ABSTRACT
Assessing the Argument In The Wisdom of Crowds, James Surowiecki assesses the current state and potential impact of crowd knowledge. While these concepts are not new, Surowiecki’s work is unique for several reasons. First, his use of case study examples helps the reader associate the concept with real-world applications. Two, his development of criteria for use and application is critical to the soundness of the concept overall, and three, his fluid, witty writing style makes the concept accessible and interesting to readers. Surowiecki’s established readership in popular magazines helped the book gain popularity. As stated by Bookforum on the book’s cover jacket, The Wisdom of Crowds is “Clever and surprising... The originality and sheer number of demonstrations of the impressive power of collective thinking provided here are fascinating, and oddly comforting.”1
