Why am I passionate about this?

Having managed to convert a passion for shopping and curiosity about digital technologies into a 25-year-long career as a journalist and publisher, and analyst and research director latterly, I’m lucky to have been able to bring my knowledge and experience to bear in advising retailers and their technology providers on strategy and best practice. So, it was a natural progression for me and my co-author to research and dissect their biggest disruptor, Amazon, as a subject for our own book. The books I’ve recommended here are some of those I felt really helped me understand the dynamics shaping today’s shopping experiences and their impact on the wider world we live in.


I wrote

Amazon: How the World's Most Relentless Retailer Will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce

By Natalie Berg, Miya Knights,

Book cover of Amazon: How the World's Most Relentless Retailer Will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce

What is my book about?

Amazon - one of the world's most valuable companies - is worth more than Walmart, Netflix, Target, Nike, and Costco…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon

Miya Knights Why did I love this book?

If the book about Amazon I co-authored is about the digital technology smarts and business strategy that has propelled the company to its dominant position, then Stone’s book is the perfect counterpoint, examining the ethos and culture of Amazon established by its founder and chairman, Jeff Bezos. It is essential reading for anyone wanting to better understand the company’s evolution and success. 

By Brad Stone,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Everything Store as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Medical information sciences are emerging as a vital field of study and practice. The subsequent explosion of data-- in administration, research, diagnosis, and treatment--along with the associated costs of maintenance, have become overwhelming. The volume brings together scholars and practitioners from disciplines concerned with the acquisition, analysis, accessibility, and application of information in medical practice and health care. The book is divided into five sections: the first part provides an overview of the field in general; the second deals with the problem of retrieval; the third part examines the control of health costs; the fourth focuses on medical decision support;…


Book cover of Selling on Amazon for Dummies

Miya Knights Why did I love this book?

Selling on Amazon For Dummies is essential practical reading when it comes to selling on Amazon. It walks merchants through the process of building a business on Amazon almost anywhere in the world, as long as you have access to a computer and the internet. It covers the basics of selling on Amazon, from getting started to using its fulfillment services, Fulfilled By Amazon.

By Deniz Olmez, Joseph Kraynak,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Selling on Amazon for Dummies as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sell on Amazon and Make Them Do the Heavy Lifting

Selling on Amazon has become one of the most popular ways to earn income online. In fact, there are over 2 million people selling on Amazon worldwide. Amazon allows any business, no matter how small, to get their products in front of millions of customers and take advantage of the largest fulfillment network in the world. It also allows businesses to leverage their first-class customer service and storage capabilities.

Selling on Amazon For Dummies walks owners through the process of building a business on Amazon-a business that can be built…


Book cover of Makeover: How Mobile Flipped the Shopping Cart

Miya Knights Why did I love this book?

If Amazon has revolutionised commerce by making it easy for us to shop online, Makeover is the best book written yet on what this means for the physical shopping experience and traditional brick-and-mortar retail store or mall. It examines the changing dynamics of retailers’ business and consumer relationships while showing how mobile is transforming those relationships and the ways in which retail can and must adapt to thrive. 

By Stephan Schambach,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Makeover as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Retail is in the midst of a head-to-toe makeover. The customer has already evolved - she has left the world of channels and platforms and now seeks to engage with her preferred brands on the go through a device in the palm of her hand. Retail, of course, must change with her. But while the customer simply changed her habits, retail as an industry must engage in a full makeover. Retailers must look at all their relationships and reassess, reconfigure, relaunch. This book examines the web of retail relationships, shows how mobile is transforming those relationships and the ways in…


Book cover of The Mall

Miya Knights Why did I love this book?

I love the fact this book was the first in a series of spooky stories that takes you into the shopping mall when the shutters are down and lights are off. It’ll make sure you never see shopping in a mall the same again. The ‘author’ is actually a partnership between a crime novelist and a holder of a post-religious apocalyptic fiction doctorate. 

By S.L. Grey,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Mall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dan works at a bookstore in a deadly dull shopping mall where nothing ever happens. He's an angsty emo-kid who sells mid-list books to mid-list people for the minimum wage. He hates his job.

Rhoda has dragged her babysitting charge to the mall so she can meet her dealer and score some coke. Now the kid's run off, and she has two hours to find him. She hates her life.

Rhoda bullies Dan into helping her search, but as they explore the neon-lit corridors behind the mall, disturbing text messages lure them into the bowels of the building, where old…


Book cover of The Fourth Industrial Revolution

Miya Knights Why did I love this book?

Written by the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, this book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand how the technological revolution will change our lives. It begins to unravel the seemingly irreconcilable differences between our insatiable appetite for convenience and consumption with equity and sustainability. 

By Klaus Schwab,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Fourth Industrial Revolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'In this book, Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum contribute significantly to one of the most important issues of our time - how to move forward in the Fourth Industrial Revolution' Jack Ma, Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group Holding, People's Republic of China

'It's no secret that technologies are reshaping the world's economies and societies. To manage the risks and spread the benefits, we have to act now, and in the interest of stakeholders everywhere' Andrew McAfee, Co-Founder, MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, MIT, USA

We are on the brink of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. And this one will…


Explore my book 😀

Amazon: How the World's Most Relentless Retailer Will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce

By Natalie Berg, Miya Knights,

Book cover of Amazon: How the World's Most Relentless Retailer Will Continue to Revolutionize Commerce

What is my book about?

Amazon - one of the world's most valuable companies - is worth more than Walmart, Netflix, Target, Nike, and Costco combined. What are the secrets to its success? How can these insights be applied to other businesses in the e-commerce sector?

The retail industry is facing unprecedented challenges. Across all sectors and markets, retailers are shifting their business models and customer engagement strategies to ensure they survive. Amazon offers unique insight into the company's persistent dissatisfaction with the status quo and innovation and how it has fundamentally changed the ways in which we shop.

Book cover of The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon
Book cover of Selling on Amazon for Dummies
Book cover of Makeover: How Mobile Flipped the Shopping Cart

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Book cover of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

Lyle Greenfield Author Of Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve always been fascinated by group dynamics, large and small. Why things functioned well, why they didn’t. It’s possible my ability to empathize and use humor as a consensus-builder is the reason I was elected president of a homeowners association, a music production association, and even an agricultural group. Books were not particularly involved in this fascination! But in recent years, experiencing the breakdown of civility and trust in our political and cultural discourse, I’ve taken a more analytical view of the dynamics. These books, in their very different ways, have taught me lessons about life, understanding those with different beliefs, and finding ways to connect and move forward. 

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What is my book about?

We’ve all experienced the overwhelming level of political and social divisiveness in our country. This invisible “virus” of negativity is, in part, the result of the name-calling and heated rhetoric that has become commonplace among commentators and elected leaders alike. 

My book provides a clear perspective on the historical and modern-day causes of our nation's divisive state. It then proposes easy-to-understand solutions—an action plan for our elected leaders and citizens as well. Rather than a scholarly treatment of a complex topic, the book challenges us to take the obvious steps required of those living in a free democracy. And it…

Uniting the States of America: A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation

By Lyle Greenfield,

What is this book about?

Lyle Greenfield's "Uniting the States of America―A Self-Care Plan for a Wounded Nation" is a work of nonfiction and opinion. Incorporating the lessons of history and the ideas and wisdom of many, it is intended as both an educational resource and a call-to-action for citizens concerned about the politically and culturally divided state of our Union. A situation that has raised alarm for the very future of our democracy.

First, the book clearly identifies the causes of what has become a national crisis of belief in and love for our country. How the divisiveness and hostility rampant in our political…


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