The Human Network: How We’re Connected and Why It Matters

It's not what you know, it's who you know. Or so the adage goes. Professor Matthew Jackson, world-leading researcher into social and economic networks, shows us why this is far truer than we'd like to believe. Based on his own ground-breaking research, The Human Network reveals how our relationships in school, university, work and society have extraordinary implications throughout our lives and demonstrates that by understanding and taking advantage of these networks, we can boost our happiness, success and influence. But there are also wider lessons to be learnt. Drawing on concepts from economics, mathematics, sociology, and anthropology, Jackson reveals how the science of networks gives us a bold new framework to understand human interaction writ large - from banking crashes and viral marketing to racism and the spread of disease. Filled with counterintuitive ideas that will enliven any dinner party - e.g. how can our popularity in school affect us for the rest of our lives? - The Human Network is a 'big ideas' book that no one can afford to miss.

Table of Contents:
1: Introduction: Networks and Human Behavior 2: Power and Influence: Central Positions in Networks 3: Diffusion and Contagion 4: Too Connected to Fail: Financial Networks 5: Homophily: Houses Divided 6: Immobility and Inequality: Network Feedback and Poverty Traps 7: The Wisdom and Folly of the Crowd 8: The Influence of Our Friends and Our Local Network Structures 9: Globalization: Our Changing Networks

About the Author :
Matthew O. Jackson is a chaired professor of economics at Stanford University, an external faculty member of the Santa Fe Institute, and a senior fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advance Research. For over twenty years, he has been researching social and economic networks, and published a leading graduate level text on the subject: Social and Economic Networks.

Review :
Compelling... Professor Jackson manages not only to present a lot of complex research engagingly but to show how the key concepts of network theory relate to a wide range of contemporary issues, from financial contagions to the spread of fake news. Beautifully readable and fascinating This thought-provoking book explains how and why human networks matter so much, and why they can be a source of strength and fragility. A must-read. Matthew Jackson leads us through a brilliantly insightful tour of how the structures of social networks shape our lives and indeed our very humanity Spanning a rich array of topics, including the spread of epidemics and financial crises, political polarization, and economic inequality, The Human Network is a highly readable yet deeply informed survey of social life viewed through the lens of networks. The study of networks is one of the liveliest and most interesting topics in contemporary economic theory... Timely and beautifully written. Very engaging and worthwhile.