Harvard Law Professor Cass Sunstein has written a book whose brevity does little to indicate how much there is to take away from it. Infotopia is a short book which examines “how many minds produce knowledge” by comparing surveys, deliberation and markets. I feel a certain dishonesty in trying to summarize or critique such a cerebral book in a brief blog post, but I wanted to note some of his important points.
Sunstein’s work is an academic investigation of how the Internet allows projects like Wikipedia or Linux to succeed. Drawing on the scholarship of Friedrich Hayek and others, Sunstein notes the dispersed nature of knowledge. Starting with Hayek’s commentary that “Each member of society can have only a small fraction of the knowledge possessed by all, and each is therefore ignorant of most of the facts on which the working of society rests…” Sunstein analyzes three methods of decision-making: surveys, deliberation and markets.
Each method has its strengths and weaknesses which the author is quick to point out; in fact, his honesty in these appraisals is what makes the book so refreshing: as a book jacket quote from Robert Maccoun points out, Sunstein is “neither a Utopian nor a Luddite…”
For example, the average of everyone’s estimation of how many jelly beans are in a closed container is often the most accurate guess, but in cases where the answer is not binary, this may fail. Or, in deliberation, the supposed bedrock of democratic institutions, we are apt to see failure due to social pressures or exclusion of minority voices. Finally, the value of markets (especially prediction markets) is extolled – after all, people tend to only put their money where their mouth is if they are confident – but qualified by noting bubbles, biases and manipulation.
Infotopia has a lot to digest but will be a great resource to those designing or questioning communities online and societies off.
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I really appreciate these book reviews. It makes me feel smarter without having to read them. I wish you’d delve deeper into the first topic — surveys — and explain how they are less useful in non-binary situations.
I’ll do one better – bring the book to you. 20 pages of reading should solve your question.
And even though you are tired of hearing about it, a FotI review is coming.
Agreed. There is definitely real value in the way you review these books. Don’t be afraid to be a little more detailed. Just like Alex, I will undoubtedly read a blog over a book if I can get a couple paragraph analysis of a book that I am somewhat interested in but don’t necessarily have the time to read. In my mind, nothing can replace reading a book but a blog (hopefully yours) can surely help ameliorate the gap between reading and not reading. This is especially so if the person would never have read the book in the first place. Depending on the book, it might be worth linking to a chapter or two if it provides valuable insight and is freely distributed online….
I can definitely do a better job w/ book reviews but I’ve found out something: it’s tough work!
For a much better reviewer, check out Ethan Zuckerman: http://www.ethanzuckerman.com/blog/2006/11/30/cass-sunsteins-infotopia/ and the link he provides at the bottom.
(Full warning – my next book review will be even more superficial because it is such a mathematical book… check back soon.)
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Wisdom teeth is a nonsense.
What to me pleasure of what at me in 25-30 years has grown a teeth without which I already easily manage for a long time?
Where they were, when I in a youth teeth opened bottles with beer because it was abruptly? When I clicked a teeth nuts?
And then, why from name “Wisdom teeth” – I that, somehow in another way to chew has learnt? Not how earlier when I was the young fool? Whether business if to years to 30 grew, for example, wisdom fingers! Better, of course, on each hand on the additional index. But on the second big – too it is normal. And then it would be wisdom fingers – because now I precisely know, for what I should seize both hands, to hold strong-strong and never to release. Or from what to wave away – yes, now I know, from what I should wave away very much, sometimes so there is no pair of superfluous fingers on hands that from it to wave away.
Or here, a wisdom eye. It is necessary certainly, to change the passport by 30 years because you on a forehead had one more eye… Well also I represent, as it will be scratched. When it begins to be cut through – hard, yes. But – what pleasure to look in three eyes at that, on what you could not see enough in both in any way… And points cool can be carried – represent, what turn the fashion industry can make!
I ask me to excuse, it is simple a teeth strongly are ill
thanks!
[...] given the importance of the information that will be filtered (and I wish I had my copy of Infotopia to revisit how the wisdom of crowds can fail), but the open source nature of the project will allow [...]
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great article
Delete.