Most online retailers are focused on a single product or small number of related products. Not so with Amazon, but it wasn’t always that way. Initially the founder, Jeff Bezos, was focused solely on books. The late 1990s were vibrant years for dot-com sellers, but many simply didn’t survive. Amazon’s foray into the book market continued, but they “grew to sell music, films, electronics, and toys.” Bezos envisioned an “everything” store, but Amazon certainly wasn’t an overnight success. In fact, “the company was actually losing money as recently as 2012.” Perhaps the difference was the basic philosophy that Bezos carried with him from the start.What Bezos feels separates Amazon from other companies is the customer-oriented approach. He claims that “we are genuinely customer-centric, we are genuinely long-term oriented, and we genuinely like to invent.” Bezos is and was a man who looked to the customers and his future with them. As a graduate from Princeton University, he “worked in investment banking on New York’s Wall Street” before leaving to found Amazon. The Internet was the place to be for a young entrepreneur, the perfect place for a man with vision. Initially, in 1994, the name of the company was incorporated as Cadabra Inc. and books were his game.Bezos ultimately decided on the name “Amazon” and began investing and believing in the future of the company. He used his own money and, not surprising, his parents invested equally in his future. The Amazon website was officially up and running on July 16, 1995, letting the world know that they had “One million titles, consistently low prices.” Of course they had no books, but rather would order them from distributors. The orders came in, but with only “$846 worth of books” going out during the first week, it just might have been an uphill climb! Perseverance counts for something and with Bezos’s vision and a lot of work, the company continued to grow.“Get Big Fast” was the motto Bezos lived by and by 1997 Amazon’s IPO (initial public offering) garnered a whopping “$54 million, turning Bezos, his parents, and other early investors into multimillionaires overnight.” There was still plenty of work to do because with the addition of other products, “warehouses were needed to house all the new stock.” In this book you’ll learn just how Bezos built his “everything” store from scratch, how they survived the “dot-com boom and bust,” you’ll meet some of the employees, learn how they beat the competition, how they partnered with other businesses, what eBay taught them, and you’ll learn many more interesting facts about Amazon, the “everything” store.This is a big brand, high-interest bio of Amazon that’s an eye-opener for young readers. Most young people are familiar with Amazon and have probably requested something from the company they’ve seen online. Many of the facts presented will be perfect read and discuss ones in the homeschool or classroom setting. For example the futuristic Amazon Prime Air drones would make for a fun, lively discussion topic. The book is quite well-written and the eye-popping layout a draw. There are full color photographs, infographics, and numerous informative sidebars. In the back of the book is an index, a glossary, a hypothetical marketing strategy, and additional recommended book, video, and website resources to explore.BIG BRANDS:Amazon: The Business behind the “Everything” StoreMcDonald’s The Business behind the Golden ArchesMinecraft: The Business behind the Makers of MinecraftSamsung: The Business behind the TechnologyGrade Level: 5Interest Level: 4 - 6This book courtesy of the publisher.