1st Edition
An Analysis of James Surowiecki's The Wisdom of Crowds Why the Many are Smarter than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economics, Societies, and Nations
In The Wisdom of Crowds, New Yorker columnist, Surowiecki, explores the question of whether the many are better than an elite few – no matter their qualifications – at solving problems, promoting innovation and making wise decisions. Surowiecki’s text uses multiple case studies and touches on the arenas of pop culture, sociology, business management and behavioural economics among others. Surowiecki’s is a fascinating text that is key to considerations and theorisations about economics, politics and sociology.
Ways in to the text
Who was James Surowiecki?
What does The Wisdom of Crowds Say?
Why does The Wisdom of Crowds Matter?
Section 1: Influences
Module 1: The Author and the Historical Context
Module 2: Academic Context
Module 3: The Problem
Module 4: The Author's Contribution
Section 2: Ideas
Module 5: Main Ideas
Module 6: Secondary Ideas
Module 7: Achievement
Module 8: Place in the Author's Work
Section 3: Impact
Module 9: The First Responses
Module 10: The Evolving Debate
Module 11: Impact and Influence Today
Module 12: Where Next?
Glossary of Terms
People Mentioned in the Text
Works Cited
Biography
Nikki Johnson Springer is currently a joint MBA and PhD Student at Yale University. Her dissertation focuses on the development of utility-scale solar energy on public lands in the American Southwest and the competing needs of industry incentives, habitat conservation, and federal regulation.
Springer is the former Garvan Chair & Visiting Professor in Landscape Architecture at the University of Arkansas and has worked in design and sustainability roles for Walmart and the Walt Disney Company. She holds a Master of Landscape Architecture and Master of Urban Planning from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.