Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives by Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD and James H Fowler, PhD, Little, Brown and Company, published September 2009

Book synopsis:
“Your colleague’s husband’s sister can make you fat, even if you don’t know her. A happy neighbor has more impact on your happiness than a happy spouse. These startling revelations of how much we truly influence one another are revealed in the studies of Drs. Christakis and Fowler, which have repeatedly made front-page news nationwide.

In CONNECTED, the authors explain why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. Intriguing and entertaining, CONNECTED overturns the notion of the individual and provides a revolutionary paradigm-that social networks influence our ideas, emotions, health, relationships, behavior, politics, and much more. It will change the way we think about every aspect of our lives.”

My Review:
Connected was a fascinating book about the effects of our social networks. According to the book, your future spouse is most likely to be your friend’s friend and your friends’ friends’ friends can make you fat – or thin. There was also extensive scientific analysis and discussion about emotional contagion, disease transmission, the influence of political connections, human nature and online relationships.

My only complaint is that a few sections of the book were very technical and dry and read more like a textbook. However, Connected was still an interesting and informative read. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in how social networks shape and influence our lives.

The Giveaway:
I have 5 copies of Connected to give away thanks to Hachette Book Group. You can earn up to 6 entries for this giveaway. Please leave a separate comment for each entry and a way to contact you.

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This contest will end on Monday December 14, 2009 at 10:00 pm, central time. I will use random.org to select five lucky winners and contact the winners. (If any winner does not respond in 48 hours, I will pick another.) U.S. and Canada entries only. No P.O. Boxes. Good luck and thanks for entering!