The Power of Crowds: Is Resistance Futile?
929447
Mao II is a masterpiece of contemporary fiction. In Delillo's canon, I rate it better than White Noise and on par with his massive opus, Underworld. Despite Mao II's relative brevity, the denseness of ideas contained within are staggering. This was easily one of the best books of the 1990's, if not the last quarter century. Right up there with Mason & Dixon, American Pastoral, and a few select other masterworks.

While the novel is composed of characters who appear, for the most part, throughout the story, the book is structured more as a series of vingettes. Delillo deals with many themes, but the primary one, I think, is the struggle between the individual and the 'masses' in contemporary society. In this regard, he traverses the same terrain as Marcuse in "One Dimensional Man" and Canetti in "The Power of Crowds". And, he does it on a global scale: touching upon everything from a Moonie wedding, to the rise of the Ayatollah in Iran, Chairman Mao in China, and of course, contemporary American society.

Other themes are: the power of images, terrorism and the narrative power of terrorists (this is 9 years before 9/11), the role of the artist (writer, photographer, etc), true belief, teachers and apprentices, and censorship, state and otherwise. All this woven together concisely with his meticulously sculpted sentences. I often pick up this book and randomly re-read various chapters; in this fashion, I've probably read the entire book 5 times.

Lastly, I've debated with friends whether Delillo's vision in Mao II is a bleak one or a hopeful one. Like the old "Lady and the Tiger" fable, it probably comes down to who you are more than any clear answer from him. However, I think the wedding scene at the end (against very dire circumstances that I won't give away here) points to at least some optimism for individuals (while providing a nice 'barbelling' of the novel with the mass wedding at the book's beginning).

That's just my take, but anyone reading this work will push their brains outward, regardless of their predispositions.
4540331
Drawing on the theoretical insights of Emile Durkheim and Erving Goffman, Randall Collins sets out a detailed account of what it is that micro interactions accomplish and the structure of those interactions. In the first portion of the book, Collins lays out his theoretical contribution, presenting a compelling logic of micro interactions. The rest of the book involves applications of that logic.

Successful interactions, for Collins, are ones that produce a number of important outcomes: collective symbols with meaning for those involved, a sense of boundaries uniting those participating in a given interaction and bounding-out those that aren't, developing a sense of norms, and, most importantly, providing what Collins calls "emotional energy". This understanding provides a very specific meaning/purpose to the interactions people have and why they are driven to have them and have them in certain ways.

Collin lays out specific components of a successful interaction. Mutual entrainment is perhaps the most important - that participants are focused on some common locus of attention. In addition, Collins sees embodiment - the actual physical presence to one another in an interaction - as another necessary prerequisite for successful interactions.

While I quibble over some of the requirements that Collins delineates (particularly the need for co-presence for an interaction to be successful) and the elevation of emotional energy to the position of the chief motivation for interaction, the theory itself is of immense utility - both as a synthesis of Durkheimian and Goffmanian lineages of thought and as a more complete formulation of a theory of micro-interactions.
3434569
Social Physics will replace the obsolete conclusion that Homo sapiens need constant correcting. The model for social advancement reflects actual human behavior and works within what is. The advent of high-resolution behavioral data documents what we already knew. That is, most people are good and want to participate on a high performing team in a meaningful way. Pentland's book uses applied graph theory and empirical data to design sustainable social systems based on Homo sapiens natural inclination to collaborate and learn.
2426122
This book presents simple to understand yet powerful insights for people frustrated with failure and confused with success during grant application and peer review processes. As articulated by Lehky, there are fundamental limitations in assigning value to novelty using peer review that need to be better appreciated by all participants of the peer review process, from individual applicants and reviewers to editorial and review boards.
While the book's primary focus is to shed light on the fundamental limitations of peer review, it also highlights the considerable influence that a biological concept known as degeneracy (a form of diversity) has on the effectiveness of many selection systems. All participants of peer review would be better served if those crafting peer review activities developed a better appreciation for the importance of degeneracy in selection.
2724856
A gorgeously laid out compendium of topical essays that explores issues relevant not only to the City's 8 million plus residents but also to the many dozen of millions that populate cities nationwide.  This book is relevant for academics policy-makers and for a popular audience - a trifecta not commonly encountered.
3383899
The book explains at general reader level the digital world of today. Replacing the academic treaty style with short essays on various subjects, the author spreads the idea that the digital future has to be met with "no fear".
However, sometimes topics are presented in a way that raises concerns about the ordinary citizen's strengths confronted with privacy, hacking, dark Internet or big data.
3214881
Honeybee Democracy describes, in detail, the annual migration of two-thirds of a hive of bees leaving the old nest to produce a new nest - to establish a new home. In the process, before they establish their new hive, the homeless bees hold a democratic debate to choose their new home.

This book is about how honeybees conduct this democratic decision-making; how they evaluate potential sites through collective fact-finding; announce the locations to others; debate the selection of the best nest site; build consensus; and then pilot the entire swarm to its new home.

This is an impressive, easily understood, scientific account of honeybee democracy that humans can replicate  respect, organisation, processes, diverse solutions, rules of debate, and majority decision-making for sustainable resolutions.
412834
This is a great book for the times as it exposes bare the efficiency/innovation dichotomy as the necessary yin/yang of organizational life.  Innovators are often viewed derogatorily as dissenters.  These 'dissenters' are culled from a larger group of 'complainers'.  They are in fact quite valuable to the company if handled right.  Corporte cultures rife with their emphasis mainly on 'best methods' have supressed the innovators of tomorrow's ideas.  Unfortunately this suppression drives the innovator 'underground'.  Underground dissension causes many problems in the corporate culture, the worst of these being whistle-blowing.

This book covers in detail the innovation killers.  The types and characteristics of dissenters.  How to be a 'political handler' of dissenters.  How to coach dissenters.  How to actively foster dissent and innovation.  New concepts that enable this movement.  How to surface existing dissent.  How to manage the dissenter.

Remember that 7 out of 10 employees surveyed said they would not correct their boss even when they new he/she was wrong.

Five Stars
3693723
There's  a power shift underway that's calling into question all our fundamental beliefs about how the world works. Don Tapscott's and Anthony D. Williams' penetrating insights in "Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything" are a timely orientation to the new world of mass collaboration where peer-to-peer communities consistently outpace hierarchical bureaucracies. These collaborative communities, leveraging the powerful new technologies of the Internet, are routinely accomplishing previously unthinkable results by discarding all the accepted ways for how large numbers of people get things done.

Tapscott and Williams make a strong case for the proposition that we have entered a new age with new rules where the nature of the game has completely changed.  The participation revolution unleashed by the Web is creating a new world where, for the first time in history, large numbers of people can now work together without having to go through a central organization. More importantly, these new forms of self-organization produce smarter, faster, and less costly results than their hierarchical counterparts. That's why, according to the authors, it's just a matter of time before these agile new ways of organizing eventually displace the plodding habits of traditional corporate structures.

The new economics of this new world of mass collaboration, which Tapscott and Williams dub "wikinomics," are based on four fundamental principles: openness, peering, sharing, and acting globally. Companies, such as IBM, are discovering that, by breaking down their boundaries and being open to external ideas, they are outperforming counterparts who rely solely on their internal resources. Linux is leading the way in inventing new forms of peer-to-peer organization that belie our notions for how to build software. Biotechnology firms are redefining the economics of intellectual property by sharing their discoveries to mutually leverage their collective knowledge. And the Internet is transforming markets into global villages where people and assets will need to be managed across traditional cultural and organizational boundaries.

The level of agility, creativity, and connectivity made possible by the new economics of our new age will raise the competitive bar for all industries. Consequently, Tapscott and Williams warn that the organizational values, processes, and architectures of the command-and-control economy are not simply outdated; they are handicaps on the value creation process of our fast-arriving future. If you want to be prepared for this future, "Wikinomics" is a good place to start.
3836745
James Surowiecki offers an engaging introduction to the broad topic of the wisdom of crowds.  He provides examples and insight into why a group is often more effective than a talented individual.  He offers well-written academic and anecdotal evidence within a well-organized volume.  The book covers estimates of current and future facts, problem-solving, plus technical, economic and political decision-making.  Group estimates, group discussions, markets, decision markets, gambling markets, forecasting, organizational structures and voting are reviewed.

In essence, the author says that a group of independent, diverse, communicative individuals has more information, deeper insight/intuition and better approaches to problems than any single individual.  This improved knowledge can often be extracted in a cost-effective manner by using group decision-making approaches.  They separate the wheat from the chaff by offsetting random biases and errors.  This description of how and why group decisions work is only partially convincing.

Surowiecki uses the models of effective group decision-making to show why bad group decision-making is so common.  When individuals are not independent, they can be easily misled by power and influence methods.  When individuals are not diverse, they don't have much content to add and are not adept at using the multiple perspective decision-making tools.  If they do not communicate effectively, their potential contributions lie buried.  Riots erupt when certain feedback loops fail.  Individuals and markets create bubbles through the self-interest of promotion or free-riding.  Small groups are subject to many known shortcomings.  Poorly applied decision making-models deliver predictable results.  Hierarchical organizational structures undermine feedback and engagement.  Cliques of political elites have their own biases and are no more effective than representative democracy.

This is a broad survey type of book, covering a great deal of interesting ground on related topics.  It sometimes oversimplifies or overgeneralizes in a rush to make a convincing argument.  The author usually gives each subject a balanced treatment, separating what is supported by research from what is merely speculation.

The author consistently supports possibilities approaches to effective decision-making, even when they are complex and mysterious.  The whole is greater than the sum of the parts (ala chemistry versus physics, macroeconomics versus microeconomics and sociology versus psychology).  Both/and approaches to strategy, leadership and management are more effective.  The principles of effective small groups can be applied, in spite of some conflicts.  Important individual political values will be reflected through candidates, even if individuals have limited knowledge or engagement.  Corporations will find an optimal balance between the benefits of functional specialization and outsourcing versus the oversight costs and loyalty risks.  Effective employees need direction and empowerment.  Choices are probabilistic, not certain.  Human and technical features can be combined to produce better choices.

For those who share the authors' values, this book provides encouragement about the progress that has been made and the even greater potential for the future.  Those who prefer a deterministic, theory X, finance-oriented, command and control, great man, rationalist approach to decisions will struggle with the general tone of the book, identify where it overreaches, question the core underlying argument and argue that the real keys to success are better empowerment of the best individuals and better application of simple tools.
3149017
Recently, books like The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell or the Influentials by Jon Berry and Ed Keller, have captured the imagination of marketers and the public alike. It's easy to see why. They propose a tidy and believable model of influence.

1.) There are some people who are more influential.

2.) If we can just reach them, we can influence large numbers of people.

Accepted as gospel, these two ideas have spawned entirely new industries and companies devoted towards creating "viral marketing."

Happily for all of us, things just don't work that way. Brand spanking new research from P&G and Duncan Watts is serving as confirmation of Mark's thesis: it is our innate nature as "herd" animals that causes mass movements, not the influence of a handful of individuals.

This simple little insight overturns much of what we currently think about and how we approach marketing. If you're serious about creating real movements in the new marketing landscape you simply have to read this book.
2201778
In "The Wisdom of Crowds" James Surowiecki explores how often a group of people can make better decisions than the "expert" and under what situations might a group make poor choices.

One of the basic points of the book is that in making a decision people have two components, information and error.  Often by aggregating the decisions of many individuals the errors will cancel out and you are left with a very good decision.  Another point is that for complex problems there is no "expert" who completely and thoroughly understands the problem, and can thus give the "right" answer.  Most big problems are solved by making our best guesses and then seeing if our decisions were right or good enough.  A group of people, because together they have more information, can make better choices.

James Surowiecki uses a variety of interesting examples to discuss how much better decisions a group can make.  His first example is how Francis Galton found that an average group of people at a county faire in England back one hundred years ago were able to guess the weight of an ox within a pound, much closer than any of the "experts" were able to get.  It was fascinating to learn that within hours of the Challenger Space Shuttle explosion the stock market picked which company was responsible, by a big drop in the stock price, long before there was any clear understanding of what had happened.  And within a couple weeks the international health community was able work together to understand SARS, without any guiding hand or one organization in charge.

The author also explores under what conditions a group of people might make a poor decision.  He found that a group of experts, who all tend to have a similar viewpoint on a particular topic, may make a worse decision than a group with a few "less smart" people who will see a problem from different view points.  Another situation that happens is where there is a vague problem for which people don't see a clear answer so if someone will go public with his answer, then other people will go along with the first answer, rather than making their best guess.  He calls this information cascade.  It is better that everyone be encouraged to make their best guess, and then work through a process of resolving or aggregating the decisions.

The chapter on how to pick good solutions for issues raised by new technology was fascinating.  The author compared the process of how the free market finds good solutions to how a beehive looks for food.  One example was the early development of the automobile.  In both cases scouts go out looking for solutions (honey or car designs) and bring them back to be evaluated by the group.  The market reviewed hundreds of designs for cars and gave feedback on which designs were better.  The basic design quickly developed.  It is key to have a system which generates lots of alternatives and allows losers to be abandoned quickly.  It is important to have both diversity of solutions and diversity of perspectives to generate better results.

Some books are interesting and educational, but after reading them there is little need to go back and reread them.  You can learn the basic lessons in one reading.  "The Wisdom of Crowds" is one of those which needs to be reread every so often because there are so many interesting ideas explained and thoughts explored.  It is well written and is worth the time to read and worth thinking about after reading.
4963625
It has been widely and vehemently put forth that the Inklings, a group comprised mainly of writers (including J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and Charles Williams) who met regularly to read their works to each other over the course of more than fifteen years, was simply and solely a social club.  Biographers, scholars, and in some cases the Inklings themselves have denied that the members of the group either exerted influence over or were influenced by the others.  Glyer, however, presents a convincing argument that it is a gross error to take such statements at face value.

In The Company They Keep, Glyer defines and delineates a number of areas in which the various Inklings did indeed have an impact not only on each others personal lives as friends, but also on their professional lives and works as colleagues.  Exhaustive evidence is provided to support these claims, demonstrating how these men acted and reacted upon each other as resonators, encouragers, sometime opponents, editors, collaborators, and referents.

Additionally, in the course of proving the influence of the Inklings on one another, Glyer makes a strong case for the importance of community in the life of every writer.

P.S. Don't skip the footnotes - they contain excellent content in themselves!
1956051
In A World Gone Social, Ted Coine and Mark Babbitt have written a fabulous book that deserves to be celebrated.

This is not an instruction manual about how to do Social Media - there are no chapters on how to use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or Google Plus.  Rather, its a pocket guide about leading your business in a new, dynamic social environment.  Its a bold, brash call to arms - a challenge to leaders to look at not just the way they do business, but also the way they think and engage with others.

The authors starting proposition is both simple and profound - the old industrial revolution methods of command and control leadership are, thankfully, redundant. For businesses to survive, they need to embrace an emerging social revolution.  The people we deal with are no longer passive; they are claiming their voices, speaking out and seeking engagement on their terms - faster and more personal.  The authors argue that companies who fail to recognise this social revolution are doomed to go the way of the dinosaur.

Coine and Babbitt are not interested in seeing who can get the most likes or who has the most followers.  The power of the social revolution comes from the way we drive engagement with our clients - both top down and personal.  If we understand this and shape the way we think and act, we stand poised to benefit from an exciting, ground-breaking way of working.

What a powerful proposition!

The OPEN model (Ordinary People, Extraordinary Network) sits at the heart of this book and provides the earth-shifting moment, for me.

OPEN taps into the power of social networks - the idea that regardless of who we are, we have an extraordinary network of social knowledge and goodwill at our fingertips.  Our networks give us a wonderful platform from which to leverage our social connections. This model alone is enough to set this book apart.

Ive long felt that the power of social networking is in bringing people together around common interests and sharing ideas.  Coine and Babbitt take that a step further and argue that by tapping into our networks, by relentlessly giving, we have the power to crowd source anywhere, anytime.

This is gold for anyone in a leadership role - it shows that we have an enormous pool of talent and expertise at our fingertips, that by engaging with our people at a personal level, we are able to leverage their expertise and goodwill - faster and deeper than ever before.

Need a question answered?  Need a particular task completed?  The social leader knows that far beyond sharing dinnertime selfies, their networks give them a platform from which to share ideas, break new ground and respond to their clients and teams in faster, more personal ways than ever imagined.

Coine and Babbitt recognise that this is not a fad but rather, is a new paradigm that is constantly evolving and maturing.  Far from it being too late to get on board, the authors make it crystal clear that we simply do not know where this social revolution will take us and that the journey has just begun.

Their message is simple - you can no longer run a competitive, efficient business without becoming immersed in the social revolution.
You cannot get the best from your employees without hearing their voices.
You cannot engage deeply with your clients unless you respond to them in real time.
You cannot be competitive unless you can get your thoughts or products to market quickly.
You cannot gain and retain the respect and trust of the market without being transparent and responsive.
3398595
This is a great introduction to the subject. He does a good job of explaining how complex group behaviour can arise from each individual in a swarm or crowd following a few simple rules; and how this can result in near optimum solutions to some complex problems. He also makes it relevant by showing how one can apply some of these rules in everyday life. This is the sort of book I'd read on a flight - interesting but easy reading - but if your flight is more than a couple of hours you'll need another book as well. This one is good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go very far. About a third of it is 'notes' which seemed to me to be padding to make it look thicker - which is why I rated it a 4 instead of a 5.
1586168
Published a review of this book.
Mukherjee Das, A. (2016). Innovation and Its Enemies: Why People Resist New Technologies. Journal of Scientometric Research, 5(2), 173-174[...]
965487
The Essentials of Shopper Technology is a slim volume of big ideas for retail and brand marketing practitioners. It is a compilation of learned essays by thought leaders from the Shopper Technology Institute, a commercial association devoted to advancing thought leadership in the linked fields of loyalty, engagement, analytical and digital marketing.

There is no doubt that technology has an ongoing impact on how marketers differentiate and serve customers. Mass-analog is yielding to targeted-digital, and the data analytics that make it happen keep expanding in scale and sophistication. What may be less obvious to business leaders is how customers are also leveraging new technology in ways that affect business outcomes. Brace yourselves - the power of choice is overwhelming the clout of large retailers and marketers.

These 16 essays offer a glimpse into a new world where loyalty is a currency, shopper behavior defines operational competency, and value is defined by personalization and relevance. No shopper is well served by a marketer who doesn't actively listen, and no brand or store can claim ownership of relationships with empowered customers who can vote with a single click.

This is a quick and rewarding read that belongs on the shelf of every merchant and marketing professional.