Cognitive surplus : how technology makes consumers into collaborators
(Book)

Title of the hardback edition was Cognitive surplus : creativity and generosity in a connected age.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [217]-229) and index.

This volume argues that new technology (the Internet in particular) is making it possible for people to collaborate in ways that have the potential to change society. The book opens in bleak, dangerous, overcrowded 1720s London, then moves to the present digital age, showing how advancements in technology and connectivity have spurred a torrent of collaborative creativity -- from carpools and campus wide study groups to Wikipedia and Linux -- whose potential we've yet fully to exploit. The author maintains that this is an interesting moment in human history. We have arranged our modern lives to maximize free time. Now, thanks to the virtual infrastructure of the Internet, we are able to collaborate and interact as never before. The question is what these collaborations will create.