Wired for Thought: How the Brain Is Shaping the Future of the Internet

Description

In this age of hypercompetition, the Internet constitutes a powerful tool for inventing radical new business models that will leave your rivals scrambling. But as brain scientist and entrepreneur Jeffrey Stibel explains in Wired for Thought, you have to understand its true nature. The Internet is more than just a series of interconnected computer networks: it's the first real replication of the human brain outside the human body. To leverage its power, you first need to understand how the Internet has evolved to take on similarities to the brain. This engaging and provocative book provides the answer. Stibel lays out: - How networks have changed and what that implies for how people connect and form communities - What the Internet-and online business opportunities-will look like in the future - What the next stage of artificial intelligence will be and what opportunities it will present for businesses Stibel shows how exceptional companies are using their understanding of the Internet's brainlike powers to create competitive advantage-such as building more effective Web sites, predicting consumer behavior, leveraging social media, and creating a collective consciousness.

Jeffrey Morgan Stibel is a brain scientist and serial entrepreneur who has helped build and grow companies such as NetZero, Juno, Classmates.com, United Online, Interland, Website Pros, Autobytel, The Search Agency, Edgecast, and BrainGate. He is currently President of Web.com, which helps entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses on the Web, and serves on academic boards for Tufts University and Brown University.

"Stibel bridges the gap between business and the brain in his thinking, his numerous Internet innovations, and his writings. Wired for Thought helps us understand the Internet at a new, and more intelligent, level. This vision will influence our futures." --Dan Ariely, Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Economics, MIT Sloan School of Management, and author of Predictably Irrational "Jeff Stibel's approach to entrepreneurship in Wired for Thought is an inspiring example of how the best entrepreneurs learn from the world around them and apply what they know to their business. It provides a great example of a multidisciplinary approach to business, as well as practical lessons for any aspiring entrepreneur. This book should be part of any business or entrepreneurship education." --Alexa Klebanow, President, Brown University Entrepreneurship Program "Jeff Stibel has always been two steps ahead of the world of Internet and business, and in Wired for Thought he shares his unique vision in a practical way. Any Internet business will benefit from the connections he makes between what we know about the brain today and what we need to understand about the Internet for tomorrow." --Rolla Huff, Chairman and CEO, Earthlink "Jeff Stibel is one of the most successful entrepreneurs I know, with an uncanny ability to teach others how to grow their businesses. Wired for Thought reveals his secret to success: an entirely new perspective on the Internet, the brain, and business." --John Assaraf, entrepreneur; featured expert in The Secret, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal; and bestselling author of Having it All and The Answer "Wired for Thought is a tremendously provoking, enjoyable, and useful book. The central comparison of the brain and the Internet yielded obviously applicable ways to think about my own businesses and their future--specifically, how to choose, optimize, and manage our business structures. I recommend that you read this book to explore your own possibilities in our increasingly complex global economy." Jerry Ostrov, Chairman and CEO, Bausch & Lomb