Square and the Tower
Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook
by Niall Ferguson · first published 2017
82% recommend18% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Historical analysis of how networks and hierarchies have shaped power, from the Freemasons to Facebook. Its network-theory lens offers a way to understand modern politics, movements and the spread of information.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
A "recasting of the turning points in world history, including the one we're living through, as a struggle between old power hierarchies and new social networks"--Dust jacket.
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Recommend - Niall Ferguson's book The Square and the Tower about how the same networks exist in all communities - science, business, politics etc etc. As to the journos, human behavior doesn't change so easily by just showing people their issues. In fact if…
on “Journalists’ Twitter use shows them talking within smaller bubbles” ↗…connections strengthen, how two networks connect, how to grow them etc. Networks change the value of all people. Just as in the Brain. There is no one extraordinary neuron. Book recos - Niall Ferguson - The Square and the Tower - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07KKYostAJ0 Albert-László Barabási - The Formula Moises Naim - The end of power The Hierarchies of Skill and Domination will continue to face major pressure the likes…
on “Being OK with not being extraordinary” ↗Reading this through the lens of a current era where hierarchies are being subsumed by networks, and then reasserting themselves, this was written in a similar context, can't help but recommend "The Square and the Tower," a recent book that talks about the historical tension between networks and hierarchies. Obligatory Niall Ferguson link for modern take on history, and a pleasant sunday afternoon listen: https://youtu.be/f3rhUZPNqX0?t=576
on “What is Enlightenment? (1784)” ↗To anyone interested in a compelling analysis of fake news since the invention of the printing press, Niall Ferguson’s most recent book The Square and the Tower is an excellent read.
on “Terry Pratchett warns Bill Gates about fake news (1995)” ↗…and beats another) and the pressure on the consolidated network will keep growing from the disappointed parties. This is still early days in the history of a social network. Niall Ferguson's book The Square and the Tower is full of examples from history of how networks of people grown, merge and break apart. Highly recommended for anyone interested in this stuff.
on “Leaked Zuckerberg audio: 'You go to the mat and you fight'” ↗…occurs as Interconnections Increase. The more connected the world gets the more power bumps into each other. For anyone interested in addition to End of Power, another good book is Niall Ferguson's The Square and the Tower. It tells the story through different moments in history of what happens to Power(Hierarchies) when they get connected to the Network.
on “Credit Suisse scandal shakes Zurich’s elite” ↗…connectors that can be identified and disconnected to weaken the entire hierarchy. Lot of movements succeed because the hubs and connectors shift loyalty. Niall Ferguson has written a good book [The Square and the Tower] analyzing Historical Events from a network theoretic perspective rather than the usual historical perspective of studying just the top most person(node) in the hierarchy. It has a ton of examples of…
on “Corporate Spies Are Watching Organized Labor” ↗…Modern World was Created Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty General: Predictably Irrational, Revised and Expanded Edition: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions The Square and the Tower: Networks and Power, from the Freemasons to Facebook
on “Ask HN: Which book helped you understand the world?” ↗Niall Ferguson's Square and the Tower - power is all about your network. Wealth can most definately buy you a network quick, but those networks are more fragile than established entrenched ones.
on “Outspoken billionaire Sun Dawu jailed for 18 years in China” ↗…Salvadori - Maps of Meaning: The Architecture of Belief - Jordan Peterson - The Power Broker - Robert Caro - Political Order and Political Decay - Francis Fukuyama - The Creators - Daniel Boorstin - The Square and the Tower - Niall Ferguson
on “Ask HN: Book Recommendations?” ↗…stress well one time. There are very few who can handle it as it piles up. They can't do it without others around them absorbing some of it. 'It takes a village' and all that. Niall Fergusan's book the square and the tower talks about the networks of people behind famous personalities and stressfull events. It's very interesting to understand how those networks emerge. The village props up the endurance athletes. Because…
on “Burnout and the Brain (2016)” ↗Niall Ferguson has written an entire book on how Network Science/Graph theory concepts can be applied to historical events - The Square and the Tower. So it's not all bad. More like people are just waking up to possibilities.
on “History as a giant data set: how analysing the past could help save the future” ↗…that draws everyones focus. So how does society cope with that level of uncontrollabilty? You have to look at what sociologists like Ulrich Beck or Zygmunt Bauman have to say or even Niall Fergusons Square and the Tower.
on “Do we have it wrong on Nixon?” ↗…new thing because historically where was the data? As we have got more interconnected, in more and more fields people are increasing how much they focus on Networks. Niall Ferguson's recent book The Square and The Tower, is all about when networks succeed and when they fail using a whole bunch of key events from History. Thomas Malone's recent Superminds the same thing applied to businesses. We are just getting started…
on “Network Determines Success More Than People Realize” ↗World War 3 starts. Personal data stored in banks/ISPs/FB/Google etc are taken at gun point and used for population scale psychological warfare. Kissinger(World Order)/Niall Ferguson(Square and the Tower)/Graham Allison(Thucydides Trap)/Moises Naim(End of Power) say networks of power are more and more unstable similar to 1914. To maintain stability they(irrespective of ideology) keep pandering to their…
on “Ask HN: A New Decade. Any Predictions?” ↗