Wikinomics

How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything

By: Don Tapscott, Anthony D. Williams

Narrated by: Alan Sklar

In just the last few years, traditional collaboration in a meeting room, on a conference call, and even in a convention center has been superseded by collaborations on an astronomical scale.

Today, encyclopedias, jetliners, operating systems, mutual funds, and many other items are being created by teams numbering in the thousands or even millions. While some leaders fear the burgeoning growth of these massive online communities, Wikinomics proves this fear is folly. Smart firms can harness collective capability and genius to spur innovation, growth, and success.

A brilliant guide to one of the most profound changes of our time, Wikinomics challenges our most deeply rooted assumptions about business and will prove indispensable to anyone who wants to understand competitiveness in the 21st century.

Based on a $9-million research project led by best-selling author Don Tapscott, Wikinomics shows how masses of people can participate in the economy like never before. They are creating TV news stories, sequencing genomes, remixing their favorite music, designing software, finding cures for disease, editing school texts, inventing new cosmetics, and even building motorcycles. You'll read about:

Rob McEwen, the Goldcorp, Inc., CEO who used open-source tactics and an online competition to save his company and breathe new life into an old-fashioned industry.

Flickr, Second Life, YouTube, and other thriving online communities that transcend social networking to pioneer a new form of collaborative production.

Mature companies, like Procter & Gamble, that cultivate nimble, trust-based relationships with external collaborators to form vibrant business ecosystems.

An important look into the future, Wikinomics will be your road map for doing business in the 21st century.

©2006 Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams (P)2007 Tantor Media Inc.

Critic reviews

"A clear and exciting preview of how peer innovation will change everything." (Booklist)
"This clear and meticulously researched primer gives business leaders big leg up on mass collaboration possibilities." (Publishers Weekly)

The key message is in the sub-title

Agreed, some of this content and the examples used are somewhat dated but it still makes very interesting and thought provoking reading.

Mass Collaboration IS changing everything, and understanding this fact has influenced me and my work. If you listen to this, don't dwell on the specific examples but take in the underlying message.

Great, but largely outdated

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Excellent, must-read. However, as of 2015, much of this is old news. It was probably an eye opening read ten years ago, but not anymore.

Was probably very informative in 2006...

I listened to this book in 2008 and it sounded dated to me. The general tone is a bit prophetic and pompous (as most books in this category), but unless you spent the last 5 years in a cave, you already know what's in there. Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff' Groundswell is a better alternative to this book: more encompassing and, at the same time, more informative and concise.

Complements CrowdSourcing and Wisdom of Crowds

I'm fascinated and mildly fearful where our world is going now that we are all connected via the Internet and now that the Internet has moved beyond it's main function of porn. Other than connecting to stage uprisings against North African and Middle Eastern governments as well as Colombia's FARC, what are people doing with the new-found interconnectivity between us?
This book complements James Surowieki's The Wisdom of Crowds, Jeff Howe's Wisdom of Crowds and Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody. Despite that all three books deal with similar developments, they approach the topic from very different and specific sides -- Clay Shirky's is more focused on the Sociological aspects, this book, the Wikinomics, obviously focuses more on the economic aspects, Crowdsourcing is more about how the impact effects us individually and the Wisdom of Crowds talks about the statistical realities of those collective actions. Together, they robust, but still incomplete view of what is happening on our planet in the early 21st century. It is incomplete primarily because the story is still developing, but all these authors have shown remarkable insight and the collection of texts would make a great collection for a college sociology course.
This is a solid audiobook. It is well read and well produced.

Web 2.0 basics

The book explains the basics behind wiki-based sites and other collaborative Web technologies. For those familiar with how these work already, this book will seem pretty basic.

Recommended

Has aged gracefully. Full of great examples. But a bit repetitive and lacking in examples/insights into when peering doesn't work.

Great to listen to

Though a bit long, I did not get bored of it. Found it interesting to listen to and there is a lot to learn from it

Awesome!

Thought provoking.. One of the most eye opening technology books out there! Don’t let the name of put you off .. I thought I understood the internet , well I now have an understanding of true collaboration in the globe market .. If you have enjoyed books like : The world is flat or the Innovators Solution or What’s Next . This book will help pull it all together..
Awesome
Steve

Fascinating

This is one I will find myself re-experiencing sections. I find the points to be valid and well-made. As a web site builder and tech addict I find the points made to be extremely accurate.Kudos!

Truthful

I found this book truly inspiring, accurate and informative. The authors have successfully given a truly updated account of the profound revolution that the open source movement is leading on the world wide web. This book provides a multidimensional coherent narrative for sharing science, business amd education. It is also a great resource for those who would like to participate in this new collaborative culture. The social character of the internet and its universal access to human knowledge,wisdom and wealth is clearly stated. The message of this book is deeply encouraging and positive. Listen to it, study it and live it!...