The Power of Many

"A lot of people are starting to use the Internet to reconnectthemselves to their neighborhood, their community, and the world.The Power of Many is a great survey of the way this isreally being accomplished by many individuals workingtogether."--Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist.org"What a fascinating topic. If you're interested in the future,the past, or the present, then you should read this book."--Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder of Meetup.com andFotolog.netThe development of social networks on the Web touches countlessaspects of our everyday lives. With instant access to people ofsimilar mindsets, near or far, we can readily form partnershipswith more people and in more ways than ever before. It's nowpossible to use Internet tools to organize a rally, energize apolitical campaign, arrange a date, join a support group, or sell aproduct, as naturally as we use a phone.Through a series of pertinent case studies and interviews withleading thinkers and doers in this rapidly evolving field,Christian Crumlish uncovers universal themes and lessons learned.He illustrates how we use peer-to-peer technologies--web services,blogs, mobile phone SMS, and more--to accomplish widespreadgoals. He also suggests how we can take even more advantage ofthese technologies to connect with people who have similarinterests.Discover how Howard Dean's campaign used the Internet to take alittle-known candidate a long way. How activists arrange publicmeetings and drive letter-writing campaigns. How individuals findmuch-needed help for personal issues. How artists promote and airtheir creative genius. How business people and singles seekpotential partners. And much, much more.Here are just a few of the more than 60 experts, businesspeople,activists, and writers who share their insights:* Futurist and best-selling author Howard Rheingold* Scott Heiferman, founder of Meetup.com* Executives from the American Red Cross, the Leukemia Society,and the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer* Venture capitalist Joi Ito* Official and unofficial bloggers for the Bush, Clark, Dean, andKerry campaigns* Researchers Elizabeth Lane Lawley and Mary HodderThe Power of Many explores how people are using newmethods of social computing to simplify the ways they locate otherswho share their interests and kindle face-to-face communication. Itreveals the tools that make it nearly effortless for groups andindividuals to accomplish significant results in the real world. Byunderstanding these trends and techniques, we can identify whereand how to apply them in own lives. See the companion website atthepowerofmany.com.

Acknowledgments.Foreword.Introduction.Chapter 1: People Get Ready.Chapter 2: All Politics Is Personal.Chapter 3: Getting Off the Couch.Chapter 4: Meet the Neighbors.Chapter 5: Visible Means of Support.Chapter 6: CultureJamming the Hollywood Megalith.Chapter 7: Doing Business with Strangers.Chapter 8: Lonely Hearts' Club Bands.Chapter 9: Tom Sawyer Whitewashes a Fence.Glossary.Index.