Connected The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives

Your colleague's husband's sister can make you fat, even if you don't know her. A happy neighbor has more impact on your happiness than a happy spouse. These startling revelations of how much we truly influence one another are revealed in the studies of Drs. Christakis and Fowler, which have repeatedly made front-page news nationwide. In CONNECTED, the authors explain why emotions are contagious, how health behaviors spread, why the rich get richer, even how we find and choose our partners. Intriguing and entertaining, CONNECTED overturns the notion of the individual and provides a revolutionary paradigm-that social networks influence our ideas, emotions, health, relationships, behavior, politics, and much more. It will change the way we think about every aspect of our lives.

Nicholas A. Christakis, MD, PhD, is a Professor at HarvardUniversity with joint appointments in the Departments of Health Care Policy, Sociology, and Medicine. He has published over 100 scientific articles and chapters, edited medical textbooks, and has been widely-áfeatured in the media,-áincluding-áNPR, the-áNew York Times,-áWall Street Journal, Time, and much more.

James H. Fowler, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of California, San Diego. He appears frequently in the media, including the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, U.S. News and World Report, the Economist, NPR, and the BBC.