Helpful Score: 1
Democracy *does* work, and Surowiecki explains how. He also explains how the process goes wrong. Many heads really can think better than one -- but only if each of us is thinking for ourselves!
This book is centered around an interesting concept: when the circumstances are favorable, a group of people can be smarter and more successful than any of its members. It's a good read for exploring the concept, but I did find myself having to use some critical thinking regarding some of the sections, which are built on anecdotal evidence or are not well-tied to the argument. Overall, it was worth my time and changed my perceptions on the way that groups can be used effectively, and provided an interesting look into some phenomena. The argument wasn't airtight, but he does make some compelling points. I wish it was about thirty pages shorter, though. The last half dragged.
