The Power of Environment: Network Science for Business and Friendship

How to think about your environment? How to design it? How to conduct an audit and see where it is dense and where it is sparse? How to overcome stereotypes that hinder us from building relationships with people? How not to become a digital loner? How to relate to turning connections into money? What role do mentors and coaches play in our lives? Is there a formula for friendship? What is the main law of networking?

The author of this book offers answers to these and other questions, based on network science—a scientific discipline that studies networks as a phenomenon.

You will learn how to build personal social capital, structure a map of social connections, and understand how to use strong, weak, and "sleeping" ties. You will learn about the power of multiplex relationships, reflect on the balance between selfishness and altruism, and understand how to utilize community resources. You will decide if you need a personal board of directors, whether to be a social broker, and how your circles of closeness are arranged. Most importantly, you will be able to design a personal network strategy for your life.

The book will be useful for the broadest audience. It will be particularly interesting for those who are thinking about their own goals for the next five to ten years and about who should walk alongside them to achieve these goals.