Tiger of the Week: Jeff Bezos ’86

Amazon.com founder and CEO Jeff Bezos ’86 has changed the world of online shopping and pioneered high-tech advances like the Kindle, Amazon's e-book reader. But we've chosen him as Tiger of the Week for his leadership on a relatively low-tech issue. Bezos is working to eliminate hard-to-open packaging, including the "clamshell" plastic cases in which many electronic devices are sold. "I shouldn't have to start each Christmas morning with a needle nose pliers and wire cutters," he told The New York Times. "But that is what I do, I arm myself, and it still takes me 10 minutes to open each package." Amen! While the change could save time and preserve parents' patience, the move toward "frustration-free" containers also may have a real -- albeit small -- public health benefit: According to the Times story, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that each year, 6,000 Americans are treated at emergency rooms for injuries incurred while prying, stabbing, or cutting through packaging. (Photo courtesy Niall Kennedy/Flickr)
Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW's Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.