I was disappointed by the book. I found the central theme very interesting and the examples great.The point is made in a compelling way.
But I felt that there wasn't really enough here to justify an entire book. After a while I started to feel that the idea was being spread too thin.


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The Mesh: Why the Future of Business Is Sharing Paperback – 1 May 2012
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Lisa Gansky
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Lisa Gansky
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Product details
- Publisher : Portfolio; 1st edition (1 May 2012)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 272 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1591844304
- ISBN-13 : 978-1591844303
- Dimensions : 13.72 x 1.8 x 20.32 cm
-
Best Sellers Rank:
902,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 2,042 in New Business Enterprises (Books)
- 6,501 in E-Commerce (Books)
- 15,617 in Business Management (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
Product description
Review
Lisa Gansky sees around corners and describes a future that seems impossible...until you realize that it's imminent. The Mesh is a very big idea.
-Seth Godin Lisa Gansky makes a compelling case for the new competitive logic of sharing- and shows how to build not just a single company, but an entire business ecosystem, around this concept. If you want to understand the future, and maybe even help create it, read this book.
-Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind This is a brilliant, important book. Lisa Gansky has put her finger on one of the most important trends that will shape our culture over the next decades. She puts social media in a broader economic, cultural, and environmental context.
-Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media This book offers a timely introduction to the reality and importance of Mesh companies-ones that provide products and services through sharing, via community participation and a culture of trust-in a way that really matters.
-Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist Easy access to shared and personalized goods and services is going to be an integral and ubiquitous part of the new economy. Lisa has tapped into, explains, and explores this new phenomenon.
-Robin Chase, cofounder and founding CEO, Zipcar The Mesh clearly reveals the dramatic shift enabled by our connected world. And Gansky's practical experience makes it real. It's essential reading for anyone in business.
-John Donahoe, CEO, eBay Gansky's book is an important read for anyone who cares about the planet or is looking to make a ton of money.
-David Hornik, venture capitalist, August Capital
-Seth Godin Lisa Gansky makes a compelling case for the new competitive logic of sharing- and shows how to build not just a single company, but an entire business ecosystem, around this concept. If you want to understand the future, and maybe even help create it, read this book.
-Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and A Whole New Mind This is a brilliant, important book. Lisa Gansky has put her finger on one of the most important trends that will shape our culture over the next decades. She puts social media in a broader economic, cultural, and environmental context.
-Tim O'Reilly, founder and CEO, O'Reilly Media This book offers a timely introduction to the reality and importance of Mesh companies-ones that provide products and services through sharing, via community participation and a culture of trust-in a way that really matters.
-Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist Easy access to shared and personalized goods and services is going to be an integral and ubiquitous part of the new economy. Lisa has tapped into, explains, and explores this new phenomenon.
-Robin Chase, cofounder and founding CEO, Zipcar The Mesh clearly reveals the dramatic shift enabled by our connected world. And Gansky's practical experience makes it real. It's essential reading for anyone in business.
-John Donahoe, CEO, eBay Gansky's book is an important read for anyone who cares about the planet or is looking to make a ton of money.
-David Hornik, venture capitalist, August Capital
About the Author
Lisa Gansky has been a founder and CEO of multiple Internet companies, including GNN and Ofoto. She currently advises and invests in several social ventures, including New Resource Bank, Squidoo, Convio, TasteBook, MePlease, Slide, Instructables, and Greener World Media. She is a cofounder of Dos Margaritas, a conservation-focused social venture. She lives in Napa, California.
Customer reviews
4.1 out of 5 stars
4.1 out of 5
35 global ratings
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Top reviews from other countries

Mr. T. Leighton-Boyce
2.0 out of 5 stars
Very valid point, but I'm not sure it's worth a whole book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 October 2010Verified Purchase
Report abuse

Eugenio Dolzani
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is a great book
Reviewed in Italy on 10 May 2015Verified Purchase
It's very interesting to read about The Mesh: this book was written in 2010 and as of today, I can see that many things it had predicted are turning real. Awesome book.

Emmanuel Baeten
2.0 out of 5 stars
Merely a list of relevant sites
Reviewed in France on 1 April 2015Verified Purchase
Hardly an analysis of the phenomenon and not a word on the economic and social consequences on our lives and societies.

さっさん
5.0 out of 5 stars
共有ビジネスについて最も詳細に書かれている本
Reviewed in Japan on 6 February 2011Verified Purchase
語られているテーマは、シェア <共有>からビジネスを生みだす新戦略と同じだが、meshyな共同体、企業を創設するための留意点に関してより詳細に語られている。
著者に対して次のようなちょっとしたファンレターを書いた。
-ものづくりで成功した日本企業にて、meshプロジェクトを立ち上げるのは難しい。彼らは依然として新たな製品を市場に投入し続けることで繁栄を極めようとしていること
-meshyな動きが遅れて入ってきた日本において、日本企業でmeshプロジェクトを提案するには、本誌で書かれている手法に工夫が必要であること
丁寧に以下のような返答を頂いた。
-設立済みの企業で、meshを利用して既存の製品やサービスを修正したり、新たな製品を作り出すのはとてもチャレンジングである
-日本において、多くのmesh企業、団体、組織が日々成長している(自己解釈:現実的にも起業家が先導していることを示唆)
レビューに戻り、欧米でmeshが広まった背景には、日本よりも深刻な経済不況がある。欧米の成功例をそのまま日本に適用できるとは思っていない。社会性に目を向けて、どのようなmeshプロジェクトが日本で成功するかを考慮する必要がある。
著者に対して次のようなちょっとしたファンレターを書いた。
-ものづくりで成功した日本企業にて、meshプロジェクトを立ち上げるのは難しい。彼らは依然として新たな製品を市場に投入し続けることで繁栄を極めようとしていること
-meshyな動きが遅れて入ってきた日本において、日本企業でmeshプロジェクトを提案するには、本誌で書かれている手法に工夫が必要であること
丁寧に以下のような返答を頂いた。
-設立済みの企業で、meshを利用して既存の製品やサービスを修正したり、新たな製品を作り出すのはとてもチャレンジングである
-日本において、多くのmesh企業、団体、組織が日々成長している(自己解釈:現実的にも起業家が先導していることを示唆)
レビューに戻り、欧米でmeshが広まった背景には、日本よりも深刻な経済不況がある。欧米の成功例をそのまま日本に適用できるとは思っていない。社会性に目を向けて、どのようなmeshプロジェクトが日本で成功するかを考慮する必要がある。

Ismail Elshareef
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Look at How Sharing Defines The Success of Businesses in the Future
Reviewed in the United States on 29 April 2011Verified Purchase
The book discusses the increasingly recurring themes of openness and platform that have been discussed in other books like Open Leadership by Charlene Li and Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson.
The core premise of Mesh businesses is: "When information about goods is shared, the value of those goods increases, for the business, for individuals, and for the community."
The author says that, "fundamentally, the Mesh is based on network-enabled sharing--on access rather than ownership. The central strategy is, in effect, to "sell" the same product multiple times. Multiple sales multiply profits, and customer contact. Multiple contact multiply opportunity--for additional sales, for strengthening a brand, for improving a competitive service, and for deepening and extending the relation with customers."
The book also references a recent study, which concluded that, "a recommendation from a "trusted source" like a friend or family members was fifty times more likely to persuade someone to buy a product or try a new brand. The same study reported that word of mouth is the "primary factor" behind between 20 and 50 percent of purchases, and emphasized the expanded role of information networks in driving this development."
---
WHAT IS THE MESH
The 4 Characteristics of a Mesh Business as listed in the book are:
Sharing a high code, frequently used goods
Advanced Web and Mobile Information Networks
Focus on Physical Goods and Materials
Engage with Customers Through Social Networks
"The Mesh model is based on a series of transactions, on sharing something over and over. Creating a share platform is the first, necessary-but-not-sufficient building block of the Mesh. The second is to create information infrastructure that takes advantage of mobile, Web, and social networks. Then each interaction, and transaction, becomes an opportunity to gather and exchange information with a customer."
The 7 Keys to Building Trust in the Mesh:
Say What You do
Use Trials
Do What You Say
Perpetually Delight Customers
Embrace Social Networks and Go Deep
Value transparency, but protect privacy
Deal with negative publicity and feedback promptly and skillfully
WHY THE MESH
Tomorrow's business leaders recognize that trust in a business's environmental and social practices increasingly drives informed consumers' decisions. Successful Mesh businesses harness information from customers, combine it with data from physical products and social networks, and then use that information to satisfy customers, and their friends, in ways never before dreamed of. Good Mesh businesses are smart about combining more frequent customer contact with enhanced information sources to create and refine superior experiences, partnerships, products, and offers.
MESH COMPANIES HIGHLIGHTS
Zipcar is one of the companies profiled in the book. The author says that, "The robust information platform and focus on building the brand distinguished Zipcar from early car-sharing companies that were merely long on good intentions, many of which failed. In fact, Zipcar is primarily an information business that happens to share cars."
So if you're in the information business, you are a Mesh business whether you realize it or not.
TCHO, a chocolate company in SF, produces "beta editions" of its dark chocolate. "Based on customer feedback and continuous flavor development, new versions of the chocolate emerge as often as every thirty-six hours. Version 1.0 went through 1,026 iterations in a year."
Why did Netflix slaughter Blockbuster? Blockbuster was late in acknowledging customer resentments, and late in understanding the spreading power of social networks to shape brand perception. They created a share platform, but neglected other elements that make Mesh businesses so competitive.
This is an excellent book that could help realign the business perspective on how to succeed in the future. Embracing openness, sharing and focusing on customer satisfaction are some of the key practices that could catapult your business from mediocre to stellar now and in the future.
The core premise of Mesh businesses is: "When information about goods is shared, the value of those goods increases, for the business, for individuals, and for the community."
The author says that, "fundamentally, the Mesh is based on network-enabled sharing--on access rather than ownership. The central strategy is, in effect, to "sell" the same product multiple times. Multiple sales multiply profits, and customer contact. Multiple contact multiply opportunity--for additional sales, for strengthening a brand, for improving a competitive service, and for deepening and extending the relation with customers."
The book also references a recent study, which concluded that, "a recommendation from a "trusted source" like a friend or family members was fifty times more likely to persuade someone to buy a product or try a new brand. The same study reported that word of mouth is the "primary factor" behind between 20 and 50 percent of purchases, and emphasized the expanded role of information networks in driving this development."
---
WHAT IS THE MESH
The 4 Characteristics of a Mesh Business as listed in the book are:
Sharing a high code, frequently used goods
Advanced Web and Mobile Information Networks
Focus on Physical Goods and Materials
Engage with Customers Through Social Networks
"The Mesh model is based on a series of transactions, on sharing something over and over. Creating a share platform is the first, necessary-but-not-sufficient building block of the Mesh. The second is to create information infrastructure that takes advantage of mobile, Web, and social networks. Then each interaction, and transaction, becomes an opportunity to gather and exchange information with a customer."
The 7 Keys to Building Trust in the Mesh:
Say What You do
Use Trials
Do What You Say
Perpetually Delight Customers
Embrace Social Networks and Go Deep
Value transparency, but protect privacy
Deal with negative publicity and feedback promptly and skillfully
WHY THE MESH
Tomorrow's business leaders recognize that trust in a business's environmental and social practices increasingly drives informed consumers' decisions. Successful Mesh businesses harness information from customers, combine it with data from physical products and social networks, and then use that information to satisfy customers, and their friends, in ways never before dreamed of. Good Mesh businesses are smart about combining more frequent customer contact with enhanced information sources to create and refine superior experiences, partnerships, products, and offers.
MESH COMPANIES HIGHLIGHTS
Zipcar is one of the companies profiled in the book. The author says that, "The robust information platform and focus on building the brand distinguished Zipcar from early car-sharing companies that were merely long on good intentions, many of which failed. In fact, Zipcar is primarily an information business that happens to share cars."
So if you're in the information business, you are a Mesh business whether you realize it or not.
TCHO, a chocolate company in SF, produces "beta editions" of its dark chocolate. "Based on customer feedback and continuous flavor development, new versions of the chocolate emerge as often as every thirty-six hours. Version 1.0 went through 1,026 iterations in a year."
Why did Netflix slaughter Blockbuster? Blockbuster was late in acknowledging customer resentments, and late in understanding the spreading power of social networks to shape brand perception. They created a share platform, but neglected other elements that make Mesh businesses so competitive.
This is an excellent book that could help realign the business perspective on how to succeed in the future. Embracing openness, sharing and focusing on customer satisfaction are some of the key practices that could catapult your business from mediocre to stellar now and in the future.