The myth of the self-sufficient person still stands tall in the American imagination. He or she never asks for help but finds a way out of difficulties without bothering anybody else. But in the digital world where nearly half of all Americans are using Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin, more and more people are turning to crowdsourcing to find information about relationships, careers, finance, and consumer goods.
Lior Zoref is a crowd wisdom researcher (now there's a new career path for ambitious souls), an international speaker, and consultant. He worked for 14 years at Microsoft, most recently as vice president of marketing or consumer and online services.
Zoref defines crowdsourcing as "the process of outsourcing a task to a large group of people rather than a professional or a single organization." Mindsharing is one form of it that emphasizes cooperation with others and collaboration. It makes the most of social technologies, asks questions, taps into creativity, and reaches a decision based on the collective wisdom of the crowd.
The book covers Mindsharing for your career and your success; the art of Mindsharing; Mindsharing your personal life; and Mindsharing your dreams into reality. Zoref gives personal examples of how this process has worked for him and others. He concludes:
"Vulnerability may be our greatest strength in the age of Mindsharing. When we acknowledge our true interdependence, and the profound connection we have with one another, and embrace the technology that allows this connection to flourish — we can do absolutely anything."
