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Connected: The Amazing Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives

Connected: The Amazing Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives

by James Fowler (Author), Nicholas Christakis (Author)

  • Used

    Paperback 2010

    $3.28
Synopsis

Who do you have sex with and why? Is happiness catching? Is wealth contagious? Can your friends make you fat? Why do you bother to vote? Does free will exist? Your friend's friend starts smoking, suddenly you find yourself reaching for a cigarette. But how can someone you'll never know make you fatter, happier and have more sex? This brilliantly original exploration of 'social contagion' examines the power of social networks to influence our behaviour. We like to think that we are largely in control of our day-to-day lives, yet most of what we do, from what we eat to who we sleep with, and even the way we feel, is significantly influenced by those around us - and those around them, and those around them. Our actions can change the behaviours, the beliefs, and even the basic health of people we've never met. In their illuminating account of the pervasive and often bizarre qualities of social networks, pre-eminent social scientists Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler explain why obesity is contagious, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. Intriguing and entertaining, with revelatory implications for everything from our notion of the individual to ideas about healthcare and social inequality 'Connected' will change the way you think about every aspect of your life.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 352
 Publisher: HarperPress
Published: 04 Feb 2010
ISBN 10: 000734743X
ISBN 13: 9780007347438

Media Reviews
' Connected succeeds because it articulates a truth about our collective self that has previously been little understood.' Irish Times 'What makes us human - for good and bad - is our social 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, bestselling author of 'Predictably Irrational' 'Christakis and Fowler have written THE book on the exciting new science of social networks. 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. 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. If someone you barely know reads Connected , it could change your life forever. How? Read it yourself and find out.' Daniel Gilbert, bestselling author of 'Stumbling on Happiness'
Author Bio
Nicholas Christakis is a Harvard professor with joint appointments in Care Policy, Sociology and Medicine, who has been studying social networks for the last ten years. His work has been covered by numerous publications including the New York Times, Newsweek and Time magazine, which recently voted one of the 100 Most Influential People in 2009. James Fowler is a political scientist who specialises in the study of social networks, human cooperation and political participation. His projects on obesity and the genetic basis of political behaviour have been covered by media outlets including the Washington Post and the BBC.