Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age/ Duncan J. Watts

I read this book because it received a favourable review in Asimov’s (or was it Analog?). If you’re wondering if there’s any relation to the “Six degrees to Kevin Bacon” game, well, yes, there is — though this book does a lot more than just explaining the game.

Though I’m not into “Graph theory”, “Network analysis” or “Social networks Mathematical models”, I still found this book insightful. Certain chapters could be rather heavy going though. But there’s enough “layperson” content for this book to be useful to non academics. There’s a useful reference list on recommended readings, ranked by the author based on level of readability (i.e. whether you need a background in Network Theory or not).

I would’ve liked it better if the book explained how one could really tap on the effect of “social contagion of ideas”. But to be fair, it did say there’s much work to be done, and the author does a credible job of explaining a complex theory for laypersons.

Notes/ excerpts from the book (in bold) – Words in [ ] parenthesis are my own:

p162-7 – [Discussion on biological virus & computer virus: Ebola & melissa. Good overview. Very informative].

p196 – [Interesting story to the 1634 Dutch Tulip Bubble. The idea of "Social contagion", or the "epidemics of ideas". Some parallels to the Dot.com crash.]

p204 – [The idea of "Information cascades" - where individuals stop behaving like individuals & more like a coherent mass.]

p207 – [Examples of social experiments. Interesting & weird stuff by this researcher called Solomon Asch - proved that an individual starts having doubts when s/he is the minority.]

p224 – [Concept of "Social Contagion" - spread of beliefs & ideas.] “… a highly contingent process, the impact of a particular person’s opinion depending, possibility dramatically, on the other opinions solicited.”

p230 – [Suggestions on how to exploit knowledge to enhance the likelihood of a cascade.]

p235 – [About "cascades & percolation" - conditions necessary for global cascade]

p289 – Although the problem (of organisations) dealing with ambiguity is not fully understood, “it appears that a good strategy for building org that are capable of solving complex probs is to train indiv to react to ambiguity by searching thru their social netwks, rather than forcing them to build & contribute to centrally designed prob-solving tools & databases”.

p292 – How the Sept 11 incident “exposed the hidden connections in the complex archictecture of modern life”

p(?) – Case study of the Toyota-Aisin crisis 1997. [How a fire at the Toyota factory almost ruined the company (the crisis affected Japan's economy), but yet intriguingly Toyota was able to recover back to normal production levels within days, even though there were no contingency plans in place.] The more “networked you are, the more subseptible to risks but the better you are at recovering”.

p299 – The science of networks: “Distance is deceiving”

Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age/ Duncan J. Watts
- Call No.: 511.5 WAT (Non-fiction General collection)

(Re)inventing the brand: can top brands survive the new market realities?/ Jean-noël Kapferer

Published in 2001, translated from French. Marketing students would find this book useful, particularly if they are looking for case studies of European brands. The brands mentioned are: Adidas, Ariel, Décathlon, Coca-Cola, Orangina, Vache-Qui-Rit, Danone, L’Oréal, Nestlé, Nike, Nivea, Pepsi, Perrier, Peugeot, Proctor & Gamble, Unilever, Virgin, Vivendi, Volkswagen, Yoplait.

Notes/ Excerpts from the book (in bold) – Words in [ ] parenthesis are my own::

p. 59 – Advertising costs have soared but no tangible proof of the return of investment in those sums.

p. 69 – consumers are no longer the source of innovation & motivation that they once were (christensen 1999)

p. 74-77: The “service challenge”

1. Don’t waste their time
2. Everything should be easy
3. Recognise that different users have different needs
4. Direct them to information at the level & amount they need
5. The internet store is open 24 hours a day
6. Allow users to communicate w other users freely on subjects of common interest
7. ‘Word of mouth’ publicity

p. 83-84: [Talks about the "truths" of the internet economy -- I found it consistent with the " Cluetrain Manifesto".]
The internet has created a culture of partipation; direct access; fast response; truth (cracks are more likely to be made known); a “me” focus (consumers expect to be treated as individuals)

p. 97 – [I learnt that the word "portrait" comes from the french words "porter" (to carry) & "trait" (characteristics). Hence, "portrait" means "to carry certain characteristics".]

p. 123 – [Examples of how successful companies empower employees to leave their personal touch. E.g. Saturn mechanics leaving their personal notes on cars they have serviced.]

p. 135 – Studies show that “(market) penetration & loyalty are correlated” – i.e. (Advertising that involve customers either at emotive or rational level, image value syst, pdt push & in-store promotion — all still relevant). Also, “in a world increasingly dominated by the Internet, the more virtual the goods & services on offer, the greater the need to re-emphasise tangible & sensory aspects, which are necessary catalysts for gen involvement.”

p. 136 – 142: [Explains "upstream & downstream" advertising].
See p.142 for pointers for implementation:

1. Brand energy must be focused downstream at contact points w customers
2. Communities must become involved at behavioural level
3. Must create public, inter-community commitment
4. Encourage & create opportunities for ‘dialogue’ bet communities & marketing environments in the chain of recommendations

p. 143 – “Strategic energization matrix”

p. 149 – Examples of the “Cola Wars” – Sucidial brand strategy

p. 166 – “Marketing is an experimental discipline. It is simply not possible to know all the parameters in advance.”

p. 179 – rejunivation is vital for a brand to stay competitive & “prototyping” (innovate/ new pdt) is vital to rejunivation

p. 180 – brand should make the consumer look good – not the company or brand – [Libraries ought to take note.]

p. 223 – brand is built on it’s determination to promote it’s distinctive values & mission

(Re)inventing the brand: can top brands survive the new market realities?/ Jean-noël Kapferer
Call No.: 658.827 KAP -[BIZ] (Business Collection)

The Power of Losing Control: Finding Strength, Meaning and Happiness in an Out-Of-Control World/ Joe Caruso

This book shifted my perspectives about “Control”. It’s one of those books that I come across once in a while that makes an impact on how I work, think and live.

There’s a story behind how I discovered the book: At a monthly manager’s meeting, held in a library, my boss announced that I’d be taking over yet another library to manage (btw, in case you were wondering, that came with no extra pay). I was stressed me out, to say the least (not the pay but the fact that I was responsible for another branch). Then during break time, while walking back to the meeting room from the washroom, I chanced upon the book on the shelf — the spine was facing out. I certainly was losing control, so naturally I picked it out.

The title itself was interesting – the power of losing control. Sounds oxymoronic, right? How could anyone gain power by losing control? What I understand now is that there wasn’t any power to exercise in the first place. As Caruso wrote, what we really have is an “Illusion of Control”.

Which reminds me of this song I learnt when I was about nine. I think it’s an old British marching song, which goes like this:

Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile
If in your world you come across a snag,
Smile boys that’s the style
What’s the use of worrying?
It never was worthwhile, so—
Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag
And smile, smile, smile

The book made a lot of sense to me. I could relate to it from my personal experiences. Also, the author should know a thing or two about what he is writing. After all, he is a cancer survivor and he has applied what he espouses. Plus the book has a label that says “As Seen on PUBLIC TELEVISION” so I knew this was something. The heck with “never judge a book by its cover”.

It’s true that “The more you try to control, the less you actually do”. I highly recommend this book.

Excerpts from the book (in bold) – Words in [ ] parenthesis are my own:

p. 75: The Four Rules of Engagement

1. Everyone is always right
2. Everyone’s greatest desire is to be right
3. You can’t change another person’s mind
4. You can help people shift their perspectives

[It’s very true, in my experience so far. I’ve not been a manager as long as some people have, but in whatever I’ve experienced, I know that very rarely was I able to change a person’s mind or personality. Almost impossible. I could not undo, in 2 hours or 2 months time, the opinions of that person that took perhaps 20, 30 or 40 years to form.

We prefer to stick with a circle of friends or colleagues because ultimately, they make us feel good. Not necessarily flattery of course. It could be that they validate what makes us think are important, that they share a common view – therefore validating our own perspectives and sense of self.]

p. 87: Leadership, because it is determined by those in our secondary world, is an out-of-control experience.

p. 88: “It’s not important that people like you” – “People like you because when they’re with you they like themselves better. They like you because being with you elevates their own meaning”.
[I need to think hard about this, in relation to how to promote reading and the use of libraries.]

Quote from the book:

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation) there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favour all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”

~ Scottish writer W.H. Murray (The Scottish Himalayan Expedition)

p. 207: “… practice being more passionate about the solution and less passionate about the problems.”

p. 214: We must be more like parachute jumpers. The moment they jump off the plane, they knew they were never “on course”. While falling, they constantly adjusted and responded to the surroundings. What they had was an objective in mind (the spot to land) that never wavered.

The Power of Losing Control: Finding Strength, Meaning and Happiness in an Out-Of-Control World/ Joe Caruso
- Call No. 158.1 CAR (Non-fiction, General section)