Superconnect: Harnessing the Power of Networks and the Strength of Weak Links

For readers of Outliers or The Wisdom of Crowds — or internationally bestselling author Richard Koch's many followers — this entertaining book draws on the latest in network science research to show how any of us can increase the chances of success in our personal and work lives.

What's so special about the rich and famous? Unusually successful people often think they've done well because of their talent or luck — or simple grit and hard work. But individual characteristics matter far less than the social connections we exploit. And counterintuitively, it's our weak links — your neighbour's landscaper or that ad agency guy you happened to meet at your sister's birthday party last year — that matter most of all. Drawing on research from the fields of sociology, math, and physics, internationally bestselling author and entrepreneur Richard Koch and his co-author Greg Lockwood show how networks impact our everyday lives. Rich with entertaining anecdotes and written in Richard Koch's trademark conversational style, Superconnect reveals the hidden patterns behind everyday events. Most importantly, it shows how any of us can increase the chances of happy outcomes in our own lives, careers, or businesses.

RICHARD KOCH is the author or co-author of 19 books about ideas and how to use them for greater personal and business success. Chief among them is The 80/20 Principle, a major international bestseller that has sold over 700,000 copies worldwide, including over 100,000 in each of the U.K., U.S., Japan, and Korea. It has been translated into 26 languages and has spawned a number of offshoots, such as Living the 80/20 Way. He is also a highly successful entrepreneur and investor who rescued the Filofax company from near death and has started or helped to expand many other ventures, including Belgo restaurants, Plymouth Gin, and most recently Betfair — Europe's largest and most profitable online gambling business. GREG LOCKWOOD is a Canadian who began his career at Auto Trader magazine and then went on to work in Europe. He is a venture capitalist specializing in network businesses who helped found Sunrise Telecom, the leading alternative telecom network operator in Switzerlandand, and invested in Betfair, where he was formerly chairman. This is his first book.

Authors’ Note
Preface
 
1 Authors of Our Own Success?
2 Do You Live in a Small World?
3 The Strength of Weak Links
4 The Superconnectors
5 Heaven, Hell and Hubs
6 Cyberspace – Brave New World?
7 Rolodex Roulette
8 Hub to Hub
9 The Network Structure of Ideas
10 Network Stars
11 The Business of Weak Links
12 Poverty, Urban Renewal and Gangsters
13 A Network Society
 
Acknowledgements
Endnotes
Index