The 11 most useful books on Social Networking / Media I have read

I was inspired by Deirdre Molloy's reading list for Social Media to list the books I've read to date that I have found most useful. As is the fashion, one has to have a number - well, I counted the ones that were very useful and that I'd recommend to get up and running fast - and there were 11

Firstly, Background Reading to get the evolution and big picture to where we are today:

1. The Victorian Internet - Tom Standage
A good analysis of the rise and eclipse of the telegraph, and the "online" social communities it formed. Many parallels with the Web, the 'Net and Social Media

2. Non Zero - Robert Wright
Examines how and why human society is learnin g to co-operate in larger and larger numbers, from small related groups of early cavemen to supra-nation emergence today. Its essentially a treatise in the evolution of behavioural psychology of co-operation.

Secondly, the theory of Social Networks:

3. Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means - Albert Barabasi

An early - and still very good - primer for social network analysis - enough theory to get you going so you can tell why and how say Twitter, Facebook and Linked In are differently architected. There are later and more complex books, but this is a good starter.

4. Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age- Duncan Watts
The first - and still one of the best - works on how the "Social Media" age will evolve. Its useful today as you can compare what was thought in 2004 to 2009 and see where reality has devolved.

Thirdly, how Social Media works

5. Here Comes Everybody - Clay Shirky
Even Shirky would probably now admit the book is a tad optimistic, or at least does not examine the dark side enough, but it is still an excellent summary of the whole space

6. The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom - Yochai Benkler
Hard going and aged in parts , but like Shirky a good coverage of the overall macroeconomic landscape of social networking. Also like Shirky, probably too optimistic (or politically naive, looking at how China censors Social Networks) but a good summary nonetheless

Fourthly, the critics and sceptics - the promoters tend to be on the optimistic side, but to get a balanced (realistic) view its necessary to pick up the views of informed critics:

7. The Future of the Internet And How to Stop It - Jonathan Zittrain
This is more about the struggle for control of the Internet, but the discussion has huge implications for social media services that sit on it, and touches on emerging issues like privacy abuse that tend to be glossed over elsewhere.

8. The Cult of the Amateur - Andrew Keen
The most vehement (and long standing) critic, who took the opposite side to Shirky et al. Lambasted frequently by many for his continual pessimism, he forms the counterweight. By 2009 it was clear that Social Media was in a middle ground between his views and Shirky et al.

Fourthly, the state of the art today. Sadly, (in my opinion) too much of the stuff that has come out in the last 2 years has been rushed out to satisfy a market demand (there are a plethora of new books essentially promising that you can make your fortune in Social Media - avoid!) rather than go into much depth to explain what's actually going on. Ones that I have been most impressed with are:

9. Groundswell: Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies - Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff
I don't agree with everything they say (We've had more than a few shots at their thinking on Broadstuff) but being "proper" analysts their writing gives you a rational and structured view of their hypothesized ecosystem, so you can see how they come to their conclusions - and they are comprehensive and up to date.

10. The Blogosphere
The latest stuff is not in books yet, I have been watching a number of disciplines as they are being applied to online social networks - emerging topics such as Digital Anthroplogy, Social Graph Theory and Behavioural Economics, and research reports from a range of sources such as McKinsey, the Pew Institute, the EFF, and eMarketing for example. Techmeme is a useful source if you ignore the obvious product pimps from the digital megacorps, and The Economist is often an early-up with a business angle. Its also useful to look at whats being talked about at SXSW last year and next - not so much by the well known names in the main panels, but the emergent topics in the group sessions.

And lastly, the emergent future - there are futurists, there are science fiction writers, and there is Cory Doctorow who is both a commentator on the Social Media scene and a Sci Fi Author, so the primer is:

11. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
An analysis of Social Capital (which he calls Whuffie) which is partly story, partly science fiction prediction, and partly satire. He has a large body (of work ) and its a useful starting point.

Now you will all feel that I have left some books out, and how dare I include say Andrew Keen but - in my view anyway - these are the ones that are original contributions, and still largely on target and allow one to get an overall picture to separate sincerity from snake oil (becasuse there is a lot of that around - in fact familiarity with the Gartner Hype Curve is essential in this space). Anyway, feel free to criticise, commend or create your own list.