The Wisdom of Crowds | James Surowiecki | Smart, Interesting and Easy to Read

The Wisdom of Crowds | James Surowiecki | Don't expect a textbook

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The Wisdom of Crowds

	The Wisdom of Crowds James Surowiecki Anchor, 2005 - 336 pages average customer review:based on 164 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Smart, Interesting and Easy to Read

This book was a surprise hit for me. I didn't expect to like it, but ended up loving it so much I just had to have a copy on my shelf. Surowieki is very convincing, in part because he takes such care to bring up alternative arguments and respond to each. He also keeps his focus fairly narrow, so the arguments aren't all over the place. I was especially fascinated by his discussion of experts. We rely on them so heavily these days, but now I know to question their expertise. This book has changed the way that I make decisions and the way I evaluate good decision-making in my elected representatives. I recommend this book to anyone interested in making good decisions. It is a smoothly-written book and you won't have any trouble following the arguments or staying 'into' it.

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Don't expect a textbook

I really like the Wisdom of Crowds because Surowiecki succeeds in explaining complicated and sophisticated ideas in ways that educated people can not only grasp but also incorporate into their own thinking. This is quite an achievement, one that critics of the book have overlooked. This topic has not been open until now to such a wide audience.

Surowiecki never shies from even difficult and abstract statistical concepts. He draws liberally upon academic journals and scholarly books, writing in a style that is at once journalistic and educated.

Yet, Surowiecki never talks down to his reader. Instead he invites the reader to accompany him through an arcane (and dimly lit) maze of statistical practice as it has been developed and utilized for decades by social scientists and economists. The reader is rewarded again and again because Surowiecki points to a partially hidden jewel, holds it up for examination, hands it to the reader and then leaves it in plain sight (often for reference later in the book).

Thus, this book is a remarkable example, a model, for readers (and writers) who wish to bridge the gaps between educated professionals.

My criticism is along different lines. In this extremely visual era, the editors could have widened the audience for the Wisdom of Crowds much further if suitable images could have been commissioned to throw additional light on Surowiecki's prose. But, paper and ink are so much more expensive than artists these days, one can understand the limitations and constraints Doubleday (Random House) were under. On the other hand, why not put up a web site?

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Book review

Recommended by a friend for my husband who is very picky about his books. He is enjoying it. Shipping was quick.

Summary book of crowd behavior

I read this book because I wanted to stay up-to-date with trends in mass collaboration and how that is evolving with the internet. I found this book to be a good summary to be conversational with others when talking about the terms he defines such as coordination and cooperation problems. However, I found myself not doing much note taking or highlighting of passages that are relevant to my life as an IT professional.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, page 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

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