How Crowds Work

How do you spark a trend that spreads like wildfire, or turn a product into the latest must-have item? You create a social epidemic. The Tipping Point explains how social epidemics — spreading ideas, messages, behaviors, and products — function like viruses, growing gradually until they reach a critical mass (the tipping point) and explode.

Three factors can be adjusted to tip an idea to a social epidemic: the messenger, the message itself, or the context of the message. Learn how Paul Revere’s midnight ride, Sesame Street, Airwalk skate shoes, and crime reduction in New York City began as ideas and tipped to become movements.

Many people think of diversity in the context of social justice. But Matthew Syed takes a different approach, exploring how diversity boosts group performance and intelligence. In particular, he argues that we should foster diversity because diverse groups are more collectively intelligent than homogeneous ones.

In his 2019 book, Rebel Ideas, Syed explains why cognitively diverse groups are superior to homogeneous ones. Cognitively diverse groups, he argues, can harness the diverse knowledge of their members, leading to increased performance and innovative ideas. Homogeneous groups, by contrast, often suffer from collective blindness, as members simply reinforce each other’s views rather than challenge them.

In this guide, we’ll examine Syed’s arguments that diverse groups are higher-performing than homogeneous groups, while also discussing the communication styles that can either amplify or diminish the value of cognitive diversity. Throughout this guide, we’ll also discuss actionable advice for creating cognitively diverse groups and consider counterarguments to Syed’s views.

In his groundbreaking book Bowling Alone, political scientist Robert D. Putnam argues that the social glue holding the US together—its social capital—is breaking down. Social capital—the value of cohesive relationships and networks—differs from the types of capital that economists study (such as financial and physical resources). Social capital enriches people and communities by enabling mutual trust, support, and communication. But after peaking in the 1950s, the US’s social capital has fallen, even as other forms of capital have risen.

Putnam warns that if the US’s social glue keeps fraying, the collective social systems we rely on could dissolve. In this guide, we’ll explore Putnam’s argument that social capital is vital to society, and we’ll follow as he tries to solve the mystery of what caused its decline in the first place. We’ll look at whether these social trends have continued into the 21st century, examine different views on what causes social change, and see how various organizations use social capital for the betterment of all.

In So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, author Jon Ronson discusses the psychology of humiliation, the use of shame as punishment, and what happens to the targets of public shaming after the crusade is over and everyone forgets about them.

Initially, Ronson thought that public shaming was a force for good. Underdogs and average citizens can hold powerful people and corporations accountable and put enough pressure on them that they’re forced to change for the better. However, as Ronson learned more, he discovered that public shaming can also be a destructive force that ruins people’s lives, even if those people haven’t actually done anything wrong.

How do you spark a trend that spreads like wildfire, or turn a product into the latest must-have item? You create a social epidemic. The Tipping Point explains how social epidemics — spreading ideas, messages, behaviors, and products — function like viruses, growing gradually until they reach a critical mass (the tipping point) and explode.

Three factors can be adjusted to tip an idea to a social epidemic: the messenger, the message itself, or the context of the message. Learn how Paul Revere’s midnight ride, Sesame Street, Airwalk skate shoes, and crime reduction in New York City began as ideas and tipped to become movements.

Even though we’re all human, most of us don’t understand what drives people (including ourselves) to feel and behave the way we do. In The Laws of Human Nature, author Robert Greene looks at several laws that explain, among other things, why we self-sabotage, behave differently in groups, and want the wrong things.

Armed with the knowledge of these fundamentals of human nature, you can manage toxic people, become more empathetic, make people like you, and control your own nature.

In America, police officers spend most of their training for violent crime, despite spending most of their time on the job dealing with non-violent incidents. Because of this, many are calling for an overhaul of the current police system in the US.

In Caste, Isabel Wilkerson argues that the racial tensions in the United States are better explained through the lens of caste, not race—a 400-year-old hierarchy placing white people at the top and Black people at the bottom. Wilkerson examines the different caste systems around the world and how they damage the lives of everyone involved, even those at the top. She believes that to understand how to move forward, we must examine the past and the racial structures that keep progress as a nation at bay.

In this guide, we’ll explore the basics of Wilkerson’s caste theory, the eight tenets of a caste system, how the caste system affects the lives of people in the upper and lower castes, and how we can move away from caste and create a more equitable society. We’ll also compare Wilkerson’s ideas to those of other books on the subject of race, such as Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow.

When you hear the word “bias,” you may think of a conscious form of prejudice—but the most potent biases are actually subconscious. These implicit biases are normal neurological responses to the culture you grow up in. In the United States, everyone encounters and encodes antiblack bias to some degree, even in black communities. This racial bias doesn’t just influence how you make decisions—it determines what you notice in your environment and what becomes invisible. And in high-stakes situations like police encounters, the consequences of racial bias can be devastating.

In this guide, we’ll discuss how your brain creates bias; how that bias impacts every area of your life, from where you live to how you post online; and, most importantly, how to combat implicit bias to create a fairer world for everyone. We’ll also compare Dr. Eberhardt’s research on racial bias to other popular books on racism such as How to Be an Antiracist and White Fragility.

In a world where social upheavals are both history and headline news, understanding what drives masses of people toward radical change—or radical belief—is more relevant than ever. In The True Believer, self-educated philosopher Eric Hoffer examines the psychological foundation of political, social, and religious movements and uncovers why they captivate those feeling alienated or discontented. Through observations and thorough analysis, he reveals the shared characteristics across different movements and outlines the conditions for their rise and fall.

This book not only offers a lens through which to view historical events but will also equip you with a deeper understanding relevant to today's rapidly changing global landscape. In this guide, we’ll elaborate on the psychology behind Hoffer’s analysis and supplement his discussion with historical examples that illustrate his conclusions. We’ll also provide insight on how new technology has impacted the rise and fall of mass movements.