📖 Overview
Brad Stone is a prominent American journalist and author known for his in-depth coverage of technology companies and Silicon Valley. As the current editor of Bloomberg Businessweek and senior executive editor of Bloomberg's global technology group, he has established himself as a leading voice in technology journalism.
Stone has authored several influential books about major tech companies and their founders, most notably "The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon" (2013) and its follow-up "Amazon Unbound" (2021). His work "The Upstarts" examines the rise of companies like Uber and Airbnb, providing detailed analysis of how these organizations transformed their respective industries.
Before joining Bloomberg, Stone worked as a reporter for The New York Times and Newsweek magazine, building a reputation for thorough investigative journalism in the technology sector. His professional trajectory has culminated in his 2024 appointment as editor of Bloomberg Businessweek, where he now oversees the publication's transition from weekly to monthly circulation.
👀 Reviews
Readers value Stone's investigative depth and access to insider sources, particularly in his Amazon coverage. Many note his balanced reporting style and ability to weave complex business details into readable narratives.
Likes:
- Detailed research and exclusive interviews
- Clear explanations of technical concepts
- Objective treatment of controversial topics
- Historical context and background
Dislikes:
- Some readers find the pacing slow in middle chapters
- Technical business sections can be dense for casual readers
- A few note repetition between his Amazon books
- Critics point to occasional overreliance on unnamed sources
Ratings across platforms:
- "The Everything Store": 4.3/5 on Goodreads (47,000+ ratings), 4.6/5 on Amazon (2,900+ reviews)
- "Amazon Unbound": 4.5/5 on Goodreads (5,800+ ratings), 4.6/5 on Amazon (1,100+ reviews)
- "The Upstarts": 4.2/5 on Goodreads (8,900+ ratings), 4.5/5 on Amazon (400+ reviews)
Several business professors cite his books as required reading in entrepreneurship courses.
📚 Books by Brad Stone
The Everything Store: Jeff Bezos and the Age of Amazon (2013)
A detailed account of Amazon's growth from an online bookstore to a global commerce giant, chronicling Jeff Bezos's leadership and the company's key business decisions through 2013.
The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World (2017) An examination of how Uber and Airbnb disrupted traditional transportation and hospitality industries, focusing on their founding stories and early growth phases.
Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire (2021) A continuation of The Everything Store, covering Amazon's expansion into new territories including cloud computing, streaming, and artificial intelligence from 2013 to 2021.
The Upstarts: How Uber, Airbnb, and the Killer Companies of the New Silicon Valley Are Changing the World (2017) An examination of how Uber and Airbnb disrupted traditional transportation and hospitality industries, focusing on their founding stories and early growth phases.
Amazon Unbound: Jeff Bezos and the Invention of a Global Empire (2021) A continuation of The Everything Store, covering Amazon's expansion into new territories including cloud computing, streaming, and artificial intelligence from 2013 to 2021.
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John Carreyrou exposed the Theranos scandal through investigative reporting at the Wall Street Journal and his book Bad Blood. His methodical documentation of corporate fraud demonstrates the importance of critical journalism in the tech sector.
Steven Levy has covered the technology industry since the 1980s through his reporting at Wired and his books on Facebook, Google, and early hackers. His long-term perspective on Silicon Valley provides context for how the industry evolved from garage startups to global powers.
Mike Isaac reports on technology for The New York Times and wrote Super Pumped about Uber's rise and controversies. His coverage focuses on the culture and conflicts within tech companies during periods of rapid growth.
Charles Duhigg combines business reporting with analysis of human behavior in his coverage of corporate practices and innovation. His work examines how companies use psychology and data to influence consumers and employees.