Connected will forever change the way we look at one another -- and at ourselves - Happiness is contagious. - Your future spouse is likely to be your friend's friend. - Your friends' friends' friends can make you fat -- or thin. These are just a few of the startling findings of internationally renowned scientists Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. Fowler. In Connected , they present intriguing new evidence that our real-life social networks shape virtually every aspect of our lives. How we feel, whom we marry, whether we fall ill, how much money we make, and whether we vote -- everything hinges on what others around us are doing, thinking, and feeling. Connected shows that our world is governed by the Three Degrees Rule -- we influence and are influenced by people up to three degrees removed from us, most of whom we do not even know. For example, your friend's friend's friend has more impact on your happiness than $5,000 in your pocket. Our social networks underlie financial scams, eating disorders, substance abuse, and suicide clusters, but also voter turnout, innovation, altruism, and "random" acts of kindness. Provocative, insightful, and useful, Connected explains why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, and much more. Overturning the notion of the primacy of the individual, Connected provides a revolutionary new paradigm -- that, like schools of fish changing direction in unison, we are consciously and unconsciously led by the people around us.. The authors examine the importance of human connections and the influence of people's networks on how things happen in their lives. This interesting compilation of research covers topics such as how networks can help people solve problems and how many people need to be stopped and looking up on a sidewalk before an uninvolved passerby will do likewise. Nicholas Christakis brings a slightly academic tone to his narration, giving a bit of gravitas to what some may consider to be simple common sense: Happiness spreads through networks; happy people attract other happy people. While Christakis's delivery could benefit from more variation in tone, his steady pace makes this lengthy volume engaging. M.R. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine Used Book in Good Condition