The May 21, 2010, edition of the Wall Street Journal

The May 21, 2010, edition of the Wall Street Journal includes an article by Jeffrey Trachtenberg entitled ?oE-Books Rewrite Bookselling.??

Instructions
Read the article and answer the following questions.
(a) What aspect of Barnes and Noble’s current structure puts it at risk if electronic books become a significant portion of book sales?
(b) What was Barnes and Noble’s primary competitive advantage in a ?opaper book?? world? How has this advantage been eliminated by e-books?
(c) What event do the authors say might eventually be viewed as the big turning point for e-books?
(d) What amount does Barnes and Noble earn on a $25 hardcover book? How much would it likely earn on an e-book version of the same title? What implications does this have for Barnes and Noble versus its competitors?
(e) What two mistakes does the author suggest that Barnes and Noble made that left it ill-prepared for an e-book environment?