Connected

There's no denying that social networks have captured the popular imagination. Whether or not this is just a passing fad, a very cogent book on the topic can be found in Nicholas Christakis' and James Fowler's Connected: The Amazing Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives.

The book condenses much of Christakis' and Fowler's own research, as well as many of the key findings and current directions in the study of social networks to date. In that sense, it is perhaps best described as a literature review, albeit one appropriately repurposed from its origins in purely academic inquiry in order to cater to a more mainstream set of readers.

Part of the fun involved in reading through Connected is picking up random bits of trivia about society and relationships. For instance, you will learn that marriage tends to increase men's lifespans by as much as seven years as opposed to only two for women, or that loneliness is, strangely, contagious ("...you are about 52 percent more likely to be lonely if a person you are directly connected to [...] is lonely".) Even the famous Dunbar number -- the number of people (about 150) with whom stable relationships can be maintained -- is discussed at length, which is perhaps the bare minimum anyone should know about social networks, at the end of the day.

Christakis and Fowler delve into a variety of topics: from health and epidemiology; to love, dating and marriage; to American politics; and of course to social networks in virtual settings (among others). Overall, Connected is an undeniably clever book, and one that will have people thinking differently about the ties that bind us together.