And Then There's This: How Stories Live and Die in Viral Culture (Abridged) Audiobook

" I can't stand giving up on books, but sometimes it doesn't feel like a struggle. I read a review of this somewhere that suggested maybe the problem with the book is the subject matter (elusive, fast moving, insubstantial) not the book itself. In any case, I had to mark this "read" to get it off my "to read" or "currently reading" list but have marked it "given up," also. Meh. It felt too much like a waste of time. There's probably irony in here somewhere but I'm not sure where to find it. "

" As I read this book I often had moments of reflection, interest, confusion, skepticism; in fact, I felt pulled in many different directions. This is, I guess, to be expected when the book describes itself as part memoir, part field report, part manifesto, and part deconstruction of a decade. I found the book initially to get into for this very reason. However, as the book went on, either I became more acclimatized to the editing and writing style or the book became clearer at defending its thesis. I am not sure that I agreed with the authors assertion that the rise of memes coincides with the rise of boredom and or the increasing "multitasking" brain. I more think that it is a symptom of a society that has learned that it can have a voice and that sometimes this voice gives rise to someone that others want to seek out and connect with. This used to be the realm of professionals but more than ever it is amateurs who seek each other out and confer this status on each other. This is more than boredom. It is people who want to bask in popularity; want to go for that moment of fame which is altogether more possible in the internet world. However, there were many moments I did agree with including the rapid rise and fall of stories or websites as people find the "next big thing" then move on as the site becomes crowded and no longer new. I think one of the challenges for storymakers and website developers (and one that I think Facebook is facing right now) is how to not only keep things new but also how to keep the initial flood of people who signed on at the beginning and excitedly "helped" the website or story gain importance/mature. I myself know this feeling as someone who has excitedly been involved in a website ad it began and am now feeling like my contributions are being lost as the site grows in users. Selfish? Maybe but when new web 2.0 sites look to initial users and connect with them as a way to grow their site some thought has to be placed onthis concept I think. I also agreed with the author about the need to reach out beyond what we feel agrees with our opinions. The Internet has made this far to easy but it will be a challenge to overcome for precisely the reasons given by the author. All in all, a good book; interesting anecdotes, difficult to get into to start with but easier if you stay with it. As with most of these books I also would not purchase it. Will it stay relevant as time goes? Maybe, maybe not. "

" Nicely written, and really interesting. "

" Although I found the concept of the "nanostory" -- the item of cultural notoreity which spreads quickly across the Internet and then fades into obscurity -- interesting, I wasn't as engaged by Wasik's perspective "from the frontlines." After creating the original flash mob, most of the projects he describes feel like they boil down to "let's create the most annoying thing we can create on the internet and see if we can get anybody to pay attention to it." "

" Not a bad book. Not as in-depth as I was hoping it was going to be. "

" Interesting concepts, but not particularly well written. "

" Remember flash mobs? Bill Wasik invented the flash mob, and in this book he details the rise of online memes and viral culture. Interesting subject and very well written, though more than I wanted to read on the topic [ full review ] "

" Really entertaining Gladwell-esque study of how cultural events go viral. "

" I'd actually have given this 3.5 stars if it were an option. Book started off dry but really sucked me in about the third chapter. Weird to remember Facebook really blew up after it was written; no mention, whereas a very short time later it would have been a prevalent part of the story. "

" Fascinating examination of the nanostories that bombard us in our viral culture driven by the speed and easy reach of the internet. Bill Wasik's social experiments are amusing and thought-provoking. "

" I'm torn on this book - while I enjoyed the stories and the writing style (which reminded me of Chuck Klosterman), the book felt fragmented and not cohesive as a whole. "

" This book sounded fascinating (It's a fascinating topic) but I found it somewhat interesting. It was informative, but didn't "wow" me in any way. There was nothing really objectionable, or with which a disagreed; it just didn't "wow" me. "

" great discussion of viral Internet culture. I learned a lot about the beginnings of the viral movement that I was totally unfamiliar with. "

" The authors overly stylized language in relation to the topics that he is discussing make most of his points laughable. Not to mention his outright arrogance in which he seems to insert himself unnecessarily throughout the book. "

" While some of the sites discussed in this book are dated by this point, the general point still stands. The third section on the Internet and politics is particularly interesting in an election year. "

" The sections on the less successful viral projects were a little slow at times which perhaps reflects one of the main points of the author (are stories about successful nanostories inherently more interesting than those about unsuccessful nanostories). Liked the overall analysis and conclusion "

" Interesting in an obnoxious way. "

" Fascinating tales and lessons of viral culture from the man who invented flashmobs. To be featured in The Beachwood Reporter this week. "

" this worked better as magazine articles "

" A good look at the phenom, with Wasik involving himself...but really just a beginning of figuring out what the internet doing to distraction and attention spans. "

" I had high hopes for this book, but it just didn't engage me at all. Rather than an analysis of how memes birth, live and die on the internet, it is more a chronicle of Wasik's adventures and pranks online. The anecdotes of flashmobs and the like are entertaining but not particularly informative. "

" great discussion of viral Internet culture. I learned a lot about the beginnings of the viral movement that I was totally unfamiliar with. "

" This book sounded fascinating (It's a fascinating topic) but I found it somewhat interesting. It was informative, but didn't "wow" me in any way. There was nothing really objectionable, or with which a disagreed; it just didn't "wow" me. "

" Interesting concepts, but not particularly well written. "

" this worked better as magazine articles "

" Not a bad book. Not as in-depth as I was hoping it was going to be. "

" Fascinating examination of the nanostories that bombard us in our viral culture driven by the speed and easy reach of the internet. Bill Wasik's social experiments are amusing and thought-provoking. "