Dear Jeff (if I may):

I congratulate you on the honor that Publishers Weekly has bestowed on you. It is completely well deserved if not long overdue. Amazon.com is a brilliantly conceived and managed company that introduced a revolutionary paradigm, one that has both exalted the value of a tangible product, the book, and at the same time exposed the vulnerabilities of an industry built on that product. We who work in that industry are keenly aware that we are denizens of an old world that is rapidly giving way to the virtual one represented by the efficient electronic delivery of information and merchandise. Despite its flaws and problems, however, this aging book culture represents the very best values of human civilization. I know you know this. In statements you have made you have displayed a love of books for their own sake, sensitivity to those who write and produce them, and respect for those who buy and read them.

Because, like any revolutionary paradigm, Amazon.com crosses borders that for so long have been considered rigid and inviolable, it has sometimes stepped on the toes of authors, publishers, and booksellers. Your justification for doing so is that some collateral damage is unavoidable in the creation of a new world. I don’t entirely disagree with that.

But it is my hope that as you build on your success you remain aware that you possess a privilege given to very few people in any given era and hold many destinies in your hands.

I urge you to use this responsibility wisely.

Richard Curtis