Connected, By Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler

Throw your arms around the world – then wash your hands

Much of this book seems self-evident: human beings are social animals and need to connect.

The more friends we have, the happier we are (although we also compete with friends); we influence each other with our moods and attitudes; we can change the world if we connect politically.

But social networks can also be held responsible for clusters of hysterical behaviour, or the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. And when newspapers try to make connections with readers in "comment & opinion" sections, they are often repositories for abuse or even harassment. I found nothing in this book, alas, that dealt with these aspects.