Gary Wolf @ Wired, January 2004: The Howard Dean Reading List How a bunch of books about social networking rebooted the Democratic system.

Gary Wolf (Wired, January 2004)

The Howard Dean Reading List
How a bunch of books about social networking rebooted the Democratic system.

1. Out Of Control by Kevin Kelly

KEY POINT: The most powerful information systems of the future will be grown, not made.
DEAN TAKEAWAY: Turn every supporter into a potential organizer. "Grow" the grass roots.

2. The Cluetrain Manifesto by Chris Locke, Rick Levine, Doc Searls, and David Weinberger

KEY POINT: The Net undermines respect for authority.
DEAN TAKEAWAY: Participate: Blog daily, link to indie blogs, and allow open comments; reflect the tone of the community.

3. Emergence by Steven Johnson

KEY POINT: Our media and political movements will be shaped by bottom-up forces, not top-down ones.
DEAN TAKEAWAY: Let the ants do the work, not the queen; allow local groups to function independently.

4. Small Pieces Loosely Joined by David Weinberger

KEY POINT: The loose structure of the Web encourages social experimentation and is a balm for alienation.
DEAN TAKEAWAY: Encourage face-to-face contact.

5. Smart Mobs by Howard Rheingold

KEY POINT: Mobile mobs linked by electronic devices could change history by intervening in politics spontaneously.
DEAN TAKEAWAY: Hold events, such as Dean Visibility Days, where the mass of supporters suddenly come together.

6. Linked by Albert-Laszlo Barabàsi

KEY POINT: Essential aspects of networks - e.g., the advantage gained by pioneers - are the product of general laws.
DEAN TAKEAWAY: Be first to adopt and invent community tools. The risk is worth the chance of grabbing an early lead.

Read more @ Wired (How the Internet Invented Howard Dean)