Six Degrees: The New Science of Networks - Softcover

Watts, Duncan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099444968 ISBN 13: 9780099444961

Publisher: Vintage, 2004

Synopsis

'Six degrees of separation' is a cliche, as is 'it's a small world', both cliches of the language and cliches of everyday experience. But it's also an intriguing idea with a long history and some surprising implications. We all live in tightly bonded social networks, yet linked to vast numbers of people more closely than we sometimes think. Scientists have begun to apply insights from the theoretical study of networks to understand forms as superficially different as social networks and electrical networks, computer networks and economic networks, and to show how common principles underlie them all.
Duncan J. Watts explores the science of networks and its implications, ranging from the Dutch tulipmania of the seventeenth century, the success of Harry Potter, the impact of September 11th on Manhattan, to the structure of the world wide web.

About this title

Review

You may be only six degrees away from Kevin Bacon, but would he lend you his car? It depends on the network that links you. In Six Degrees, sociologist Duncan Watts examines networks like these: what they are, how they're being studied, and what we can use them for. When the power goes out, when we find that a stranger knows someone we know, when dot-com stocks soar in price, networks are evident. To illustrate the often complicated mathematics that describe such structures, Watts uses plenty of examples from real life, without which this book would quickly move beyond a general science readership. Small chapters make each thought-provoking conclusion easy to swallow, though some are hard to digest. For instance, in a short bit on "coercive externalities", Watts sums up sociological research showing that:

Conversations concerning politics displayed a consistent pattern ... On election day, the strongest predictor of electoral success was not which party an individual privately supported but which party he or she expected would win."

Six Degrees attempts to help readers understand the new and exciting field of networks and complexity. While considerably more demanding than a general book such as The Tipping Point, it offers readers a snapshot of a riveting moment in science, when understanding things such as disease epidemics and the stock market seems almost within our reach. --Therese Littleton, Amazon.com

Review

"The insights here are fairly mind-blowing" (Independent)

"Accessible and engaging" (Nature)

"A fascinating read" (Good Book Guide)

"Watts looks at the new science of connectivity studies in a new and informative way...he takes us on a fascinating tour of a newly emerging subject" (Focus)

"Watt's theory is exciting for various reasons, but particularly because it brings together ideas from mathematics, physics and the social science. Oh, and popular culture, of course" (Independent on Sunday)

Edition details

• Publisher: Vintage
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0099444968
• ISBN 13: 9780099444961
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 368