What happens when the bottlenecks that stand between supply and demand in our culture go away and everything becomes available to everyone? "The Long Tail" is a powerful new force in our economy: the rise of the niche. As the cost of reaching consumers drops dramatically, our markets are shifting from a one-size-fits-all model of mass appeal to one of unlimited variety for unique tastes. From supermarket shelves to advertising agencies, the ability to offer vast choice is changing everything, and causing us to rethink where our markets lie and how to get to them. Unlimited selection is revealing truths about what consumers want and how they want to get it, from DVDs at Netflix to songs on iTunes to advertising on Google. However, this is not just a virtue of online marketplaces; it is an example of an entirely new economic model for business, one that is just beginning to show its power. After a century of obsessing over the few products at the head of the demand curve, the new economics of distribution allow us to turn our focus to the many more products in the tail, which collectively can create a new market as big as the one we already know. The Long Tail is really about the economics of abundance. New efficiencies in distribution, manufacturing, and marketing are essentially resetting the definition of what's commercially viable across the board. If the 20th century was about hits, the 21st will be equally about niches.

Long Tail Kitty shows his house, street, neighborhood, and the town where he lives.

An extraordinarily long tail that seems to have a mind of its own. For the playful and curious Lotaica, the long and troublesome tail cannot dampen her adventurous spirit...until the day she sneaks into Ronnie's room uninvited. A miscalculated jump, a tremendous crash, and the overwhelming anger of a teen-aged boy lead Lotaica on an adventure she could never have imagined. Dumped and all alone, Lotaica soon discovers that the life of a street cat is a life of constant danger...cars, raccoons, nasty weather. Even as the clever little kitten is honing her survival skills, she continues to hope that her human family will someday come back for her. Or, does fate have another path selected for The Cat With the Very Long Tail?

Mr. Lion has spent a good part of his life moving from jungle to jungle. Hes just looking for a place where he can be left alone. Hes sad because everyone laughs at him and makes fun of him because his tail is so long. In fact, Mr. Lions tail is longer than the giraffes neck, the elephants trunk, and the rhinoceross horn, and its even longer than the snakes whole body. In this jungle, though, the animals dont laugh; its rude to laugh at someone who is different. They admire Mr. Lions tail, and several of the animals try to make friends with the lion. But he just wants to be left alone. One day, tragedy strikes in the jungle. The animals call upon Mr. Lion to help them rescue a monkey who is in trouble after trying to cross a flooded river. The lion realizes he has a special talent, and his tail, though very long, is an important part of who he is.

The online economy offers challenges to traditional businesses as well as incredible opportunities. Chris Anderson makes the compelling case that in many instances businesses can succeed best by giving away more than they charge for. Known as "Freemium," this combination of free and paid is emerging as one of the most powerful digital business models. In Free, Chris Anderson explores this radical idea for the new global economy and demonstrates how it can be harnessed for the benefit of consumers and businesses alike. In the twenty-first century, Free is more than just a promotional gimmick: It's a business strategy that is essential to a company's successful future.