Cognitive Surpus by Clay Shirky
I finished reading this book yesterday and found it quite useful, especially when discussing New Media/Social Media issues with folks.
Shirky provides a good overview of what is happening in today’s social society even if he cannot give us a roadmap of where it might take us. Still, knowing something about our journey can help us better understand it as it occurs rather than simply trying to apply old rules to a new world. There are a lot of good examples of how and why certain social media activities occurred along with some analysis.
I especially liked the section on understanding group behaviors. Anyone trying to start or manage a group will find that section useful and informative.
Still, in the end, Shirky can’t really tell us where this is all headed. I can’t fault him much, as I don’t think anyone can really see that future fully. He does offer some ways of looking at New Media and how people us it as guidelines to future uses. That is useful in useful in itself.