"Amateur hour has arrived, and the audience is running the show
"
In a hard-hitting and provocative polemic, Silicon Valley insider and pundi... read full description
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In a hard-hitting and provocative polemic, Silicon Valley insider and pundi... read full description
reviews
Sep 29, 2008
oriana
rated it: 
Let me start by saying that I opened this book with a totally open mind. Seriously! I too think that blogs, MySpace, and YouTube are doing horrible things to our culture in this country, so I though I was going to be the choir this guy was preaching to.
Not so.
And let me say, too, that the reason this is two stars and not one (and actually was almost three) is that it really made me mad, and really made me think, which is no small feat. Plus it got me into several (loud) a More...
Not so.
And let me say, too, that the reason this is two stars and not one (and actually was almost three) is that it really made me mad, and really made me think, which is no small feat. Plus it got me into several (loud) a More...
18 comments
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(48 people liked it)
Feb 29, 2008
Lon
rated it:
Keen gets off to a dazzlingly bad start, misstating the concept of Google search on Page 6.
"The logic of Google's search engine...reflects the "wisdom" of the crowd. The search engine is an aggregation of the ninety million questions we collectively ask Google each day; in other words, it just tells us what we already know."
Is this intentionally dense? I mean, yes, Google uses the experiences others have had in some ways to create your new experience More...
"The logic of Google's search engine...reflects the "wisdom" of the crowd. The search engine is an aggregation of the ninety million questions we collectively ask Google each day; in other words, it just tells us what we already know."
Is this intentionally dense? I mean, yes, Google uses the experiences others have had in some ways to create your new experience More...
3 comments
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(9 people liked it)
Sep 24, 2007
Kelly
rated it: 
In a nutshell, the book comes close to making some valid points, but treats them so frivolously and superficially that by the end of the last chapter you feel like you've just spent an hour listening to your great-grandma's best friend Eileen talk about how much her corns are bothering .
Throughout the book, Keen lacks any sense of historical context. You feel like he believes that nothing happened in popular culture prior to 1990. He blames the internet for television's audience fr More...
Throughout the book, Keen lacks any sense of historical context. You feel like he believes that nothing happened in popular culture prior to 1990. He blames the internet for television's audience fr More...
Feb 23, 2008
C.K.
rated it:
While there are some interesting points of discussion in the book, it's far too hyperbolic, doom and gloom in perspective. Very black and white. Very polarized around one thought without much variation. So if you disagree with the one huge premise of the book (that the rise of the amateur is destroying culture), you won't enjoy it. It's also rather offensive how Keen continually refers to people as typing Monkeys. It reminds me of every other dull, short-sighted book throughout the ages which ha
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(6 people liked it)
Aug 05, 2008
Adam
rated it:
On the one hand this is a very ranty and kind of confused argument about how there's lots of crap on the internet. Which is kind of an obvious statement and which ignores the fact that there's lots amazing stuff online as well. On the other hand it makes some good points about the consequences of over-estimating the worth of user-generated content.
Keen's "beware the amateurs they make everything shit" argument is initially directed against Web 2.0 (and I should point out th More...
Keen's "beware the amateurs they make everything shit" argument is initially directed against Web 2.0 (and I should point out th More...
Mar 01, 2008
Douglas
rated it:
Given that Andrew Keen is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur, whose writings have appeared have appeared in a number of prestigious publications, I surmise that he is reasonably intelligent and well-informed about technology and culture. It is with great shock and disappointment that I read the book "The Cult of the Amateur."
Keen believes that all these empowered individuals (like you and me) are 1) poisoning civic discourse by blurring the lines between facts, inferences and o More...
Keen believes that all these empowered individuals (like you and me) are 1) poisoning civic discourse by blurring the lines between facts, inferences and o More...
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 29, 2008
Julia
rated it:
I love a good anti-internet polemic as much as the next girl. In fact, I actually thought I'd be the one person in my workplace to secretly love this book as I am part-curmudgeon and just don't get "these kids today" with their truthiness and solipsism. But, man, this book was truly terrible -- poorly researched, free of historical context and alarmist. It's like when the Frankfurt School got their panties in an uproar over that new-fangled radio thingee except Keen doesn't have half t
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Jul 21, 2008
Angelo
rated it: 
If you tend to get pulled into discussions about the pros and cons of social media, Andrew Keen’s “The cult of the amateur” is a good book to get you all fired up. It is full of holes, plenty of hyperbole, and comes across as an angry dissertation by someone who wanted to get things off his chest in a hurry. But that’s precisely why it’s important to check it out.
These are the kind of arguments someone in the room will bring up when debating whether comments ought to be moderated, or More...
These are the kind of arguments someone in the room will bring up when debating whether comments ought to be moderated, or More...
0 comments
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(3 people liked it)
Jul 24, 2007
Mike
rated it:
I expected to be upset by this book. I was. This is no more than a poorly reasoned and weekly supported anti-Web 2.0 rant by a failed Internet entrepreneur. His claims that the participatory nature of Web 2.0 will ruin culture because it removes the highly trained cultural gatekeepers (publishers, record and move producers, etc.) from the equation of what we read, watch, listen to, etc. is ludicrous. If these gatekeepers were providing such high quality content the 2.0 revolution wouldn't be
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(2 people liked it)
Aug 31, 2007
Jeremy
rated it:
This book made me all kinds of cranky. I accept the premise on its face, that the web is chock full of amateurs blathering on about their most mundane thoughts and dreams. I part ways with the author when he claims that our culture and values will be destroyed because of it. By decrying the fate of the major movie studios and record labels, and the precipitous drop in their revenues, it's pretty clear who he's writing this book for. By pretending that the public at large has a relationship of in
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(3 people liked it)
Feb 25, 2008
Matthew
rated it:
It's been a very long time since I've read a book so in opposition to most of my core values regarding creativity and expression. From page one and on almost every page following, I've found things that offend me. This book avoided a no-star rating only because the writer has inspired me to be more committed to my views on independent creative endeavors.
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(3 people liked it)
Oct 28, 2008
Tom
rated it: 
I went into reading this book having already viewed a Google talk video where the author discussed it and took Q&A. I found that the core tenet of the book, that the "Web 2.0" so-called democratization of all media is a profoundly bad thing that undermines talent and professional skill and does nothing to enrich our lives, is pretty accurate. The promise of the democratization, that an average citizen can publish a blog post, a song or a video that is as valuable to the reader, listene
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0 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Mar 01, 2008
James
rated it:
Based on the title, I thought this was going to be another book about the Bush Administration. But instead of being about the incompetence, hubris, cronyism, and greed that’s running our government and ruining our country, The Cult of The Amateur is about the incompetence, vanity, narcissism, and greed that’s running the Internet and killing our culture.
Overall, Keen’s polemic is a very relevant book and one I wish everyone would read. It’s sure to spark a lot of debate at dinner parti More...
Overall, Keen’s polemic is a very relevant book and one I wish everyone would read. It’s sure to spark a lot of debate at dinner parti More...
Jan 08, 2008
Bob
rated it:
Often described as a polemic, "The Cult of the Amateur" is simply a screed against societal and economic change. It is a moralistic bombast against the populist notion of cooperation and collaboration in favor of a single point of reference determined and espoused by an expert. The author pulls out all of the goblins: narcissism, lying, thievery, gambling and pornography; to warn readers that their culture is under siege by know-nothing friends and neighbors bent on self-expressio
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(1 person liked it)
Jul 11, 2007
Jonathan
rated it:
While Keen does make some interesting points, his constant railing against all aspects of Web 2.0 grows old. We get it. You don't like user-created content, at least when it is created by people other than yourself (more on this later). Keen might be trying to get us to rally to the cause of saving the Internet, but in the end one can't help but wonder if he is just a bitter man who missed the 2.0 boat.
As one can expect from the title of the book, he is not fond of amateurs, stating More...
As one can expect from the title of the book, he is not fond of amateurs, stating More...
0 comments
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(2 people liked it)
Feb 03, 2009
Roger
rated it:
As someone who thinks there isn't nearly enough skepticism about our current headlong rush into total technological immersion, I expected to sympathize with Keen's points. And I did, to a point. But the subject deserves a better treatment than this.
The book deals with three main points.
First is the philosophy. Here Keen seems to agree with Tom Lehrer's old line: "The reason most folk songs are as atrocious as they undoubtedly are is that they were written by 'the More...
The book deals with three main points.
First is the philosophy. Here Keen seems to agree with Tom Lehrer's old line: "The reason most folk songs are as atrocious as they undoubtedly are is that they were written by 'the More...
Jan 29, 2012
Ben
rated it:
The main message is one that I personally agree with. But mostly for reasons that differ from Andrew's.
To me it appears as if andrew is a bit frustrated and jealous of people like the founders of wikipedia, myspace and google. He used to be a silicon valley insider, then dropped out because he was disappointed. I just can't get rid of the feeling maybe he didn't catch up with the great ideas, missed an opportunity, etc... and has now become a born against technophile.
Well, th More...
To me it appears as if andrew is a bit frustrated and jealous of people like the founders of wikipedia, myspace and google. He used to be a silicon valley insider, then dropped out because he was disappointed. I just can't get rid of the feeling maybe he didn't catch up with the great ideas, missed an opportunity, etc... and has now become a born against technophile.
Well, th More...
Jan 09, 2012
Alex
rated it:
"Very relevant for anyone working in today's internet. Well researched. Slightly outdated today and obviously released in 2007, but nonetheless some very good, important points, ideas, facts and examples about human culture and how the internet has changed it. After hearing Keen speak about it, it makes more sense that it's meant to be somewhat tongue in cheek at times and not as serious as it seems. In my opinion, the book is a little too naive with such faith in mainstream media, in autho
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Aug 02, 2011
Antabaka
rated it:
Some good, some bad. The parts about the research institutes that are financed directly by the recording companies is crap, which is to be expected. Also he should stress a bit further that the PARENTS are the frontline of defense - not the system itself. And I dont get his obsession with online gambling/betting. He devotes entirely too many pages on such a minor issue.
Add to that that there are some repetitions (and the book isn't that huge to start with), I think that the contents could have b More...
Add to that that there are some repetitions (and the book isn't that huge to start with), I think that the contents could have b More...
Mar 21, 2011
Julie
rated it:
I adore that there's a "Google preview" link on this book's page, and the fact that I'm reviewing it on Goodreads -- which is an aggregation of amateur opinion if ever there was one. Something just feels right about it, ha.
Anyway. Keen has some interesting points, but they're couched in such hyperbole and alarmism that it's hard to stomach -- you have to take this book with an enormous grain of salt. (Luckily for me, I read this so I can argue against it in my honours thesi More...
Anyway. Keen has some interesting points, but they're couched in such hyperbole and alarmism that it's hard to stomach -- you have to take this book with an enormous grain of salt. (Luckily for me, I read this so I can argue against it in my honours thesi More...
Jul 29, 2010
James
rated it:
In cyberspace, nobody can hear you scream. That’s because everybody’s too busy blogging brickbats at Sarah Palin, corrupting Bill Gates’ profile on Wikipedia, poking their buddies on Facebook, and recording a juggling video on YouTube. Simultaneously.
At least, this is what Andrew Keen would have you believe. In The Cult of the Amateur, Keen launches a full-frontal assault on the wave of user-generated content that, in his view, has turned the information superhighway into a tenth cir More...
At least, this is what Andrew Keen would have you believe. In The Cult of the Amateur, Keen launches a full-frontal assault on the wave of user-generated content that, in his view, has turned the information superhighway into a tenth cir More...
Jul 02, 2010
John
rated it:
Keen founded Audiocafe.com and looked as if he might be one of the rich kids of the net before, in 2004, seeing the light. In this impassioned polemic, while obviously still retaining much of his enthusiasm for the good things that the net might prove to be, he warns us of all the aspects we prefer to ignore -- i.e., he tries to shake us out of our collective state of denial over the dangers not so much of digital piracy (although he has plenty to say on this) or the oceans of hardcore porn engu
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Dec 02, 2009
Mary
rated it:
First of all, I find it highly amusing to review this book online, since Keen thinks the proliferation of blogs is the scourge of all culture.
The first few chapters are one long, often repetitive, diatribe. He bemoans the “editor-free world” on the Net because the result is propaganda, deception, and advertising disguised as entertainment or news. Plus, people lose jobs, since traditional media outlets for paid reporters, editors, and music labels are losing their consumer base to the More...
The first few chapters are one long, often repetitive, diatribe. He bemoans the “editor-free world” on the Net because the result is propaganda, deception, and advertising disguised as entertainment or news. Plus, people lose jobs, since traditional media outlets for paid reporters, editors, and music labels are losing their consumer base to the More...
Oct 14, 2009
Andrew Keene sets out to tell us why almost every aspect of today’s internet is fundamentally eroding society and commerce; and he might have succeeded if his reasoning had been more nuanced. The trouble is, the book is basically 300 pages of rhetoric rather than a balanced assessment of the rights and wrongs of how things are shaping up for the Internet.
As it happens I have attended a discussion group with Keene so I know that his intention had always been to write a polemic. However, More...
As it happens I have attended a discussion group with Keene so I know that his intention had always been to write a polemic. However, More...
Aug 05, 2009
Romulo
rated it:
Um livro muito criticado, mas que DEVE ser lido por todos que se interessam pela web 2.0. Esse é um dos poucos livros que faz críticas severas ao fato de que agora todos se tornaram autores, especialistas, palpiteiros e participantes da rede. O lado bom todos nós sabemos e celebramos. Mas quais são os problemas e desafios de um mundo onde fica cada vez mais difícil distinguir o que é verdadeiro do que é falso, o palpite de um estudo aprofundado? Essa é a questão que o livro procura res More...
Jul 27, 2009
Mark
rated it:
The Cult of the Amateur takes the view that opening up the web to all voices has a decidedly negative impact on our culture. With newspapers needing to layoff workers, Keen makes the point that expertise is being lost to masses of people who are, in many cases, ill-equipped to maintain journalistic standards. The web's cloak of anonymity and the amateur status of many bloggers and videographers also keep individuals from being held accountable for their views. Keen also questions how many indivi
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Apr 28, 2009
Natbas
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Feb 28, 2010
Jan
rated it:
Andrew Keen provides a very thoughtful and thought-provoking dissertation on user-generated content of Web 2.0. He covers Wikipedia, YouTube, MySpace (not much mention of FaceBook I notice) blogs, wikis, cookies, search engines, online gambling, prostitution, peer-to-peer sharing of MP3 files and plagiarism. His tone is not alarmist, but reasoned, which was the reason I kept reading the book, even though I didn’t agree with every point he made. I am not absolutely certain that I want to prote
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Feb 09, 2009
Kevin
rated it:
This past Monday I finished reading the cult of the amateur by Andrew Keen. From the moment I started reading this book I was surprised and taken back by the content and how the whole of Social Media could be viewed in such an overly negative way
My mind was filled with both thoughts of rage (yes rage) and miss-understandings of how one person (Keen) could be so overly negative and only see one side (the weaker side) of the argument surrounding Social Media and it's effect on a globa More...
My mind was filled with both thoughts of rage (yes rage) and miss-understandings of how one person (Keen) could be so overly negative and only see one side (the weaker side) of the argument surrounding Social Media and it's effect on a globa More...
Jul 31, 2011
Jaime
rated it: 
As a person who makes her income online, I could not resist reading a book that claimed – in the title no less – that the internet is assaulting our economy. Luckily, I made a good choice with this one and could hardly put it down until I finished reading it.
Andrew Keen starts off with a strong argument. You have heard of the Infinite Monkey Theorem? Infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters can create Shakespeare? According to Keen, “Today’s technology hooks all those monkeys up with More...
Andrew Keen starts off with a strong argument. You have heard of the Infinite Monkey Theorem? Infinite monkeys with infinite typewriters can create Shakespeare? According to Keen, “Today’s technology hooks all those monkeys up with More...
