April 2019
Intermediate to advanced
288 pages
6h 48m
English
What all information cascades have in common, however, is that once one commences, it becomes largely self-perpetuating; that is, it picks up new adherents largely on the strength of having attracted previous ones. Hence, an initial shock can propagate throughout a very large system, even when the shock itself is small.1
—DUNCAN WATTS
My best friend growing up was a boy named Robbie, and he had a special gift. He was the kind of guy everyone loved to be around. Although he was not a great student, teachers had a soft spot for him. He was a good athlete, but not a star. Coaches loved him anyway. He was not what you’d call suave or debonair. Nevertheless, girls liked him. Robbie had something ...