Emergent reading

For the flight to San Jose for NetSquared I borowed this book from Brian, who borrowed it from Justin. I think this is the book that The Wisdom of Crowds wanted to be.

So far Emergence is right up my alley. It’s about how self-organizing comunities – whether they are of ants, slime molds, or people – adapt and develop patterns. It’s the foundation of network-centric advocacy as well: that given the right conditions, autonomous individuals can collectively act for a greater purpose. At work we do a lot of thinking about what is needed to connect and empower diverse communities.

I’m looking forward to learning much about self-organizing communities, but I also have back-up reading in case I need a break: Neil Gaiman’s Marvel 1602. I read it a few years ago but I find his stuff is worth reading twice, especially when it’s told with stunning illustrations.

PS: I’ll add more links later – I’m writing this offline, from my phone on the plane.