CHAPTER 8•BUILDING USEFUL NETWORKS 183
Some Networks Are Like Foreign
Countries
It should be pretty clear by now that social capital is a type of currency
that can be earned and spent within a specified universe. Just as you
can develop your human capital through education and professional
experience, you can also consciously create and trade social capital.
Consider the entrepreneur who sees tremendous growth opportunities
for her company in global markets. She has spent the past two years
developing network contacts she thought would be useful. She’s been
active in her local school’s parent–teacher association (PTA), joined a
Toastmasters group, and regularly attended a speaker program for local
business owners at the community college. Through these ...