When I recommended a few books related to social networks recently Dan Keldsen of the Delphi Consulting Group suggested that I include two additional titles – “Linked” by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, and “Six Degrees” by Duncan Watts. Barabasi maintains a website with candid photographs of many of the great researchers in this space. Dan also pointed me towards some podcasts that he’s made available on his blog – paricularly a dialogue with Konstantin Guericke from LinkedIn – now three years old and probably one of the only pure-play social websites to actually turn a profit.
Although Barabasi and Watts are skilled numerical scientists there is an interesting lack of any mathematics in both texts – probably due to their publishers not wanting to frighten away too many potential readers! Math here
1 comment:
These two books are good, BUT both are written to emphasize the author's line of research to the exclusion of all others. They also miss most of the social network research from the worlds of sociology and anthropology -- or reinvent the wheel. Many SNA newbies are surprised to find that social network analysis dates back to the 1930s.
Barabasi is a wonderful story teller, Watts is dry.
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