The Dragonfly Effect

First things first: no, The Dragonfly Effect isn't about how an insect, flapping its wings in the tropics, causes a hurricane at some location on the opposite hemisphere of the world. All things considered, though, that wouldn't be too far off a description for a book that isn't about chaos theory.

Rather, The Dragonfly Effect is about how people, under the right circumstances, can make effective use of available technologies -- particularly social media -- to achieve goals much larger than themselves.

Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith's book derives its title from the fact that the dragonfly is the only insect that can move in any direction when its four wings work in concert. As applied to social psychology, Aaker and Smith submit that individuals can be successful at motivating others to work towards a cause and wage successful campaigns with the proper focus, and when using right tactics to grab attention, be engaging, and ultimately take action.

Strategies for effective social campaigns have become a popular subject in both academic and business circles, with many a book purporting to offer its own unique laundry list of ingredients required for success. In this regard, The Dragonfly Effect is different because it is, in its own way, unpretentious. Notwithstanding the four-fold strategy outlined by the authors in keeping with the dragonfly's wings motif, Aaker and Smith present less of an itemized how-to guide to successful social media campaigns and more of a framework discussed by way of storytelling, referencing short cases to drive their points home. That the authors persistently adopt design thinking in their discussion as a means for readers to better absorb the rationale behind their ideas is also a noteworthy approach that adds to the book's appeal.

In all, The Dragonfly Effect is light and enjoyable material on social psychology and social media. Read it and learn something about how to focus, grab attention, be engaging and take action that will lead others to support worthy causes you believe in.