the age of access (rifkin)

[Doug Henwood]

Another thing re Rifkin: in the book, he makes a big deal about how 
networks of suppliers are replacing old-fashioned arm's-length market 
relationships. Sometime after the reviewers' galleys were produced 
but before the actual book was manufactured, the auto industry 
announced its electronic parts exchanges and several other industries 
have followed suit. You don't get much more arm's length market 
related than that - completely disembodied, transaction-oriented 
virtual commodities markets.

Doug