I was also glad to see the book acknowledge the huge issue associated with putting intellectual property in the hands of the masses. If your company spent money to create it, why and under what circumstances should some or all of it be freely shared? That's the question any company who wants to profit from the wisdom of the masses (or that sees its business model threatened by it) needs to answer.
I had a few quibbles with the book. Neither its "Global Plant Floor" nor "Wiki Workplace" sections offered especially new ideas or insights: globalization isn't new, collaborating and soliciting ideas in the workplace isn't either, even if new technologies offer some slightly new spins on these phenomena. I also found myself daydreaming while reading the book. Sometimes this was because an idea or example made me start thinking about how to use it in my own business. Other times, unfortunately, I slipped off when the writing got overly jargony, saying little with a lot of words.
That aside, Wikinomics is an important book for any company or business person trying to understand how to thrive in an age where traditional top-down, command-and-control structures are being aggressively challenged. Mass collaboration may be a flash in the pan, but as some have already found out (i.e., the record industry), ignoring it could leave you burned.
Article comments
1 - Natalie Bennett
This article has been selected for syndication to Advance.net, which is affiliated with newspapers around the United States. Nice work!
2 - Justin M. Kolenc (Ribbonfarm Editor)
Adam,
This book certainly sounds interesting. After reading your review I came across another one. This one was written by Venkatesh Rao, publisher of Ribbonfarm. The two of you have made a case for me to add this title to my read list!