Connecting to Change the World
I’ve worked with Madeleine Taylor and Pete Plastrik on a number of network analysis projects over the past four years. They were writing  Net Gains, a handbook for network builders, at the same time that I was writing Net Work, but we didn’t meet until a few years after that. They have both continued to contribute to understanding how the intentional creation, weaving, and nurture of networks supports social change. Their clients and colleagues touch many of the influential foundations in this country.
Not long ago, Madeleine and her colleagues at Network Impact, published a Network Evaluation Guide. This (free) handbook is a great resource for people who are looking at network building as part of a social change strategy and want to be able to put measurement frameworks in place so that they will understand the impact of the network building on their work. This has terrific stuff in it, and I apologize for not writing about it sooner.
And this week (DrumRoll, please) Peter and Madeleine and their colleague John Cleveland have just published a shiny new book, Connecting to Change the World: Harnessing the Power of Networks for Social Impact. (More information is available on the Island Press website, where there is a 50% discount until September 30, so better get it this weekend.
