In a very non-1984-like manner, Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos has apologized for his company’s idiotic decision to delete copies of two George Orwell books from customers’ Kindle e-book readers — without their consent.

Here’s what Bezos wrote on a blog:

“This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our “solution” to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we’ve received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.

With deep apology to our customers,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Amazon.com”

Now that’s an apology I can get behind. It’s one of the most honest, forthright corporate apologies I’ve ever read, and is refreshing in these days of don’t-ever-blame-yourselfitis. No defending of the decision, no explanation as to the thought process behind the disastrous episode. Just an admission of dumbness, and moving on. I think other companies should use this as a blueprint. In no time at all, it will be business as usual for Amazon, a company with which I’ve done much business over the years — and will continue to do so.