Review
Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives by Nicholas A. Christakis, James H. Fowler
It will change the way we think about every aspect of our lives.. Christakis and Fowler, which have repeatedly made front-page news nationwide. In CONNECTED, the authors explain why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. A happy neighbor has more impact on your happiness than a happy spouse. And in showing how these networks matter in our individual lives, the authors also make the deeper point that "network thinking" is the key to understanding how all our lives fit together."-Duncan Watts, author of Six DegreesYour colleague's husband's sister can make you fat, even if you don't know her. Intriguing and entertaining, CONNECTED overturns the notion of the individual and provides a revolutionary paradigm-that social networks influence our ideas, emotions, health, relationships, behavior, politics, and much more. These startling revelations of how much we truly influence one another are revealed in the studies of Drs. The world becomes smaller and more meaningful after reading this engaging book."--Sudhir Venkatesh, author of Gang Leader for a Day"From health and happiness to fads and financial markets, Christakis and Fowler take us on a dazzling tour of the world of social networks. Complicated ideas become easy to understand and the mysteries of science unfold in front of your eyes. Full of fascinating stories and examples, this book is essential in understanding our very nature. Nowhere is this complex, wonderful, and sometimes dark part of us more clearly revealed than in Connected. In a social world exploding with new ways to interact, Connected is a user's guide for ourselves in the 21st century."-Dan Ariely, James B. Connected is a lively, well-written account of social networks and their power to shape our lives. In their new book, Christakis and Fowler write, "We don't live in groups, we live in networks," and they back this up with dozens of interconnected stories of research findings by themselves and others, ranging from bank runs to suicide prevention, from nut allergies among schoolchildren to epidemics in virtual worlds, from the spread of happiness to the spread of voting. Hillary Clinton wrote that it takes a village. Others choose them for you! Christakis and Fowler take a fresh look at an old idea: that who we know matters. Every business leader, teacher, and parent should see their life from this vantage."-Chip Heath, author Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die"An old adage tells us, 'You can't chose your family.' After reading Connected, you will find that you can't choose many things in your life. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics and author of Predictably Irrational"A God's-eye view of social relationships that may make you dizzy. We think we are individuals who control our own fates, but as Christakis and Fowler demonstrate, we are merely cells in the nervous system of a much greater beast. How? Read it yourself and find out." (Daniel Gilbert, bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness )"This wonderful book by Christakis and Fowler could well be one of the most important works of the decade. If someone you barely know reads CONNECTED, it could change your life forever. With passion and precision, these two internationally renowned scientists expose the invisible webs that connect each of us to the other, and in so doing cast our lives here together in an astonishing new light. In a clear and engaging way, the authors apply their creative and provocative findings on social networks to understanding not only our social relationships but also the forces that shape our world. A must read."-Ed Diener, Joseph Smiley Distinguished Professor of Psychology University of Illinois and author of Happiness"Margaret Thatcher said there is no such thing as society. "Christakis and Fowler have written the book on the exciting new science of social networks.