#222 / Connected #2

The cover of the book Connected, by Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler, says that the book will tell you "how your friends' friends' friends affect everything you feel, think, and do."

I am not sure that the book completely delivers on the "how" part, but it definitely establishes the reality and influence of these connections out to the "third degree." I earlier mentioned this book, which I became aware of from watching I Am Fishead, a pretty amazing kind of documentary.

Now that I have finished the book, I am more convinced than ever that our existence is essentially collective in its nature, and that this collective nature of our existence is scientifically demonstrable.

The question for me, of course (and I think for us), is can we find the tools to deploy our collective wisdom and collective power to recalibrate and recreate the reality we have managed to construct to date.

I would put that down as a high priority!