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The End of Big: How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath
How seemingly innocuous technologies are unsettling the balance of power by putting it in the hands of the masses—and what a world without "big" will mean for all of us
In The End of Big, Internet pioneer and Harvard Kennedy School lecturer Nicco Mele draws on nearly twenty years of experience to explore the consequences of revolutionary technology.
Our ability to connect instantly, constantly, and globally is altering the exercise of power with dramatic speed. Governments, corporations, centers of knowledge, and expertise are eroding before the power of the individual. It can be good in some cases, but as Mele reveals, the promise of the Internet comes with a troubling downside. He asks:
How does radical thinking underpin the design of everyday technology—and undermine power?
How do we trust information when journalists are replaced by bloggers, phone videos, and tweets?
Two-party government: will its collapse bring us qualified leaders, or demagogues and special-interest-backed politicians?
Web-based micro-businesses can out-compete major corporations, but who enforces basic regulations—product safety, privacy protection, fraud, and tax collection?
Currency, health and safety systems, rule of law: when these erode, are we better off?
Unless we exercise deliberate moral choice over the design and use of technologies, Mele says, we doom ourselves to a future that tramples human values, renders social structures chaotic, and destroys rather than enhances freedom. Both hopeful and alarming, thought-provoking and passionately-argued, The End of Big is an important book about our present—and our future.
In The End of Big, Internet pioneer and Harvard Kennedy School lecturer Nicco Mele draws on nearly twenty years of experience to explore the consequences of revolutionary technology.
Our ability to connect instantly, constantly, and globally is altering the exercise of power with dramatic speed. Governments, corporations, centers of knowledge, and expertise are eroding before the power of the individual. It can be good in some cases, but as Mele reveals, the promise of the Internet comes with a troubling downside. He asks:
How does radical thinking underpin the design of everyday technology—and undermine power?
How do we trust information when journalists are replaced by bloggers, phone videos, and tweets?
Two-party government: will its collapse bring us qualified leaders, or demagogues and special-interest-backed politicians?
Web-based micro-businesses can out-compete major corporations, but who enforces basic regulations—product safety, privacy protection, fraud, and tax collection?
Currency, health and safety systems, rule of law: when these erode, are we better off?
Unless we exercise deliberate moral choice over the design and use of technologies, Mele says, we doom ourselves to a future that tramples human values, renders social structures chaotic, and destroys rather than enhances freedom. Both hopeful and alarming, thought-provoking and passionately-argued, The End of Big is an important book about our present—and our future.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 23, 2013
About the author
Nicco Mele
5 books29 followersNICCO MELE – entrepreneur, angel investor, and consultant to Fortune 1000 companies – is one of America’s leading forecasters of business, politics, and culture in our fast-moving digital age.
Born to Foreign Service parents, Nicco spent his early years in Asia and Africa before graduating from the College of William and Mary in Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in government. He then worked for several high-profile advocacy organizations where he pioneered the use of social media as a galvanizing force for fundraising. As webmaster for Governor Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential bid, Nicco and the campaign team popularized the use of technology and social media that revolutionized political fundraising and reshaped American politics. Subsequently, he co-founded EchoDitto, a leading internet strategy and consulting firm, whose non-profit and corporate clients have included Barack Obama’s successful Senate campaign, the Clinton Global Initiative, Sierra Club, UN World Food Programme, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, AARP, and Medco. Nicco is also on the faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School where he teaches graduate-level classes on the internet and politics.
Nicco’s first book, The End of Big: How The Internet Makes David The New Goliath, was published by St. Martin’s Press in April 2013. In it, he explores the consequences of living in a socially-connected society, drawing upon his years of experience as an innovator in politics and technology.
Since his early days as one of Esquire Magazine’s “Best and Brightest” in America, Nicco has been a sought-after innovator, media commentator, and speaker. He serves on a number of private and non-profit boards, including the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and Breakthrough.tv. Nicco is also co-founder of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival.
For more, including the latest resources to help you start managing the “end of big” in your work and community, visit NiccoMele.com.
Born to Foreign Service parents, Nicco spent his early years in Asia and Africa before graduating from the College of William and Mary in Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in government. He then worked for several high-profile advocacy organizations where he pioneered the use of social media as a galvanizing force for fundraising. As webmaster for Governor Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential bid, Nicco and the campaign team popularized the use of technology and social media that revolutionized political fundraising and reshaped American politics. Subsequently, he co-founded EchoDitto, a leading internet strategy and consulting firm, whose non-profit and corporate clients have included Barack Obama’s successful Senate campaign, the Clinton Global Initiative, Sierra Club, UN World Food Programme, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, AARP, and Medco. Nicco is also on the faculty at the Harvard Kennedy School where he teaches graduate-level classes on the internet and politics.
Nicco’s first book, The End of Big: How The Internet Makes David The New Goliath, was published by St. Martin’s Press in April 2013. In it, he explores the consequences of living in a socially-connected society, drawing upon his years of experience as an innovator in politics and technology.
Since his early days as one of Esquire Magazine’s “Best and Brightest” in America, Nicco has been a sought-after innovator, media commentator, and speaker. He serves on a number of private and non-profit boards, including the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard and Breakthrough.tv. Nicco is also co-founder of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival.
For more, including the latest resources to help you start managing the “end of big” in your work and community, visit NiccoMele.com.
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February 28, 2013First of all, the author is my firstborn, so I do have a bias. That out of the way, I read this book not once but several times, as he wrote it and most recently a review copy which I just completed. Each rereading impressed me with Nicco's (sorry but he is family!) vision and analysis. I don't agree with everything he asserts in this book, but he works with, teaches and has thought deeply about the impact on society of all of the technologies he examines and I do not. I think this is an important book.
January 14, 2013
Nicco effectively synthesizes the changes going on in every aspect of society into a strong narrative of our times. Digital technologies, enabling "radical connectivity," are destabilizing, disrupting, or simply changing every aspect of the modern world, that is for sure.
Ultimately I really enjoyed End of Big because it challenged some of what I've been thinking, brought new ideas to my attention, and had a great tone of exploration and passion for the subject. I sometimes wished for a more academic exploration (grad school rears its ugly head), but that would have been a different book for a different audience.
I think I'm more of an optimistic view toward these changes than Nicco is, primarily because of how flawed the Big organizations have become. When an organization grows truly Big at the expense of public good, and simultaneously ignores social changes around it, I have little sympathy. His prescriptions for change in the last chapter do offer some hope and optimism. Still, he makes excellent points regarding how radical connectivity could additionally disrupt some of the things we (I, at least) most value, such as investigative journalism and corporate regulation.
This would really be a great book club book, as surely will start some interesting and instructive conversations about what our society should be. More than that, it will hopefully start actions to make it so.
Disclosure: I do work for Nicco's company, EchoDitto (which is why I have reviewed it before its release). My thought above are honest ones, and I look forward to discussing points where I may disagree with him.
Ultimately I really enjoyed End of Big because it challenged some of what I've been thinking, brought new ideas to my attention, and had a great tone of exploration and passion for the subject. I sometimes wished for a more academic exploration (grad school rears its ugly head), but that would have been a different book for a different audience.
I think I'm more of an optimistic view toward these changes than Nicco is, primarily because of how flawed the Big organizations have become. When an organization grows truly Big at the expense of public good, and simultaneously ignores social changes around it, I have little sympathy. His prescriptions for change in the last chapter do offer some hope and optimism. Still, he makes excellent points regarding how radical connectivity could additionally disrupt some of the things we (I, at least) most value, such as investigative journalism and corporate regulation.
This would really be a great book club book, as surely will start some interesting and instructive conversations about what our society should be. More than that, it will hopefully start actions to make it so.
Disclosure: I do work for Nicco's company, EchoDitto (which is why I have reviewed it before its release). My thought above are honest ones, and I look forward to discussing points where I may disagree with him.
January 24, 2014
I enjoyed most of this book. In a world where large corporations seem to rule, it was refreshing to read about the little guy who is thriving. A lot of the book was about the political system and the military, otherwise I probably would have given this one five stars! Howard Dean's rise was rehashed and I didn't find it all that interesting.
That being said, this is an overall good read! While I don't agree with everything the author espouses, it was still interesting. Easy to read, it flowed nicely. Things like crowdfunding and places like etsy.com are making it easier for people without a lot of their own resources to put their ideas to work! Recommended!
That being said, this is an overall good read! While I don't agree with everything the author espouses, it was still interesting. Easy to read, it flowed nicely. Things like crowdfunding and places like etsy.com are making it easier for people without a lot of their own resources to put their ideas to work! Recommended!
April 8, 2013
He tells a story which makes sense of what's happening!
May 24, 2013
In a successful attempt to distinguish himself from the marketplace, Mele has adopted a Cassandra-like viewpoint, seeing the online environment through cautionary rather than rose-tinted glasses. That could have been refreshing, but his book is one of those tremendously disappointing works in which the author ties a few anecdotal observations into vastly inflated, overgeneralized claims he cannot support. Whether this is due to intellectual laziness (Mele cops to painting with a broad brush toward the end of the first chapter, deflecting responsibility for researching fields with which he lacks familiarity in favor of brevity and sweep, all the while trusting to readers to dig more deeply if they are so inclined), delusions of prophetic grandeur, or some conflation of these and other authorial sins is hard to say. At pp. 31-32, Mele writes, "In the true spirit of the Internet, this book tends to go wide rather than deep.... I have not been able to dive exhaustively into the many subject areas I cover.... those of you with domain expertise will undoubtedly take issue with certain of my points."
So his next chapters take on the respective democratization of journalism (thanks in no small part to Twitter and Wikipedia), politics (specifically fundraising and organizing through micropayment sites like PayPal and mobile technologies like FourSquare and Meetup), and entertainment media (thanks to YouTube and peer file sharing sites that facilitate piracy). Beyond name-checking various internet sites, he has nothing really new to add to the conversation.
I have already written extensively elsewhere on the increasingly important function that branded sources (whether traditional news media, academic institutions, public libraries, or museums) have to play as filters of trustworthy information and promoters of online integrity. I view the online ecosystem much like any other, subject to the incentives and disincentives that govern its operation and structure. New modalities may require new business models (for example, I'm intrigued by the ideas for micropayment that Ted Nelson and others formulated in 1965) and/or new rules of the road to promote transparency and accountability. Personally, I would favor a compulsory licensing scheme along the lines sketched out by the present Copyright Royalty Tribunal to paid through a centralized, publicly administered royalty pool (to replace the way this is currently more haphazardly and narrowly enforced by consent decree-abiding private actors ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC or trade organization entity SoundExchange) or else effected through libraries by private entities like Freegal. Irrespective of whether these or other (or no) big business model changes emerge, the likelihood of oligopolistic power and influence in Big Media vanishing seems remote. If anything, the Apple eBook price-fixing trial would suggest that the control of information distribution and production financing continues to be consolidated among very few oligopolistic players.
Mele implies that the "end of big" equates to anarchy, but fails to make a compelling case for this. Nor does it seem likely that a few elite power brokers have or will effectively monopolize their spheres of influence without cadging together a sufficient quantity of minions and support operatives to avoid being considered "big" in their own right. While the names and boundaries of the people and structures pulling the puppet strings may change, the size and range of the forces commanded will continue to vary as before. While it is ever true that one suicidal maniac with a big bomb can wreak much havoc, this does not negate the ability of amassed forces to impose their collective will on others. Let's not forget that YouTube is owned by Google, Goodreads by Amazon, and all of us... by Facebook.
So his next chapters take on the respective democratization of journalism (thanks in no small part to Twitter and Wikipedia), politics (specifically fundraising and organizing through micropayment sites like PayPal and mobile technologies like FourSquare and Meetup), and entertainment media (thanks to YouTube and peer file sharing sites that facilitate piracy). Beyond name-checking various internet sites, he has nothing really new to add to the conversation.
I have already written extensively elsewhere on the increasingly important function that branded sources (whether traditional news media, academic institutions, public libraries, or museums) have to play as filters of trustworthy information and promoters of online integrity. I view the online ecosystem much like any other, subject to the incentives and disincentives that govern its operation and structure. New modalities may require new business models (for example, I'm intrigued by the ideas for micropayment that Ted Nelson and others formulated in 1965) and/or new rules of the road to promote transparency and accountability. Personally, I would favor a compulsory licensing scheme along the lines sketched out by the present Copyright Royalty Tribunal to paid through a centralized, publicly administered royalty pool (to replace the way this is currently more haphazardly and narrowly enforced by consent decree-abiding private actors ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC or trade organization entity SoundExchange) or else effected through libraries by private entities like Freegal. Irrespective of whether these or other (or no) big business model changes emerge, the likelihood of oligopolistic power and influence in Big Media vanishing seems remote. If anything, the Apple eBook price-fixing trial would suggest that the control of information distribution and production financing continues to be consolidated among very few oligopolistic players.
Mele implies that the "end of big" equates to anarchy, but fails to make a compelling case for this. Nor does it seem likely that a few elite power brokers have or will effectively monopolize their spheres of influence without cadging together a sufficient quantity of minions and support operatives to avoid being considered "big" in their own right. While the names and boundaries of the people and structures pulling the puppet strings may change, the size and range of the forces commanded will continue to vary as before. While it is ever true that one suicidal maniac with a big bomb can wreak much havoc, this does not negate the ability of amassed forces to impose their collective will on others. Let's not forget that YouTube is owned by Google, Goodreads by Amazon, and all of us... by Facebook.
January 13, 2014
The End of Big by Nicco MeleIf Thomas Friedman's thesis in his 2005 The World Is Flat is that globalization has led to a flatter playing field, then The End of Big: How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath tells author Nicco Mele's vision that the ultimate tool of that equalization is the internet.
In truth, it's not a hard argument to make.
An young tech geek when the Howard Dean for President campaign hired him to help with their online fundraising, Mele learned first hand how the internet could allow the little guy to compete with establishment forces, or what he calls the "big" of politics. Using broad strokes, as he calls it in the first chapter, Mele describes a world where, increasingly, the little guy can, by virtue of the internet, take on what is big, whether it be in politics, business, the news media, entertainment, education, government.
Its a fascinating picture. Whether he is citing use of online social media networks in the Arab spring or the rise (and fall) of illicit arms and drugs trade through the Silk Road, touting local communities outsourcing of government functions to minimize costs or sharing anecdotes about online retailers cutting out the middle man and creating their own business, or explaining the rise of bloggers and new media to compete with and disrupt traditional print and broadcast news companies, Mele provides a broad and interesting view of the the world that the internet has made possible.
As interesting as that picture is, however, it does lead to one shortcoming of the book, which, to be clear, Mele owns and anticipates early on. Because he paints in broad strokes, covering so many large areas in general and with anecdotes rather than hard data, the book is perhaps more appropriate to the internet novice than the seasoned or even semi-experienced who have used the internet for more than a simple Google search or Facebook update. It's a great entry overview, but lacks any specifics or guidance for how to reach the kind of success he trumpets.
If you're new to the internet or perhaps looking to understand an area outside of your current usage, The End of Big is perhaps an interesting, and quick, overview that is worth a read. As a user's guide, however, it is perhaps more useful as tales of successes than a course in attaining the skills to join the brave new world.
In truth, it's not a hard argument to make.
An young tech geek when the Howard Dean for President campaign hired him to help with their online fundraising, Mele learned first hand how the internet could allow the little guy to compete with establishment forces, or what he calls the "big" of politics. Using broad strokes, as he calls it in the first chapter, Mele describes a world where, increasingly, the little guy can, by virtue of the internet, take on what is big, whether it be in politics, business, the news media, entertainment, education, government.
Its a fascinating picture. Whether he is citing use of online social media networks in the Arab spring or the rise (and fall) of illicit arms and drugs trade through the Silk Road, touting local communities outsourcing of government functions to minimize costs or sharing anecdotes about online retailers cutting out the middle man and creating their own business, or explaining the rise of bloggers and new media to compete with and disrupt traditional print and broadcast news companies, Mele provides a broad and interesting view of the the world that the internet has made possible.
As interesting as that picture is, however, it does lead to one shortcoming of the book, which, to be clear, Mele owns and anticipates early on. Because he paints in broad strokes, covering so many large areas in general and with anecdotes rather than hard data, the book is perhaps more appropriate to the internet novice than the seasoned or even semi-experienced who have used the internet for more than a simple Google search or Facebook update. It's a great entry overview, but lacks any specifics or guidance for how to reach the kind of success he trumpets.
If you're new to the internet or perhaps looking to understand an area outside of your current usage, The End of Big is perhaps an interesting, and quick, overview that is worth a read. As a user's guide, however, it is perhaps more useful as tales of successes than a course in attaining the skills to join the brave new world.
October 23, 2014
Well, I wasn't expecting that... This year I've read an array of mediocre books in internet studies, often demonizing 'the young people' and 'social media.' Then I opened Nicco Mele's The end of big. As with many books in this genre, 'the internet' is a threat to - well - civilization. However there is a deep and searching ambivalence that renders this book important.
At times, it is a book of mourning: what we have lost through the decline of 'big' institutions. His work on the loss of the media establishment and the knowledge establishment (particularly universities) is very moving.
The book is a reminder of expertise, of the value of knowledge. A doctor can be of more assistance than the 'you have a brain tumour!!!!' e-health websites. University academics do know more than a celebrity on Instagram. I strongly recommend this book. It is not a book to agree with - but to think about and through.
At times, it is a book of mourning: what we have lost through the decline of 'big' institutions. His work on the loss of the media establishment and the knowledge establishment (particularly universities) is very moving.
The book is a reminder of expertise, of the value of knowledge. A doctor can be of more assistance than the 'you have a brain tumour!!!!' e-health websites. University academics do know more than a celebrity on Instagram. I strongly recommend this book. It is not a book to agree with - but to think about and through.
August 22, 2013
Many great examples of how the connectivity of the Internet empowers individuals and small groups to compete effectively with established institutions. Covers a broad range of fields, from publishing to government to business to entertainment. I particularly liked the balanced approach of pointing out the positive things that institutions provide, which may be lost if they are put out of business by small guys -- like the news coverage that's being lost as newspapers with large investigative reporting staffs go away in favor of online news and blogs that can't afford to do as much digging.
September 6, 2015
Interesting, technological and philosophical. The future is segmented and small: from one centralized place of services products to smaller more diverse places: wall mart vs. etsy/quirky, one big bank vs. smaller credit unions/bitcoin/paypal... The challenge will be the organization and quality standard of many smaller parts/unions.
November 10, 2013
Good collection of recent web 2.0 innovation stories for different domain. I knew much of the stories - so was a skimmer. Been thinking through API economy and platform business - and I found the book helpful in that regard.
December 23, 2013
Got bored after two chapters. It may be interesting to a person who is not in technology or following what's happening. Otherwise the book is simply recording a few relevant events in the history and offering very few insights.
July 25, 2024
3.5
I took this as a conversation between the author and me the reader. He knows what he is talking about though in some instances especially on Big Government, I do not necessarily agree with his point of view that social media and the democratization of information will lead to anarchy and if it does it's an avenue towards liberation which we all want for the oppressed. It was poignant reading this in the backdrop of the massive demonstrations happening in Kenya by the Gen Zs who are largely leaderless just like Mele observes; future revolutions will be leaderless. It's shocking to think that this book came out over a decade ago but its tenets are still relevant today and will continue to be for a few more decades. It was quite informative to read about how Obama came to power without the usual backing of the establishment, unlike a former aspirant decades before who didn't make it to the primaries for the very reasons President Obama did. This just shows how much we are a product of our times however much we may not see this. This is a lovely book that is well put together!
I took this as a conversation between the author and me the reader. He knows what he is talking about though in some instances especially on Big Government, I do not necessarily agree with his point of view that social media and the democratization of information will lead to anarchy and if it does it's an avenue towards liberation which we all want for the oppressed. It was poignant reading this in the backdrop of the massive demonstrations happening in Kenya by the Gen Zs who are largely leaderless just like Mele observes; future revolutions will be leaderless. It's shocking to think that this book came out over a decade ago but its tenets are still relevant today and will continue to be for a few more decades. It was quite informative to read about how Obama came to power without the usual backing of the establishment, unlike a former aspirant decades before who didn't make it to the primaries for the very reasons President Obama did. This just shows how much we are a product of our times however much we may not see this. This is a lovely book that is well put together!
February 14, 2017
The author is the nerd who turned Howard Dean's 2004 run for office into a viable campaign by soliciting small donors, a tactic expanded brilliantly by Obama. The subtitle could be "Revenge of the Nerds". He neatly summarizes how large and wealthy institutions are crumbling as individuals take over their functions: Print media supplanted by social media and blogs; Publishing houses,Hollywood and the music industry challenged by individuals self publishing, using You Tube and independent labels; Political parties challenged by the rise of local grass roots take-over of elections; Conventional military weaponry unable to deal effectively with small terrorist cells; Big Government paralyzed by the size of data it can't put to immediate use. The good side is that individuals are taking over many of these functions and creating small businesses in the process. The dark side of what he calls "radical connectivity" opens the door to sophisticated and often untraceable criminal activity like illegal sale of drugs and weapons, and human trafficking. But he is optimistic that claiming more power in local hands can restore a balance and avert chaos.
March 30, 2018
As much as it’s enthralling to see and experience the digital evolution in this lifetime, technology revolution is terrifying. This is a good read to understand how radical connectivity drives us around, making as technically slaves in this digital era. An eye opener for how crazy, compelling and strategic some successful billion-dollar apps manipulated the big industries, government and even our lifestyles. An opportunity versus conspiracy, and the question to privacy and humanity at some point. Well, I am always a firm believer of tech revolution. From living in hashtags to clicks, I am beyond ecstatic that all these are happening in my lifetime. Good read for marketers. This is the new Goliath of marketing industry and all we can do is to learn and live by it.
December 4, 2017
Sounded like it world follow the reality is broken book i just finished well. It does. Can tell it is written before Trump was elected it talks about the end of big parties and the rise of the fringe and splitting the parties. Which is all well a
nd good but seems very America centric. Would like to see an updated one with net neutrality. Liked the idea of local car manufacturing and power/ gardens. Little scary as the press is the watchdog of Gov’t and we all get stuck in our filter bubbles. Both this and the gamer book talked about the use of crowdsourcing for the british MP scandal but where are other and ongoing uses of crowdsourced journalism?
nd good but seems very America centric. Would like to see an updated one with net neutrality. Liked the idea of local car manufacturing and power/ gardens. Little scary as the press is the watchdog of Gov’t and we all get stuck in our filter bubbles. Both this and the gamer book talked about the use of crowdsourcing for the british MP scandal but where are other and ongoing uses of crowdsourced journalism?
July 1, 2018
It starts out good with an interesting perspective on the history of computers as we know them. It also more or less predicts the current political climate. But there is little else all that interesting or insightful going on here. Perhaps it would have seen more so in 2013. The end of big has certainly not happened. It’s more that old big becomes new big. There is a lot of alarmist talk here perhaps as a reaction to the overly positive talk of Mele’s peers. Ultimately cries of the small not being regulated enough fall flat without much evidence to support the notion. It is, as the author admits, a brief look into many areas. One that doesn’t go deep enough for me.
July 31, 2017
A fascinating and enjoyable insight into near term implications of the internet and various technological changes taking place right now.
Didn't really learn that much but this is dated back to 2013, which is a long time in 'technology years'.
Didn't really learn that much but this is dated back to 2013, which is a long time in 'technology years'.
December 30, 2022
You just need to read the first chapter, he has just one idea, its a very good idea but he keeps repeating or stressing on it the whole book.
This whole book couldve been one article
This whole book couldve been one article
December 3, 2014
I'm divided on this one; I agreed with many of Mele's observations and his overall narrative, but some of his evidence and anecdotes made me cringe. Athens as a paradigm shift; Howard Dean, the amateur politician and, perhaps most egregious, everyone will have the ability to access energy generated by your friendly neighborhood wind and solar panels and we'll all be using electric cars within two decades. This, in addition to everyone using a 3D printer so they can print out their shoes and clothing using a pattern they bought via Etsy.
It is possible that in the author's neighborhood these changes will come to pass that quickly, but it is highly unlikely that these changes will take place in the neighborhood of nearby Boston where I live. It would be one thing if he had qualified that his vision was for a selective few, but he does not. Why is this a point of criticism? Because a few chapters before that he noted that the disconnect between the needs of those who have smartphones and those who don't is probably why most of the municipal programs and contests to generate applications for urban governance don't result in too many "killer apps". At that point, Mele seems to understand that not everyone has a smartphone (or a computer); why he thinks that will significantly change in the next two decades to the point that we can all have a 3D printer is not made clear in the book.
My other criticism? His statement at the outset that "mental sparring" over his errors shouldn't prevent us from seeing the larger picture came off as smarmy and self-serving. I'm all for broad books in certain instances, but if you're not going to go deep, make sure that what you do say is completely accurate.
That's what I didn't like, but those criticisms were outweighed by what I did. For all of the complaints citizens around the world made about the big institutions that dominated our lives- from government and corporations to the media and entertainment- most of us didn't understand the technologies (and laws) well enough to understand what our alternatives would be in the new, hyper-connected landscape. While the opportunity to reimagine the world as we'd like it to function is overall a good thing, perhaps we shouldn't celebrate the beginning of our government systems breaking down in the interim. And though we may cheer when Anonymous stands up after Joe and Jane Public are ill-treated one too many times, is justice via vigilantism really a positive development?
Mele sees much of the problem with modern technological solutions deriving from an undercurrent of misanthropy among techs that was birthed by the way the "establishment" treated them in the early days, and in a way it's logical that technically facilitated "hyperconnectivity" is going to be shallow at best and commoditized at worst. Fittingly, Mele sees the best solution as genuine connections- the kind that happens face to face.
A mixed review- if I could give this 3.5 stars I would. Overall recommended.
It is possible that in the author's neighborhood these changes will come to pass that quickly, but it is highly unlikely that these changes will take place in the neighborhood of nearby Boston where I live. It would be one thing if he had qualified that his vision was for a selective few, but he does not. Why is this a point of criticism? Because a few chapters before that he noted that the disconnect between the needs of those who have smartphones and those who don't is probably why most of the municipal programs and contests to generate applications for urban governance don't result in too many "killer apps". At that point, Mele seems to understand that not everyone has a smartphone (or a computer); why he thinks that will significantly change in the next two decades to the point that we can all have a 3D printer is not made clear in the book.
My other criticism? His statement at the outset that "mental sparring" over his errors shouldn't prevent us from seeing the larger picture came off as smarmy and self-serving. I'm all for broad books in certain instances, but if you're not going to go deep, make sure that what you do say is completely accurate.
That's what I didn't like, but those criticisms were outweighed by what I did. For all of the complaints citizens around the world made about the big institutions that dominated our lives- from government and corporations to the media and entertainment- most of us didn't understand the technologies (and laws) well enough to understand what our alternatives would be in the new, hyper-connected landscape. While the opportunity to reimagine the world as we'd like it to function is overall a good thing, perhaps we shouldn't celebrate the beginning of our government systems breaking down in the interim. And though we may cheer when Anonymous stands up after Joe and Jane Public are ill-treated one too many times, is justice via vigilantism really a positive development?
Mele sees much of the problem with modern technological solutions deriving from an undercurrent of misanthropy among techs that was birthed by the way the "establishment" treated them in the early days, and in a way it's logical that technically facilitated "hyperconnectivity" is going to be shallow at best and commoditized at worst. Fittingly, Mele sees the best solution as genuine connections- the kind that happens face to face.
A mixed review- if I could give this 3.5 stars I would. Overall recommended.
October 3, 2013
This is an important book. We're going through the fastest period of change in human history and one that's accelerating - everything we're used to is going to alter in some way, and if you want to survive with your job, finances, health and sanity intact, you have to be prepared for what's coming. The End of Big is your road map.
Nicco Mele, who sits on the faculty of Harvard's Kennedy School, examines the changes that are rushing through different sectors: business, the news media, the entertainment industry, politics and government, universities and education, the army and warfare, while touching on other sectors too. As he says: "We're at the beginning of an epochal change in human history. Scan the headlines every morning - through your Facebook and Twitter feeds - and you can feel history shifting under your feet. Every day I find more and more evidence that we are in the twilight of our own age, and that we can't quite grasp it, even if we sense something is terribly amiss."
As the title suggests, the author's evidence shows that 'big' cannot survive - whether that's big political parties or big companies. We're not only moving from serving the general to serving the specific, but economies of scale have less impact with the technology that's emerging. For book lovers, Mele shows, for instance, why the big publishing companies have little hope of continuing in their current form. Don't get the impression that this is all negative. The author indicates that there are a great many opportunities coming up fast. If you're a creator, or have particular skills, you'll thrive. Small businesses and independent retailers are well-placed for success. (The subtitle is: How The Internet Makes David The New Goliath.)
Don't be deterred by what may seem heavy reading matter; it's really not, and Nicco Mele writes with a very engaging, popular style. Because of the scope, this is necessarily a broad-brush approach so you aren't going to get bogged down in the detail of a sector that doesn't interest you. I have minor doubts about a couple of the author's conclusions, but that's exactly how it should be. The book tells you exactly what *is* happening, right now, and what's coming up in the near-future, and then lets you answer your own questions about whether those changes are good or bad.
The pace of change is so great that The End of Big is going to be out of date very quickly. All the more reason to buy it now, so you're fully prepared for those changes and can plan your own future effectively in these turbulent times. Highly recommended.
Nicco Mele, who sits on the faculty of Harvard's Kennedy School, examines the changes that are rushing through different sectors: business, the news media, the entertainment industry, politics and government, universities and education, the army and warfare, while touching on other sectors too. As he says: "We're at the beginning of an epochal change in human history. Scan the headlines every morning - through your Facebook and Twitter feeds - and you can feel history shifting under your feet. Every day I find more and more evidence that we are in the twilight of our own age, and that we can't quite grasp it, even if we sense something is terribly amiss."
As the title suggests, the author's evidence shows that 'big' cannot survive - whether that's big political parties or big companies. We're not only moving from serving the general to serving the specific, but economies of scale have less impact with the technology that's emerging. For book lovers, Mele shows, for instance, why the big publishing companies have little hope of continuing in their current form. Don't get the impression that this is all negative. The author indicates that there are a great many opportunities coming up fast. If you're a creator, or have particular skills, you'll thrive. Small businesses and independent retailers are well-placed for success. (The subtitle is: How The Internet Makes David The New Goliath.)
Don't be deterred by what may seem heavy reading matter; it's really not, and Nicco Mele writes with a very engaging, popular style. Because of the scope, this is necessarily a broad-brush approach so you aren't going to get bogged down in the detail of a sector that doesn't interest you. I have minor doubts about a couple of the author's conclusions, but that's exactly how it should be. The book tells you exactly what *is* happening, right now, and what's coming up in the near-future, and then lets you answer your own questions about whether those changes are good or bad.
The pace of change is so great that The End of Big is going to be out of date very quickly. All the more reason to buy it now, so you're fully prepared for those changes and can plan your own future effectively in these turbulent times. Highly recommended.
January 21, 2014
The End of Big is not a book I would have ever picked up on my own. It came highly recommended but I knew from the outset that it wouldn’t move me. Mele laments the End of Big by referring to an American project that I was never fully invested in. Every time he writes about the value of Big politics, government, media, minds, companies, etc. I just rolled my eyes and thought “those big institutions never valued black people.” The big accountability he wants to reestablish has actively enslaved, unemployed, and imprisoned my people since they stole Africans and shipped them across the Atlantic. It’s always a wonder to me how people historicize technology while abstracting all the real ills of history. Everyone writes about the dark side of technology in the sense of less accountability and less personal connection, but it’s an excess of privilege that the conversations start and end there. If the Big fill in the blank compromised (at best) and devalued (at worst) your very existence, why would you lament their downfall? I am not intimately enamored by the Big America he describes here so I’m unmoved by the fact that they party system and journalism and Hollywood are having a hard time keeping up with the times. Sure, someone somewhere should be steering the ship, but if the original system was incredibly flawed and a new emergent system is also incredibly flawed I’m not going to lose sleep over it. The only chapter that moved me was the Big Armies chapter where it was made very plain that the US is utterly unprepared for cyberwarfare. UTTERLY. That was scary, but otherwise the whole system can crumble for all I care and we’ll see what emerges from the ashes.
October 11, 2017
I don't think the content supports the title. There are some glaring holes in the theory that are hard to ignore.
First off, this is about the end of big companies and big government. That was, from my perspective, what he was driving at. Some prime evidence for small companies competing with the big ones and winning are Firefox, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Amazon. Which, last I checked, were all massive.
Right at the end, the author does make a point which I feel should have been the only one worth talking about. That of empowerment. The old big was about centralization of decisions by a few. The end of big, according to him, is about the people being more empowered. I interpret this as the "new big." Because, as discussed, companies like Google and Amazon are very, very big, so one cannot say big is over.
All this empowerment and decentralization of choices is brought to you by the connective power of the interwebs. It's just a new technology causing a shift in companies. Not an end, per se. Just a shift.
New title recommendation; The Shift of Empowerment Due to a New Technology Allowing Companies to Startup Small in the New Industry and Become the New Big, Industry Leaders.
It has a nice ring to it. Oh, and remove everything except the last chapter. Then release for free on the internet as a short series of 140-character tweets.
First off, this is about the end of big companies and big government. That was, from my perspective, what he was driving at. Some prime evidence for small companies competing with the big ones and winning are Firefox, Google, YouTube, Twitter, and Amazon. Which, last I checked, were all massive.
Right at the end, the author does make a point which I feel should have been the only one worth talking about. That of empowerment. The old big was about centralization of decisions by a few. The end of big, according to him, is about the people being more empowered. I interpret this as the "new big." Because, as discussed, companies like Google and Amazon are very, very big, so one cannot say big is over.
All this empowerment and decentralization of choices is brought to you by the connective power of the interwebs. It's just a new technology causing a shift in companies. Not an end, per se. Just a shift.
New title recommendation; The Shift of Empowerment Due to a New Technology Allowing Companies to Startup Small in the New Industry and Become the New Big, Industry Leaders.
It has a nice ring to it. Oh, and remove everything except the last chapter. Then release for free on the internet as a short series of 140-character tweets.
October 20, 2013
When I first picked up this book I thought it would be about how big = bad and small (or new) = better. The obvious things come to mind such as anyone with a smart phone and a Twitter account being able to provide real-time coverage of unfolding events, thus ending our reliance upon the big news outlets and the bias that often comes with their political affiliations.
I was pleasantly surprised in how the depth of this book far exceeded my expectations and presented a thorough view of both the positive and the negative aspects of the end of big. All of the changes that are happening in the context of the end of big are not always good, in fact in many cases they are deeply concerning.
The author recognizes that the end of big being depicted is a done deal and proposes many ways to deal with the negative consequences which he predicts will occur.
This is a very insightful book which presents a lot of thoughtful views on the direction we are moving in.
I was pleasantly surprised in how the depth of this book far exceeded my expectations and presented a thorough view of both the positive and the negative aspects of the end of big. All of the changes that are happening in the context of the end of big are not always good, in fact in many cases they are deeply concerning.
The author recognizes that the end of big being depicted is a done deal and proposes many ways to deal with the negative consequences which he predicts will occur.
This is a very insightful book which presents a lot of thoughtful views on the direction we are moving in.
March 16, 2014
In "The End of Big" Mele, a former political operative for Howard Dean details how interconnectivity and its distributional effects are shattering traditional paradigms in political parties, journalism, business, government, and militaries. This ultimately allows smaller entities, be they people or organizations to form their own parties, develop their own "news", create their own startups, participate more fully in the democratic process, and combat armies much larger than themselves. In many ways these changes have been beneficial for humanity. However, Mele contends that each of these changes is wrought with its own unique challenges that, if not mitigated appropriately, can increase division, undermine journalistic integrity, destroy serious art, and convolute government processes.
October 15, 2015
The End of Big is eye opening. The author argues that radical connectivity is changing everything from political parties, to government, to transnational corporations. The author offers a series of ideas at the end so that humanity can transition to the post-big era. He argues that local community will once more be critical for this. Of most importance however is how the author brings up and center the need to build institutions that can sustain the values of the 20th century. Yet, these same institutions are being disrupted. I agree in that we are going through a transition; an epoch change. But, we as humans have been through this before. The author uses the analogy to the monarchies at the beginning of the 20th century. It is our time. Are we up to the challenge?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2015
An excellent synthesis of major economic, social, and technological forces
Mele ties many ostensibly disparate trends into a cohesive whole. To be clear, this is anything but a tactical book. As he mentions early on, each chapter could serve as serval deep books. No, I don't always agree with his viewpoint, specifically, on the ephemeral nature of platforms and the culpability of software consultants on failed IT projects. A few minor quibbles aside, the power of the Internet and disruptive technologies will doubtless engender a new type of world. The End of Big makes you think about what kind of world we want it to be. Highly recommended.
Mele ties many ostensibly disparate trends into a cohesive whole. To be clear, this is anything but a tactical book. As he mentions early on, each chapter could serve as serval deep books. No, I don't always agree with his viewpoint, specifically, on the ephemeral nature of platforms and the culpability of software consultants on failed IT projects. A few minor quibbles aside, the power of the Internet and disruptive technologies will doubtless engender a new type of world. The End of Big makes you think about what kind of world we want it to be. Highly recommended.
July 20, 2013
the book just felt contrived -- taking some ideas that do have a good bit of truth to them (that the Internet is changing the ability of traditional big institutions (political parties, school systems, etc.) to control our lives -- but then taking a very one-sided uncritical view of the world to make it seem like that is all that is going on when in reality those big institutions retain quite a lot of power indeed. It seemed like he was trying to write another "Future Shock" or such but didn't really do it in a balanced way that reflects reality.
August 10, 2013
Very good 4.4. Reducing big--companies, political parties, newspapers, government, entertainment, etc.
Thought provoking, More accessibility, transparency, accountability and responsiveness expected.
Thought provoking, More accessibility, transparency, accountability and responsiveness expected.
January 6, 2014
I wanted to be enthralled by this book, to be drawn into contemplation of the future. I wasn't. Instead, I found myself skimming its pages feeling rather bored. It didn't come alive for me and I am generally a huge fan of alternative views.
September 11, 2016
A thought-provoking book. Way to go, Nicco!
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