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The Wisdom of Crowds (Abridged): Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few and How Collective Wisdom Shapes Business, Economies, Societies and Nations Audiobook
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(3.70) - 23 listener ratings
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“No one in this world, so far as I know, has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people.” —H. L. Mencken H. L. Mencken was wrong. In this endlessly fascinating book, New Yorker columnist James Surowiecki explores a deceptively simple idea that has profound implications: large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant—better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, even predicting the future. This seemingly counterintuitive notion has endless and major ramifications for how businesses operate, how knowledge is advanced, how economies are (or should be) organized and how we live our daily lives. With seemingly boundless erudition and in delightfully clear prose, Surowiecki ranges across fields as diverse as popular culture, psychology, ant biology, economic behaviorism, artificial intelligence, military history and political theory to show just how this principle operates in the real world. Despite the sophistication of his arguments, Surowiecki presents them in a wonderfully entertaining manner. The examples he uses are all down-to-earth, surprising, and fun to ponder. Why is the line in which you’re standing always the longest? Why is it that you can buy a screw anywhere in the world and it will fit a bolt bought ten-thousand miles away? Why is network television so awful? If you had to meet someone in Paris on a specific day but had no way of contacting them, when and where would you meet? Why are there traffic jams? What’s the best way to win money on a game show? Why, when you walk into a convenience store at 2:00 A.M. to buy a quart of orange juice, is it there waiting for you? What do Hollywood mafia movies have to teach us about why corporations exist? The Wisdom of Crowds is a brilliant but accessible biography of an idea, one with important lessons for how we live our lives, select our leaders, conduct our business, and think about our world.
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"An excellent read. Surowiecki shows how the masses are sometimes smarter than the smartest person when working together to solve problems. "
— Dan (4 out of 5 stars)
The Wisdom of Crowds Listener Reviews
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Mantas Bra, 10/2/2024
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" Should have known better with a comparison to Malcolm Gladwell on the front. <br/> <br/>A mildly interesting idea with some neat examples, some misquotes and distortions, and nothing much aside from anecdotal evidence. This would have worked out much better as an article rather than a book. "
— Kaworu, 5/2/2011 -
" I got a copy of this book in 2005 at an office seminar where James S was the presenter. I finally read it in 2010! "
— Christian, 4/21/2011 -
" Very interesting topic but I feel like it could have been half as long. It just dragged on a little too much for my taste. But if you find the subject extremely interesting I would recommend reading it even if it's only the first few chapters. "
— Elizabeth, 4/5/2011 -
" I read this a few years ago and I often think about it while stuck in traffic "
— Audrey, 4/3/2011 -
" Insightful, but not wholly convincing. An excellent read nevertheless. "
— Hom, 1/6/2011 -
" Fascinating and engagingly written examination of why the many are smarter than the few. "
— Nancy, 12/27/2010 -
" must read for 2010 and beyond "
— Hans, 12/26/2010 -
" Great information, but comes at a slow pace. "
— Stuart, 12/4/2010 -
" In the same genre as Outliers and Freakonomics, this book gets the reader to look at statistics as a living, breathing being. "
— Bill, 11/29/2010 -
" Non Fiction-very interesting - stretched my mind. "
— Martha, 11/16/2010
About James Surowiecki
James Surowiecki is a staff writer at The New Yorker, where he writes the popular business column, “The Financial Page.” His work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Artforum, Wired, and Slate. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.
About Erik Singer
Erik Singer’s theatrical credits include the title role in The Hostage (off Broadway), A Life in the Theatre, Greetings!, and national tours of Othello and The Taming of the Shrew. He has also appeared on All My Children and As the World Turns, and was the voice of Vincent van Gogh in the A&E Biography about Van Gogh and Gauguin. His audiobook narration has twice won him the AudioFile Earphones Award.