This book is about our connections to other people and the influence
these networks exert over our lives. On the plus side, networks provide
us with access to a multitude of resources: from aid and assistance to
knowledge and norms. But at the same time, the relationships that link
people (or not) are also responsible for a range of social ills. For
example, who you are connected to will determine your likely success at
school, whether you will go to university, your future career, the
neighbourhood in which you will live, who you will marry and whether or
not you will die young.
Given their influence, the aim of the book is to show how we can take
charge of our networks, in order to improve our chances of doing well in
life, whatever our background. In particular, the book provides
cutting-edge insights that readers can deploy to help make things better
for themselves, their families and their wider communities. But this
book also comes with a twist... better than just reading about networks
is giving readers the opportunity to see for themselves how networks
operate. The best way to do this is through active exploration.
Interleaved throughout this book, therefore, is the option for readers
to embark on a research-informed journey, where readers get to decide
which paths to take, which decisions to make and how best to tackle the
obstacles that lay in their path. All good preparation for how to think
about networks back in the real world...
