Amateur Afterthoughts: The title could have been “The Wisdom of One Man” because author James Surowiecki impressively exemplifies his theory – that large groups of people are collectively smarter than the smartest individuals themselves – through countless examples from past and present world affairs. Diverse and thought-provoking, Surowiecki’s selection takes us from ocean floor to outer space, from a New Mexico bar to a field goal post, Detroit’s first car to Zara’s latest shipment, gangster films, traffic jams – the list goes on and on. This actually creates a conflict - you’re learning so much from each paragraph that it’s hard to remember what you read on the page prior. The reading experience is best described as “fleeting factual fun.”
Truby Takeaway: The knowledge must sink into the subconscious somehow because it can be applied instantaneously. For instance, barely into chapter three, I found myself jogging around Washington DC. Normally, I cross streets wherever and whenever I want. Citing the pedestrian’s right of way, I basically run amuck with everyone else. But I quickly noticed that on these streets, no one else’s feet were as arrogant as mine. Everyone was standing at the crosswalks waiting for the little white man to light up for permission to go. Were they just an obedient bunch of tourists OR were police officers in DC more likely to ticket jaywalkers? I opted to wait and walk with the wisdom of this crowd. I’ll never know what could have happened had I chose to walk my way but I definitely felt like I had championed my inner intellect in knowing why I acted like I did. At the very least, it balanced out the feeling of inadequacy that resulted when I tried to pronounce the author’s last name…