Amazon's impact on the book industry and on content

Everyone who is in the book business knows how much in disarray it is, how badly it was declining even before Amazon began. Even avid readers were aware of it since it was becoming progressively harder to get any book that wasn't on the best seller list. Since I used to own a book store and also still do some freelance editing, I too am well aware of the state of the industry. It's against that back drop that Amazon came into being. It's impact has been mixed, to say the least, and huge. The article also points out how big an impact Amazon is likely to have in other areas of commerce. It's a long, comprehensive and fascinating read: Cheap Words (link)