Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything [Hardcover]

The word "wiki" means "quick" in Hawaiian, and here author and think tank CEO Tapscott (The Naked Corporation), along with research director Williams, paint in vibrant colors the quickly changing world of Internet togetherness, also known as mass or global collaboration, and what those changes mean for business and technology. Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia written, compiled, edited and re-edited by "ordinary people" is the most ubiquitous example, and its history makes remarkable reading. But also considered are lesser-known success stories of global collaboration that star Procter & Gamble, BMW, Lego and a host of software and niche companies. Problems arise when the authors indulge an outsized sense of scope-"this may be the birth of a new era, perhaps even a golden one, on par with the Italian renaissance, or the rise of Athenian democracy"-while acknowledging only reluctantly the caveats of weighty sources like Microsoft's Bill Gates. Methods for exploiting the power of collaborative production are outlined throughout, an alluring compendium of ways to throw open previously guarded intellectual property and to invite in previously unavailable ideas that hide within the populace at large. This clear and meticulously researched primer gives business leaders big leg up on mass collaboration possibilities; as such, it makes a fine next-step companion piece to James Surowiecki's 2004 bestseller The Wisdom of Crowds.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anyone who has done even a modest amount of browsing on the Internet has probably run across Wikipedia, the user-edited online encyclopedia that now dwarfs the online version of Encyclopedia Britannica. This is the prime example of what is called the new Web, or Web 2.0, where sites such as MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, and even the Human Genome Project allow mass collaboration from participants in the online community. These open systems can produce faster and more powerful results than the traditional closed proprietary systems that have been the norm for private industry and educational institutions. Detractors claim that authentic voices are being overrun by "an anonymous tide of mass mediocrity," and private industry laments that competition from the free goods and services created by the masses compete with proprietary marketplace offerings. The most obvious example of this is Linux, the open-source operating system that has killed Microsoft in the server environment. But is this a bad thing? Tapscott thinks not; and as a proponent of peering, sharing, and open-source thinking, he has presented a clear and exciting preview of how peer innovation will change everything. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

"* 'If you want to enlighten yourself about how the internet is revolutionizing the way people and business operate, then this is a dizzyingly fascinating book to help you...' Guardian * 'A must-click for all webheads... Great fun for anyone with an interest in why this online lark is really as important as we evangelists keep saying it is.' Matthew D'Ancona, Spectator"

The knowledge, resources, and computing power of billions of people are self-organizing into a massive new collective force. Interconnected and orchestrated through blogs, wikis, chat rooms, peer-to-peer networks, and personal broadcasting, the Web is being reinvented to provide the first global platform for collaboration in history. "Wikinomics" is the definitive investigation into how small businesses can achieve success by using a dynamic ecosystem of partners to co-create and peer-produce value in this newly-emerging, networked economy. Encouraging consumers, employees, suppliers, partners and competitors alike to share information and ideas, mass collaboration marks a profound change in the way business is conducted and radically alters the future of corporate architecture, strategy and management.

Don Tapscott is chief executive of New Paradigm, a think tank. He is the author of ten books. He teaches at the University of Toronto. Anthony D. Williams is a research director at New Paradigm. He teaches at the London School of Economics.

Can you learn about Web 2.0 without spending more time staring at a computer screen? With Alan Sklars unabridged recording of this book, the answer is yes. Consumers, businesspeople, and academics can benefit from this investigation into how online collaboration tools have the potential for transforming research and production. Sklar is a sophisticated reader whose well-known voice is a smooth platform for the authors case studies of innovative information sharing. They provide an enthusiastic overview, and Sklar provides an engaging reading that will make listeners excited about returning to their computers to experience new technologies. R.F. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.