Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age - Hardcover

Watts, Duncan J

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0393041425 ISBN 13: 9780393041422

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Co., 2003

Synopsis

'Six degrees of separation' is a clich-, as is 'it's a small world', both clich-s of the language and clich-s of everyone's experience. We all live in tightly bonded social networks, yet linked to vast numbers of other people more closely than we sometimes think. Only in recent years, however, have scientists begun to apply insights from the theoretical study of networks to understand forms of network as superficially different as social networks and electrical networks, computer networks and economic networks, and to show how common principles underlie them all. Duncan Watts explores the science of networks and its implications, ranging from the Dutch tulipmania of the 17th century to the success of Harry Potter, from the impact of September 11 on Manhattan to the brain of the sea-slug, from the processes that lead to stockmarket crashes to the structure of the world wide web. As stimulating and life-changing as James Gleick's Chaos, Six Degrees is a ground-breaking and important book. (2002-10-18)

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

"Duncan Watts is so clear and so readable about one of the world's most mystifying subjects that he will probably leave you with your thinking changed forever."

Written in as accessible and jaunty a fashion as James Watson's Double Helix, Six Degrees provides a deft, informative, and deeply engaging story of how the multidisciplinary science of networks has come into being. --Robert K. Merton, University Professor Emeritus, Columbia University"

Duncan Watts is so clear and so readable about one of the world's most mystifying subjects that he will probably leave you with your thinking changed forever.--Alan Alda

Starred Review. Watts smoothly combines a historical survey of the field with real-world examples. Well-done [and] comprehensive.

Here is a wonderful science book you won't want to put down...relevant to an amazing variety of subjects, including epidemics, markets, scientific collaboration, and terrorism.--Murray Gell-Mann, Nobel Laureate in physics, cofounder of the Santa Fe Institute

This is a story that is both personal and remarkable for its ability to convey the wonder of complex science.--Bill Miller, CEO of Legg Mason Funds

Watts's insights into the interconnections that bind us together...offer a vital new framework for understanding our global society.--Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University

Edition details

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Co.
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0393041425
• ISBN 13: 9780393041422
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 448