Watts looks at networks and their history in ‘Six Degrees.’ He writes that “the networks we will actually be dealing with can be represented in almost comical simplicity by dots on a piece of paper, with lines connecting them.” He concedes that some of the complexities regarding certain connections will be lost but “we can tap into a wealth of knowledge and techniques . . . that we might never have been able to answer had we gotten bogged down in all the messy details.”

Watts also takes a look at the ‘six degrees of separation’ theory. This theory proposes that everyone is six steps away from any other person in the world. ‘It’s a small’ world is one of those sayings I first heard used by my parents, now I am guilty of using it. It is true though. Every time a family member or friend goes away, they bump into so and so who went to school with . . . so and so whose best friends with my old neighbour . . . so and so who knows my orthodontist’s brother in law etc. You get my point don’t you? It seems that wherever you are in the world, there is someone who knows someone you know. I can’t help but wonder, with the onslaught of communication technology, are people even three steps away from each other? It is infinitely easy to connect with people, even those you haven’t seen in fifty years or who live on the opposite side of the world. In this new age of technology, our network of relationships is larger than ever before.

This was a long, but straightforward read. Watts poses many questions and provides limited answers, he forces you to think. For more: http://vogmae.dropmark.com/133224/2272418