Connected

In this summary you will learn

• Why and how people make connections with one another
• Why such interconnections are important
• What some of the results of human interconnectivity are

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Why you should read Connected

Individuals derive their identities from their social networks. By forging dynamic connections, people accomplish innumerable worthwhile activities, such as giving to charity and sharing knowledge. Unfortunately, social networks also can bring great harm to their members. Panics may reverberate across financial networks, quickly sending stock markets into death spirals and shutting down credit for businesses and consumers. Pathogens like the AIDS virus can sweep across sexual and other networks. In this book, acclaimed scientists and academics Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler explore the properties and capacities of social networks. They present their findings about how and why people connect. getAbstract recommends their analysis to sociology and psychology buffs, as well as to managers and marketers who would like to develop more insight into how to take advantage of social networks.

About the Authors

Nicholas A. Christakis, M.D., Ph.D., is a professor at Harvard University. Time magazine named him one of 2009’s 100 most influential people in the world. James H. Fowler, Ph.D., is an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego.