Many Web marketing books are a thinly veiled Internet 101 wrapped in a business shell. Webonomics ("the study of the production, distribution, and consumption of goods, services, and ideas over the World Wide Web") is a careful reflection on what has worked on the Web and why it has worked. Schwartz organizes the book into "nine essential principles for growing your business on the Web," one per chapter. But don't mistake this for a simple book. Sure, the principles are simple, e.g., "No. 4: Consumers will shop online only for information-rich products." But why it is true? And how can a Web marketer apply the principle to his own product or service? Answering those questions is where Schwartz shines. Using examples from dozens of successful, and not so successful, Web sites, he outlines the reasons for their performance.

This isn't a book for a plunge-ahead-regardless Web marketer, but for a more thoughtful one who is willing to analyze and think and learn. It is my pick for the top Web marketing book of 1997.