Overview

In this landmark work, NEW YORKER columnist James Surowiecki explores a seemingly counter-intuitive idea that has profound implications. Decisions taken by a large group, even if the individuals within the group aren't smart, are always better than decisions made by small numbers of 'experts'. This seemingly simply notion has endless and major ramifications for how businesses operate, how knowledge is advanced, how economies are (or should be) organised and how nation-states fare. With great erudition, Surowiecki ranges across the disciplines of psychology, economics, statistics and history to show just how this principle operates in the real world. Along the way Surowiecki asks a number of intriguing questions about a subject few of us actually understand - economics. What are prices? How does money work? Why do we have corporations? Does advertising work? His answers, rendered in a delightfully clear prose, demystify daunting prospects. As Surowiecki writes: 'The hero of this book is, in a curious sense, an idea, a hero whose story ends up shedding dramatic new light on the landscapes of business, politics and society'.

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9780349116051

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Reviews

'A bright and lucid columnist for the NEW YORKER...[Surowiecki] knows how to make a convincing, sometimes entertaining case' SUNDAY TIMES * 'Erudite and entertaining...he has a rare gift for combining rigorous thought with entertaining examples' FINANCIAL TIMES * 'Dazzling...will turn your world upside down. It's an adventure story, a manifesto, and the most brilliant book on business, society and everyday life that I've read in years' Malcolm Gladwell, author of THE TIPPING POINT * 'A handsome addition to the books that combine the verve of smart magazine writing with a whiff of academia ...a fantastically stylish counter to the expert-knows-best line...an offbeat argument for democracy. In the future, crowd pleaser might no longer be such a half-hearted compliment' GQ * 'Lightly written, well-argued and deftly assembled...intelligent, engaging and provocative' HERALD.

A bright and lucid columnist for THE NEW YORKER ... [Surowiecki] knows how to make a convincing, sometimes entertaining case SUNDAY TIMES Erudite and entertaining ... he has a rare gift for combining rigorous thought with entertaining examples FINANCIAL TIMES Dazzling ... will turn your world upside down. It's an adventure story, a manifesto, and the most brilliant book on business, society and everyday life that I've read in years Malcolm Gladwell, author of THE TIPPING POINT A handsome addition to the books that combine the verve of smart magazine writing with a whiff of academia ...a fantastically stylish counter to the expert-knows-best line ... an offbeat argument for democracy. In the future, crowd pleaser might no GQ

A bright and lucid columnist for THE NEW YORKER...[Surowiecki] knows how to make a convincing, sometimes entertaining case - SUNDAY TIMES Erudite and entertaining...he has a rare gift for combining rigorous thought with entertaining examples - FINANCIAL TIMES Dazzling...will turn your world upside down. It's an adventure story, a manifesto, and the most brilliant book on business, society and everyday life that I've read in years - Malcolm Gladwell, author of THE TIPPING POINT A handsome addition to the books that combine the verve of smart magazine writing with a whiff of academia...a fantastically stylish counter to the expert-knows-best line...an offbeat argument for democracy. In the future, crowd pleaser might no longer be such a half-hearted compliment - GQ Lightly written, well-argued and deftly assembled...intelligent, engaging and provocative - HERALD

Author Information

James Surowiecki is a columnist for the NEW YORKER. This is his first book.

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