Crowdsourcing: Why the Power of the Crowd Is Driving the Future of Business CD

First identified by journalist Jeff Howe in a June 2006 'Wired' article, 'crowdsourcing' describes the process by which the power of the many can be leveraged to accomplish feats that were once the province of the specialized few. Howe reveals that the crowd is more than wise...it's talented, creative, and stunningly productive. Crowdsourcing activates the transformative power of today's technology, liberating the latent potential within us all. It's a perfect meritocracy, where age, gender, race, education, and job history no longer matter; the quality of work is all that counts. But crowdsourcing has also triggered a dramatic shift in the way work is organized, talent is employed, research is conducted, and products are made and marketed. As the crowed comes to supplant traditional forms of labor, pain and disruption are inevitable. Jeff Howe delves into both the positive and negative consequences of this intriguing phenomenon. Through extensive reporting from the front lines of this revolution, he employs a brilliant array of stories to look at the economic, cultural, business, and political implications of crowdsourcing. And while the very concept of crowdsourcing stands at odds with centuries of practice, for the digital natives soon to enter the workforce, the technologies and principles behind crowdsourcing are perfectly intuitive.Read More