saw their sales drop 80 and 90 percent. Author Douglas Preston of Santa Fe, New Mexico quickly organized the non-profit group Authors United and enrolled scores of published authors in signing an open letter to Amazon, Inc. (I am a signatory author.) Their two-page paid advertisement ran in the New York Times on Sunday 10 August 2014, and received worldwide notice. The letter called on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to stop targeting Hachette authors; the New York Times ran a same-day favorable article on the front page. Amazon's response was an email to authors mis-quoting George Orwell's novel "1984", which got them chastised by the George Orwell Estate, who accused Amazon of Orwellian 'doublespeak'.

    On November 13th, Amazon and Hachette revealed a signed agreement ending the dispute. Both sides claimed victory, and Hachette remains in control of prices set for their e-books for sale at Amazon. (The situation is expected to return to normal
    – just in time for Black Friday and the holiday shopping season.)


    Amazon Headquarters Contest
    There were 258 applications from cities wanting to subsidize a new headquarters for Amazon, Inc. The twenty finalist candidates announced in January 2018 were:
    Atlanta, Georgia •• Austin, Texas •• Boston, Massachusetts •• Chicago, Illinois •• Columbus, Ohio •• Dallas, Texas •• Denver, Colorado •• Indianapolis, Indiana ••
    Los Angeles, California •• Miami, Florida •• Montgomery County, Maryland •• Nashville, Tennessee •• Newark, New Jersey •• New York City •• Northern Virginia ••
    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania •• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania •• Raleigh, North Carolina •• Toronto, Ontario, Canada •• Washington, DC

    Plans for Amazon's HQ2 were set to be divided between New York City and Northern Virginia in November 2018; the NYC location was cancelled 2/2019.
    Amazon is now also building a central hub for retail operations in Nashville, Tennessee.


    Amazon's Union-Busting Training Video [2018]
    'training' video sent in 2018 to managers after the takeover of Whole Foods; leaked in mid-2019
    watch full video [6/2019 upload; 29:02] online at YouTube


    Work at an Amazon warehouse under construction in Windsor, northern Connecticut was again suspended after another noose – the eighth in a month – was discovered at the worksite on Wednesday 26 May 2021. The discovery occurred after security was upgraded and a few hours before N.A.A.C.P. representatives arrived to interview workers about the previous incidents. The newest noose, made of red rope, was found among yellow electrical cables. The site reopened the next day; Amazon is offering a $100,000 reward for information that helps identify those responsible for the incidents, which investigators are treating as possible hate crimes.


    1-11 Amazon union’s Staten Island win got certified. A federal labor official certified the Amazon Labor Union’s victory in the election at the New York City warehouse, rejecting the e-commerce giant’s objections to the vote. Amazon plans to continue appealing up the chain to the full National Labor Relations Board in Washington, DC. Nonetheless, the union’s leader, Chris Smalls, called the decision “very historic for workers” and urged the company to begin negotiations with the union.

    Solidarity Forever Amazon Worker Jigsaw Puzzle  "Solidarity Forever: Amazon Worker Jigsaw Puzzle" [ages 12 & up; 2022]
    sponsored by The Nation Magazine

    500-piece paper jigsaw puzzle, finished size 24x18 inches; jigsaw image created by award-winning designer-illustrator Josh Gosfield; proceeds from this unique and memorable puzzle will go to both the Amazon Labor Union and The Nation's reporting fund
    of course, the puzzle will not be available at Amazon
    The Nation jigsaw puzzle in a box [12/2022] for $29.99

    Subsidiaries


    Booksurge/Amazon logo       CreateSpace 'An Amazon Company' [est. 11/2010]
    In 2005, Amazon purchased print-on-demand company BookSurge, Mobipocket.com, Smallparts.com, and CreateSpace.
    CreateSpace began as CustomFlix, based in Scotts Valley, California; originally a distributor of on-demand DVDs, it has since expanded
    to include on-demand books, CDs, and video; BookSurge and CreateSpace were reorganixed as an Amazon subsidiary in 2010.
    BookSurge website refers to CreateSpace • no separate entry at Wikipedia
    CreateSpace official website • no separate entry at Wikipedia


    Zappos/Amazon logo
    In 2009: Amazon paid $900M for Zappos, the online shoe & apparel retailer.
    "The Zappos Experience: 5 Principles To Inspire..." [] by Joseph Michelli /0071749586/


    Woot!/Amazon logo
    Woot! sells discount merchandise with game elements such as one-day deals; purchased by Amazon in 2010;
    factory in Carrollton, Texas (near Dallas), management in Seattle, Washington.


    Internet Movie Database {'IMDb'} [est. 10/1990]
    Internet Movie Database {'IMDb'} launched in October 1990, and was purchased by Amazon in 1998.
    The IMDbPro for-fee service launched in January 2002.
    Announced 2/2017: IMDb is shutting down its Message Boards function.


    Amazon buyVIP logo
    The European buyVIP SL shopping club launched in Spain in December 2006 and expanded into Italy & Germany in 2007; Amazon agreed to pay $96.5M
    for the company in October 2010; site was removed from Amazon Associates in May 2017 • not listed at Wikipedia (2021)
    official website {choose ES, IT, DE} now redirects to main Amazon homepage (2021)


    Lovefilm logo
    In January 2011, Amazon agreed to pay £200M for the 58% it did not own of Lovefilm [est. 2002],
    the largest online & mail-order movie rental service in Europe.


    Quidsi/Amazon logo         diapers.com logo         soap.com logo         BeautyBar.com logo
    In September 2011, Amazon paid $550M for Quidsi, Inc. which includes baby products retailer
    diapers.com [est. 2005], soap.com [est. 7/2010], and BeautyBar.com [est. 10/2010]


    In March 2012, Amazon agreed to pay Bain Capital Ventures $775M in cash for Kiva Systems [est. 2003]
    (Kiva makes warehouse fulfillment robots)


    Evi/Amazon logo
    Evi {pron. 'eevee'} is based in U.K. Launched in 11/2007 as True Knowledge 'answer engine' artificial intelligence software; launched
    Evi 'natural language' mobile app for iPhone & Android 1/2012; changed company name 6/2012; purchased by Amazon 10/2012.
    official websiteentry at Wikipedia


    Annapurna Labs/Amazon logo
    Amazon purchased Annapurna Labs, a chipmaker based in Cupertino, California and in Israel, in January 2015 for a rumored $350 million.
    The company announced in January 2016 that its Alpine chipset was available for a wide range of 'internet of things' applications.
    official websitecompany entry at Wikipedia


    photograph of the first Amazon Books 'brick & mortar' store in Seattle        photograph of another Amazon Books 'brick & mortar' store
    Amazon opened its first Amazon Books physical retail store in November 2015 in the University Village shopping center in Seattle, Washington;
    a second store opened in summer 2016 in San Diego, California; as-of Spring 2017, stores are open in the Southport Corridor in Chicago, Illinois;
    Dedham & Lynnfield, Massachusetts; and Washington Square in Portland, Oregon; there are stores 'Coming Soon' in Walnut Creek & San Jose, California;
    in Paramus, New Jersey; on West 34th Street and on Columbus Circle in New York City; and in Bellevue, Washington.
    official company webpagecompany entry at Wikipedia

    March 2022: Amazon said that it is closing all 68 of its physical bookstores and pop-ups in a major shakeup of its slapdash brick-and-mortar
    retail experiment; moving forward, Amazon will focus on grocery stores, a fashion store in Los Angeles, and cashierless tech.


    imaginary logo for Amazon Whole Foods Market
    Amazon announced in June 2017 that it plans to purchase national retailer Whole Foods Market for $13.7 billion; the surprise move triggered Wall Street reaction that caused
    food retail giants Wal-Mart, Costco, and Kroger to lose $18.8 billion in market value. Whole Foods was founded in 1980, has 400 stores, and is based in Austin, Texas.
    official company webpagecompany entry at Wikipedia
    link for Amazon Prime Pantry / Whole Foods Market

    British logo for Amazon Fresh
    Amazon Fresh [est. 2018] - FREE shipping for orders over $50.
    Amazon announced in June 2018 a 3% commission to Associates for sales on Amazon Fresh. Amazon's Fresh service is available in portions of: Northern CA; Southern CA;
    Miami, FL; Atlanta, GA; Chicago, IL; Maryland; Boston, MA; New Jersey; New York; Phildelphia, PA; Dallas, TX; Northern Virginia; and Seattle, WA.


    logo for Blink Home Security   Blink for Home [2016]
    first you purchase and install Blink wireless hardware at home and set up a Blink account, then connecting with Alexa is free • Company founded in 2009, purchased by Amazon in December 2017; reviewers note that you have to enter the home to talk to Alexa for shut-off, etc. but we can expect better practical activity sometime soon, such as by Blink merging with Amazon KeyAmazon's Alexa Smart Home guide for Blink is FREE


    logo for Amazon Sidewalk (new 6/2021)
    Amazon’s new Sidewalk wireless network has been lying dormant in Echo smart speakers and Ring cameras . . . until now (June 2021). Amazon is also adding Bluetooth lost-item tracker Tile and smart lock maker Level to the Sidewalk network. And it is partnering with CareBand, a maker of wearable sensors for people with dementia, on a pilot test including indoor & outdoor tracking and a HELP button. CAVEAT/TIP: You have no control over what sort of data flows over this network. Amazon makes it difficult to turn off functions of Sidewalk, but you can do so: "You can update Sidewalk options anytime from the Ring or Alexa mobile apps."
    main Amazon Sidewalk Page

    Other  Products  &  Services
    entry at Wikipedia's 'list of Amazon products & services' entry


    Amazon Canada First Novel Award [est. 1976] sticker          Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award [2008-2014] sticker          Amazon Kindle Scout Program [2014-2018]

    Amazon Canada First Novel Award [est. 1976]
    co-sponsored by The Walrus Magazineofficial website

    Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award [2008-2014]
    entry at Wikipedia

    Kindle Scout Program [2014-2018]
    Amazon encouraged readers to nominate ebooks for publication by Kindle Press; at the time of shutdown in April 2018, 293 titles had been selected for publication.
    official website {no further submissions}entry at Wikipedia


    Shelfari is a community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers.

    Announced 4/2012: Amazon has acquired social reading service Goodreads {.com} [launched 1/2007]
    of Downtown San Francisco; terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    AmazonSmile [2013-2023] shopper-defined charitable donation option
    The AmazonSmile Foundation was established in late 2013 to allow shoppers to define which charities Amazon will donate to from each shopper sale; Amazon donated
    0.5% of the sale price to a selected charity (tax advantage to Amazon, none to the shopper). Required prior signup & selection, then starting each shopping session
    at http://smile.amazon.com. The AmazonSmile donation program was permanently shut down on 20 February 2023.


    Amazon Electronics Dept.
    The purchase links for the various families of Amazon-produced electronics were consolidated from this and a couple other pages to its own page in Summer 2017.

    Nordell Online Bookstores Group Amazon Electronic Hardware Page
    Amazon Echo [2014] & Echo Dot [2016] & Echo Show [2017] devices
    Amazon Tap [2016]Amazon Fire [2014]Amazon Fire Tablet [2011-2016]Amazon Dash Wand [2017]

    Amazon Electronics Showcase
    seasonal Amazon Electronics Gift Guide

    Nordell Bookstores Group Kindle Hardware & Content Page with FREE Kindle Apps for PC, Mac, iPhone/iPod, iPad, Android & Blackberry -------- updated 9/2013 for new Kindle Fire & Paper White tablets            Launched July 2014: Enjoy unlimited access to over 600,000 Kindle Edition titles and thousands of audiobooks on any device for just $9.99 a month — Or start your 30-day free trial!


    Amazon Explore [est. 10/2020]  Amazon Explore [est. 10/2020]
    The Amazon Explore virtual tours and experience travel platform allows
    customers to book live, virtual experiences led by local experts; available
    only to U.S. customers over age 18; laptop or desktop computer is required
    to take a virtual experience.

    check out and sign up for Amazon Explore


    temporary Amazon 'we pioneer' logo          Body Labs purchased by Amazon in 2017

    Announced 10/2017: The Amazon Research Center for Artificial Intelligence will soon open in Germany’s Cyber Valley (Stuttgart and Tübingen), creating
    100 jobs; Amazon also announced the purchase of Manhattan-based A.I. human modelling start-up Body Labs [est. 2013] for an estimated $50-70M.


    Announced 2/2018: Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Berkshire Hathaway's Warren Buffett, and JPMorgan Chase's Jamie Dimon are forming an unnamed
    joint non-profit healthcare provider for their employees, expecting that it will be able to deliver better care at much lower cost.

    Online  Shopping  at  Amazon

    basic index page for shopping at Amazon

    Clothing    ••    Books    ••    Electronics    ••    Home & Kitchen

    Sports & Outdoors    ••    Movies & TV    ••    Toys & Games

    shop at Amazon Green

    Movies & TV on DVD & Blu-ray - Today's Deals at Amazon

    Blu-ray Disc Store at Amazon        Wireless & Smartphones Store at Amazon

    Earth Day Store at Amazon

    FREE Amazon Shopping Mobile App for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android, and Windows Phone hardware      Amazon Spark is a new social networking function of the Amazon Mobile app    


    Amazon's first Big Spring Sale, March 2024        Amazon's first Big Spring Sale Rewind, March-April 2024
    Amazon's first “Big Spring Sale” ran from Wednesday March 20 thru Midnight on Monday March 25 in 2024;
    it was followed by the “Big Spring Sale Rewind” promoting the event's top sellers from third-party creators.
    official link for the Big Spring Sale = shut down after 3/25/2024
    top sellers at the Big Spring Sale Rewind = shut down after 4/30/2024

    Works  About  Amazon

    Amazon.com: Get Big Fast book by Robert Spector  "Amazon.com: Get Big Fast" [2000] by Robert Spector
    subtitles: 'Inside The Revolutionary Business Model That Changed The World' and 'The astounding rise and uncertain future of the e-commerce giant'
    Kindle Edition from HarperCollins e-books [3/2009] for $12.49
    Random House Business pb [2001] out of print/used
    Harper Business 8x5¼ pb [1/2002] out of print/used
    Harper Business 8x5¼ pb [1/2002] out of print/used
    Harper Business 9¾x6¾ hardcover [4/2000] for $12.75
    German-language Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt 9¾x6¾ hardcover [8/2000] out of print/used
    Seattle Memoirs ... At Amazon.com book by Kalpanik S.  
    "Seattle Memoirs: Inspired By My Stint At Amazon.com" [2008] by Kalpanik S.
    A technology executive from India moves from Silicon Valley to Seattle, Washington and encounters strange people and surprising adventures . . .
    Kindle Edition from Center of Artificial Imagination, Inc [1/2014] - not currently available for purchase
    CreateSpace 9x6 pb [9/2008] for $59.98 {sic}
    Inside The Giant Machine book by Kalpanik S. & Colin Zheng  "Inside The Giant Machine: An Amazon.com Story" [2010]
    by Kalpanik S., with Colin Zheng & Pamela Traphagen

    later subtitle: "Confessions of A Former Amazon.com Technologist"
    Kindle Edition from Center of Artificial Imagination [7/2012] for $2.99
    Kindle Edition from Center of Artificial Imagination [6/2012] for $3.53
    CreateSpace 8x5¼ 2nd edition pb [11/2011] for $11.65
    CreateSpace 'color interior' 2nd edition [11/2011] for $27.95
    CreateSpace 8x5¼ pb [3/2010] out of print/many used
    One Click, The Rise of Amazon book by Richard L. Brandt  
    "One Click: Jeff Bezos and The Rise of Amazon.com" [2011]
    by Richard L. Brandt

    Kindle Edition from Portfolio [10/2011] for $12.99
    Portfolio 7x5¼ hardcover [10/2011] for $14.65
    'Amazon' cover of The Nation magazine for 18 June 2012  The Nation Magazine for 18 June 2012
    "The Amazon Effect" article by Steve Wasserman
    "Search Gets Lost" article by Anthony Grafton
    magazine official website
    The Amazon Way / Leadership Principles book by John Rossman  "The Amazon Way: Amazon's 14 Leadership Principles" [2014]
    by John Rossman, Foreword by Tom Alberg

    'any business leader can learn from Amazon about building a high-performing team and organization'
    PUB 9x6 pb [6/2021] for $14.78
    The Everything War Amazon’s Ruthless Quest book by Dana Mattioli  "The Everything War: Amazon’s Ruthless Quest To Own The World and Remake  4/2024
    Corporate Power" [2024] by Wall Street Journal reporter Dana Mattioli

    'The first untold, devastating exposé of Amazon's endless strategic greed, in pursuit of total domination, by any means necessary'; 'investigative journalism at its finest'
    Kindle Edition from Little, Brown & Co. [4/2024] for $15.99
    Little, Brown & Co. 9½x6½ hardcover [4/2024] for $29.25

    Amazon's  Executives

    founder & executive chair Jeffrey P. 'Jeff' Bezos

    “Invention is by its very nature disruptive. If you want to be understood
    at all times, then don't do anything new.” — Jeff Bezos

    Amazon chair/president/CEO Jeff Bezos announced in February 2021 that he is stepping down as Amazon CEO; he will transition
    to the role of executive chair in the third quarter of this year.

    more details (short bio, companies, books & ebooks, videos & DVDs & YouTube, links)
    on Spirit of America Bookstore's Jeff Bezos Page

    Anima Anandkumar, former Principal AI Scientist at Amazon (2020)
    Manolo Arana, general manager of Amazon Sidewalk (6/2021)
    Jay Carney, SVP Global Corporate Affairs at Amazon (2020)
    Jennifer Cast VP at Amazon Books (2020)
    Mike Hopkins, Senior Vice President of Prime Video & Amazon Studios (6/2021)
    Rachel Johnson Greer, former Safety and Compliance Manager at Amazon (2020)
    Andy Jassy, CEO Amazon Web Services (2020), took over as President & CEO of Amazon in third quarter of 2021
    Shel Kaphan, former Amazon CTO (2020)
    Dave Limp SVP, Devices and Services at Amazon (2020)
    James Marcus, former Amazon Editor (2020)
    Randy Miller, former Director of Merchandise Pricing at Amazon (2020)
    John Rossman, former Amazon executive (2020)
    James Thomson, former Amazon executive (2020)
    Andreas Weigend, former Amazon Chief Scientist (2020)
    Jeff Wilke, CEO Worldwide Consumer at Amazon (2020)


    Image  Gallery

    Amazon cartoon panel by Bizarro (Dan Piraro)         

    L i n k s
    Amazon.com entry at Wikipedia
    today's share price for AMZN per NASDAQ website
    Nordell Bookstores Group's Kindle Hardware & Content Page


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