This collection of Jeff Bezos's writings and speeches, curated by Walter Isaacson, opens by illustrating Bezos's consistent emphasis on genuine long-term thinking — willing to sacrifice near-term results for long-term value creation — as distinguishing his approach from more conventional short-term-focused business strategy.

Why this long-term emphasis proved so consequential:

• Bezos's willingness to sacrifice near-term profitability and market perception for long-term value creation, illustrated throughout his collected writings, distinguished Amazon's strategic approach from many contemporaries
• This collection provides direct access to Bezos's own articulated thinking regarding this long-term strategic emphasis, rather than secondhand interpretation
• This opening establishes the collection's central organizing theme, motivating its subsequent detailed examination of Bezos's specific strategic principles

This opening establishes the collection's central theme, illustrating Bezos's consistent long-term strategic thinking through his own directly collected writings and speeches.