James Surowiecki posits in The Wisdom of Crowds that “Large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant—better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future” and spends 270 pages supporting that theory. I really enjoyed this book. He makes economics interesting — and how many people can lay claim to that?
It was a tad heavy on the theory and examples and light on the practical aspects. I’ve been left wondering how decision markets can be used in a company that’s top-heavy and consensus driven. Or for that matter, used in any company that has an entrenched, hierarchical structure. I would love to see a practical guide to putting Surowiecki’s ideas into action in Corporate America. Anyone know of one?
It’s a thought-provoking book that will leave me scheming and rolling his ideas around for a very long time. I highly recommend it.
