(互联网经济：非理性的繁荣)DOT.CON: THE GREATEST STORY EVER SOLD(互联网经济：非理性的繁荣)

WhenVannevarBush,FranklinD.Roosevelt'schiefscientificadviser,satdownin1945towriteamagazinearticleaboutthefuture,hehadnoideawhathewasbeginning.Bush'svisionofadesktopcomputerthatwouldcontainallofhumanknowledgeinspiredthescientistswhobuilttheInternet.Intheearly1990s,whenaBritishcomputerprogrammerdevisedtheWorldWideWebandanIllinoisstudentinventedaneasy-to-useWebbrowser,theInternetwastransformedfromascientificcuriosityintothebiggestgoldrushsincetheKlondike.InDot.con,JohnCassidy,oneofthecountry'sleadingfinancialjournalistsandastaffwriterattheNewYorker,relatesthestoriesofNetscape,Yahoo!,AmericaOnline,Amazon.com,andotherInternetcompanies,largeandsmall.Inalivelyandentertainingnarrative,CassidytracestheriseofInternetstocksandthedevelopmentofapopuliststockmarketculturetotheendoftheColdWar.HeshowshowanunscrupulousallianceofentrepreneurssuchasJeffBezos,venturecapitalistssuchasJohnDoerr,stockanalystssuchasMaryMeeker,andinvestmentbankerssuchasFrankQuattronehelpedturnanexcitingtechnologicaldevelopmentintoanunstableanddangerousspeculativebubble.Cassidydoesn'trestricthisattentiontoSiliconValleyandWallStreet.Hedemonstrateshowmanyprominentjournalistsandpolicymakershelpedtoexpandandprolongthebubble,particularlyAlanGreenspan,thechairmanoftheFederalReserve.Butintheend,Cassidyconcludes,responsibilityfortheInternetboomandbustcannotbeplacedonanyoneindividual.ItwasanationwideepizooticthatinvolvedtensofmillionsofAmericans.Andnowthatitisover,thecountryasawholeispayingaheavypriceforsuccumbingtogreedandwishfulthinking.Anartfulblendofstorytelling,history,andeconomics,Dot.conprovidesthefirstcompleteandauthoritativeaccountofthebiggestfinancialstoryofthemodernera.