Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means 
asked by tacos on November 5, 2006 8:56 AM
How is the human brain like the AIDS epidemic? Ask physicist Albert-László Barabási and he'll explain them both in terms of networks of individual nodes connected via complex but understandable relationships. Linked: The New Science of Networks is his bright, accessible guide to the fundamentals underlying neurology, epidemiology, Internet traffic, and many other fields united by complexity.
Barabási's gift for concrete, nonmathematical explanations and penchant for eccentric humor would make the book thoroughly enjoyable even if the content weren't engaging. But the results of Barabási's research into the behavior of networks are deeply compelling. Not all networks are created equal, he says, and he shows how even fairly robust systems like the Internet could be crippled by taking out a few super-connected nodes, or hubs. His mathematical descriptions of this behavior are helping doctors, programmers, and security professionals design systems better suited to their needs. Linked presents the next step in complexity theory--from understanding chaos to practical applications. --Rob Lightner
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I got registered onto a few networking sites like Linkedin, Orkut and Hi5 in March and suddenly started thinking about term Network in social context. Being a computer engineer by profession and having worked on communication networks for last 5 years it was quite obvious to find parallels. And then I stuck upon this book. I must say i wasn't disapponted. Each Ideas has been built with convincing examples and is well supported by results from ongoing research being done by author. I would wait for him to write something on dissemination of information through social networks and network dynamics.
reviewed by nutshell on November 21, 2006 4:49 PM
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In an informal survey held in a recent webinar, over 50% of the (several hundred) participants ranked "Word-of-Mouth" as the most typical source for leads that convert to paying customers. Interesting...!
In "Linked", Barabasi explores the math behind the network effects we see expressed as "Word-of-Mouth". The result is a set of extremely useful insights into our understanding of links, nodes and the success or failure of "network"-based efforts. The growth of networks is not random, but rather follows "scale-free" laws. This book supports and complements "The Tipping Point", "Unleashing The Ideavirus", and "The Anatomy Of Buzz". Highly recommended for the technical practitioner.
In "Linked", Barabasi explores the math behind the network effects we see expressed as "Word-of-Mouth". The result is a set of extremely useful insights into our understanding of links, nodes and the success or failure of "network"-based efforts. The growth of networks is not random, but rather follows "scale-free" laws. This book supports and complements "The Tipping Point", "Unleashing The Ideavirus", and "The Anatomy Of Buzz". Highly recommended for the technical practitioner.
reviewed by bigdv on November 25, 2006 7:23 PM
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I have been involved in telecommunications networking for years, and recently started up a "community of interest" web site around SOA Networks.
This book will definetly help me understand the evolution and of adoption of networks as they apply to Service-Oriented Architecture.
This book is a excellent read for me, although it might be elementary for many. I loved it!
Gary E. Smith
SOA Network Architect
SOA Networks
This book will definetly help me understand the evolution and of adoption of networks as they apply to Service-Oriented Architecture.
This book is a excellent read for me, although it might be elementary for many. I loved it!
Gary E. Smith
SOA Network Architect
SOA Networks
reviewed by redryder on November 27, 2006 11:02 PM