Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age by Clay ShirkyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Cognitive Surplus is the book that has most deeply influenced my thinking this year.
The premise is simple enough--our society is increasingly spending more time creating and sharing than passively watching. This subtle shift may seem trivial, but Clay Shirky argues that the consequences of mass participation will be anything but. What we are all beginning to be involved (with such activities as posting a book review) is participation, collaboration, and creation on a global scale that has never been matched in history--and the rate of involvement is accelerating!
As an optimist and pragmatist, Shirky presents a vision the future where "consumers" will become "citizens" again and work collectively--if only for a few minutes a week--on both lolcats AND solving society's most intractable problems.
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