How do I create Amazon-like behavior?

Question

My manager is looking for a proposal for our informational website.  The website should track users' behavior.   The content of the home page will be based upon the users' behavior (recommending articles of similar topics to links they have already viewed).  There will also be periodic email messages similar to Amazon's marketing emails.

I'm guessing that, generally speaking, Amazon uses cookies to track behavior, however I'd be keen to learn of any more specific advice that people might have...  What is the step-by-step technical lifecycle that begins with a registered user clicking on a link, and ends with them being emailed links to similar items?  What technologies are used?  What data, if any, would one store in a database?  By the way, it sounds as though database should be used at a minimum, at least when it comes to storing clients' personal data.

I'm looking forward to your responses.   Thanks in advance!

Cindy