Rocktails Blog > "We-Think" - Charles Leadbetter book on "mass creativity" gets public preview

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> "We-Think" - Charles Leadbetter book on "mass creativity" gets public preview

Richard Jones, iMagineer-in-Chief // 26 January 2007

It goes with the territory if you are about to launch a book extolling the attractions of open source communities and 'mass creativity', but still good news to see that Charles Leadbetter has released a full draft of his book "We-Think : The Power of Mass Creativity" onto his website.

we think Give it a whirl using these links:

> Chapters 1–5
> Chapters 6–11
> Full Draft

I'm still absorbing it and, sure, a lot of the examples seem pretty trite (Wikipedia, YouTube, eBay) but in a way that is almost the point. This is a concept now being guzzled by "the masses" rather than amongst a fanatical geeky community - and that means there is something more profound going on than techies comparing the size and shape of their gadgets.

Whether the way the web is currently organised makes the most of the potential for "mass creativity" I am not so sure. It sure makes it easy to generate a lot of noise. The greater challenge will be to introduce genuine, global co-ordination on a scale beyond comfy projects like Wikipedia and eBay - and even beyond those highly successful social justice campaigns that have rocked Bush/Blair politics, and exposed developing world catastrophes. These new mechanisms must inevitably face the difficulties of inequality, tough choices and 'thinking the unthinkable'. In short, the challenges of government. The web has a lot to be said for it ahead of traditional party politics, but let's not pretend it is going to be straightforward for the world wide web to wipe out self-interest and short termism in tackling the really knotty issues of our time. Mass creativity - if achievable - would be a big help though!

Whooaaah. Getting a bit serious there. Let's not forget the web is also there for fun, funky business frolics and making some cash. And you know what - saving the world, fuelling mass creativity, and tackling global ills whilst you go about it might just be close to web nirvana for socially responsible iMagineers everywhere.

R.J.

> We Think The Book official site

> Charles Leadbetter

> Times online coverage "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

> Guardian online coverage "Welcome to We Think"

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