Jeffrey Preston Bezos was 4 years old when he first arrived at his grandfather's cattle ranch in Cotulla, Texas. The Lazy G is a sprawling 25,000-acre spread in the southwest part of the state—an unspoiled habitat of mesquite and oak trees, the home of whitetail deer (popular among local hunters), wild turkeys, doves, quail, feral hogs and sheep.

Behind the rise of Jeff Bezos and Amazon: Richard L. Brandt on the founder's Texas roots, the site's chaotic early days, why negative reviews are allowed and his increasing use of personal data.