Guess what: The masses aren't so stupid after all (...although that should be no surprise to free-market advocates). This book explains why . . .
I read the book below almost a year ago, months before the Bush/Kerry battle heated up. Although presidential elections were definitely not the author's theme, the book serves as an explanation why Bush was the better choice in November '04.
It's a refreshing refutation of intellectual elitism, the thought process that says, "If only those ignorant millions of voters were more intelligent, we'd choose better presidents." Key ingredients for achieving the best decision: A large group; a large diversity of experiences, thought processes, and opinions in the group; and simultaneous, independent decision-making by the people in the group (eg, secret balloting on a given day).
Excerpt:
Under the right circumstances, groups are remarkably intelligent, and are often smarter than the smartest people in them.
