New Power: Why outsiders are winning, institutions are failing, and how the rest of us can keep up in the age of mass participation

by Henry Timms, Henry Timms

In this indispensable guide to navigating the twenty-first century, two visionary thinkers reveal the unexpected ways power is changing--and how "new power" is reshaping politics, business, and life.

Why do some leap ahead while others fall behind in our chaotic, connected age? In New Power, Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms confront the biggest stories of our time--the rise of mega-platforms like Facebook and Uber; the out-of-nowhere victories of Obama and Trump; the unexpected emergence of movements like #MeToo--and reveal what's really behind them: the rise of "new power."

For most of human history, the rules of power were clear: power was something to be seized and then jealously guarded. This "old power" was out of reach for the vast majority of people. But our ubiquitous connectivity makes possible a different kind of power. "New power" is made by many. It is open, participatory, and peer-driven. It works like a current, not a currency--and it is most forceful when it surges. The battle between old and new power is determining who governs us, how we work, and even how we think and feel.

New Power shines fresh light on the cultural phenomena of our day, from #BlackLivesMatter to the Ice Bucket Challenge to Airbnb, uncovering the new power forces that made them huge. Drawing on examples from business, activism, and pop culture, as well as the study of organizations like Lego, NASA, Reddit, and TED, Heimans and Timms explain how to build new power and channel it successfully. They also explore the dark side of these forces: the way ISIS has co-opted new power to monstrous ends, and the rise of the alt-right's "intensity machine."

In an era increasingly shaped by new power, this groundbreaking book offers us a new way to understand the world--and our role in it.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Politics, Leadership, Economics, Sociology, Cultural

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 3, 2018

Reviews

[Holger · Rating 1 out of 5]

10 movements people have started. Try not to gasp when you see number 5!

This is one of the "fit everything into my schema" type of books, akin to The X way of management and The X way of weight-loss. The simple theory: There's old power (evil puppet masters in faceless corporations hoarding favors) and new power (selfless bloggers starting movements).

From then on, it's anecdotes and David vs Goliath. Some stories are interesting, but that's not what one reads a book for, plus the collection is one-dimensional and simplistic. Like Buzzfeed (praised by the authors), the writing is good, but the content disappoints. Staples like the 2x2 matrix (old/new values/power, voilá: The Power Navigator) and the acronym framework (The ACE framework) can't substitute for original ideas.

Don't fall for the cover - observation is not explanation. There's nothing new to be learned. Nothing one couldn't learn on buzzfeed anyway.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it and took away some ideas to employ in my own work. But I sure felt like New Power could have used an Old Editor.

[Jeremy Hillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the must read books of the year. For anyone who wants to understand the implications of the increasingly fast moving, information overloaded and always connected world where we are now living New Power is an essential source. The framework it lays out starts to make sense of the seemingly random ways in which social media is re-shaping politics, communications, campaigning and our understanding of community. It is full of great stories and interesting nuggets but doesn’t fall into the trap of straying from a core narrative that weaves together a convincing and entertaining story. Definitely worth a 5 star rating for me.

[Jake · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of those books that would be a great magazine article but just got old and boring by being a book. One of the first examples in the book, Harvey Weinstein (old power) vs. the #metoo movement (new power) sums up the thesis of this book pretty well. There is an old power which is exemplified by the rich CEO or president or whatever which isn't in line with the new power of the internet era based on likes and follows and trending, etc. The basic idea of the book was interesting, but started to bore me as the authors focused on story after story of internet start-up that either thrived or failed in the era of internet popularity. There were instances where I thought the book was about to get really good, like when they discussed the new power similarities of the Obama and Trump campaigns (one was destined to fail based on the idea that it was founded on the hopes of millions of people and the other seems to be succeeding to a limited degree based on the idea that "I alone can fix it"{my interpretations of a very nonpolitical book}) So. yeah, interesting premise without much meat on its bones and way too many stories of businesses succeeding in this weird new world. People looking to make a buck from a book might like it more than I did.

[Rick Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful. The other author attempts to categorize and understand how power dynamics have shifted in the networked world. And not only does he fail at this, his misinterpretation is probably harmful to anyone who would try to accomplish things in that world.

From #MeToo to WebMd The author misconstrues variety of events in order to push forward an Ill fitting narrative about changing power dynamics in the 21st-century.

I actually think it’s harmful to be as blatantly wrong as the authors. He basically writes a “tech fuck yeah” book where everything digital and “decentralized” is good. He then cherry picks from honestly a terrible selection of examples. Anecdotal examples of people googling their condition and being “smarter than their doctor“ with mysterious diseases is not only intellectually unsound, it’s actually dangerous.

The discussion of #MeToo misses the fact that there were several strong women at the center of it that were able to catalyze the movement. It wasn’t a decentralization thing, it was a call for solidarity.

His contention is that enough groundswell can change the world, and while popular support is a component of change, it’s not anywhere near the whole enchilada. You need popular support combined with political movement that end up resulting in structural reforms. Popular groundswell with no guiding principles or framework results in an angry mob.

Saying that technology is “giving power back to the people“ is not a fucking novel concept. Since the Roman Republic we’ve had some level of popular rule. Since the author is American, I can also guess the he failed civics class. The whole voting thing is kinda the point.

[Ted Gurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could have given this book five stars for the author's understanding of New Power as a sociological trend, a business and cultural tool and as field guide on how to harness "New Power.". It is a business book with lessons on brands like Pepsi, Uber and many others who try to use new power. The book, also tries to explain campaigns, elections, and social movements demonstrating how new power can supersede old power.

Within the business space, the book cites many examples that don't seem to produce long-term results for "shareholders" but, produce short-term image impact or even image tarnishing. Pepsi is "called out" for its failed Kendal Jenner ad in 2017 while Oreo is highlighted for its 2017 Super Bowl "blackout" response.

Within the political space, the authors takes a stance that does not simply report on the new power tactics and the results but, applauds the New Power tactic or applauds the tactic and gives us their perspective on the results. The rally cry of the Black Lives Matters messaging is heralded as a case study in new power leadership but, at no point are the goals and results are discussed. Trump is highlighted as someone who gets "new power" but, is criticized for the way he is using it to rally certain groups or the results.

There are some well thought out matrix tools for analyzing new vs old power, a great glossary of "new power" terms and the book is well documented. Without the political slant, the book would have been a five star read. The political undertone was distracting but not enough to tarnish the overall theme and the new ideas.

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast read that covers old and new power dynamics, new ways of doing business, and new ways of creating successful movements and companies. READ! <3

[Christoph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me want to start a movement after the first couple of pages. All the little stories help to understand the idea of new power. I like most, that the message of the authors is not "technology will save us all" but "put the people back into the center of your action". For me a must read to understand society in the 21st century.

[Toàn Khôi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trong thời đại mà mạng xã hội bùng nổ và các phương tiện thông tin truyền thông liên tục được cải tiến, hiếm khi chúng ta nhận ra được mối quan hệ giữa người với người đang dần trở nên vô cùng phức tạp nhưng bị phủ lấp bởi những nền tảng công nghệ ngày càng dễ tiếp cận hơn.

Hệ thống kết nối hàng ngang thông qua Internet tạo ra sức mạnh cho người dùng và cũng đưa đến những sự hỗn loạn mà chúng ta chưa bao giờ thấy. Điều này thể hiện trong câu chuyện về sự trỗi dậy của những gã khổng lồ như Facebook, Uber; câu chuyện về chiến thắng của Donald Trump trong cuộc bầu cử tổng thống nước Mỹ; hay sự lan tỏa trên toàn thế giới của phong trào chống quấy rối và bạo hành tình dục #MeToo.

Trong cuốn sách “Quyền lực mới”, Jeremy Heimans và Henry Timms - những người từng xây dựng các phong trào xã hội có sức ảnh hưởng khắp thế giới - đã nhận dạng Internet như một loại quyền lực có khả năng phân phối các nguồn lực xã hội và tác động mạnh mẽ đến từng cá nhân.

Khác với “quyền lực cũ” được chuyển giao theo hệ thống thứ bậc và hạn chế chia sẻ, “quyền lực mới” được tạo ra bởi sự tham gia của nhiều người, mở rộng và lan truyền qua kết nối ngang hàng với sự hỗ trợ của nền tảng công nghệ. “Quyền lực mới” chi phối cách chúng ta làm việc, suy nghĩ và cảm nhận.

Vén bức màn về những gì đằng sau các trào lưu và chiến dịch trở thành hiện tượng trên Internet, “Quyền lực mới” cho chúng ta một góc nhìn sâu sắc về thế giới hiện đại. Cuốn sách cũng giúp ta hiểu được cách mà quyền lực đến tay cộng đồng và vai trò của chúng ta trong việc giúp xã hội này ngàng càng tốt đẹp hơn.

Cuốn sách phù hợp với các nhà xã hội học, những người làm truyền thông, doanh nhân, nhà sáng lập … hay bất kỳ ai quan tâm đến việc tạo ra sức ảnh hưởng đến cộng đồng qua Internet.

Về tác giả:

Jeremy Heimans là người đồng sáng lập và giám đốc điều hành của Purpose, một công ty chuyên xây dựng các phong trào xã hội trên khắp thế giới. Vào năm 2005, anh còn đồng sáng lập ra GetUp!, một tổ chức chính trị của người Úc với số thành viên đông hơn cả thành viên các đảng chính trị của Úc cộng lại. Anh còn là một trong những người sáng lập tổ chức chiến dịch toàn cầu Avaaz và nền tảng All Out về các quyền cơ bản của cộng đồng LGBT.

Henry Timms là giám đốc điều hành của 92nd Street Y, một trung tâm văn hóa và cộng đồng tổ chức các chương trình, phong trào khuyến khích học tập và các hoạt động công dân. Bên cạnh đó, anh còn đồng sáng lập của #GivingTuesday, một phong trào từ thiện toàn cầu thu hút người dân từ gần 100 quốc gia với nguồn quỹ hàng trăm triệu đô-la phục vụ cho mục đích bác ái. Ngoài ra, anh còn là giảng viên thỉnh giảng ở Trung tâm Từ thiện và Xã hội của trường Đại học Stanford.

Sách do Huỳnh Hữu Tài dịch, Nhà xuất bản Tổng hợp TP.HCM ấn hành, First News thực hiện.

https://firstnews.com.vn/vi/tac-pham/...

[Bartley Sharkey · Rating 3 out of 5]

After the first couple of chapters of this book, I was ready to give it one star and put it down. It seemed to be an excuse for both co-authors to market their own (in their own words) success stories and to make a juvenile argument about the rise of influence that comes from online networks versus more established models of influence and power. Thankfully I persisted and saw that it occurred to the authors that the situation might be more nuanced before the finished writing the book.

It's basically a long list of examples of how the Internet has helped certain brands, movements and causes get exposure through viral videos, social networking and the whims of the crowds. While it begins pitting New Power against Old Power, the book evolves into something that is more of a compromise, speaking of blending the two, perhaps without realising that making such a black and white distinction from the start was a false premise.

While this book might be deeply flawed, it does offer a good catalogue of some of the more popular online waves of group interest and offers a framework through which to understand and harness such events. That said, reading it won't give you the tools to go out and build a movement, certainly one that doesn't get hi-jacked and move off in an unanticipated direction. If anything, the authors classify a successful New Power play as one that does grow its own legs and move off in many, unforeseen directions. That may be powerful, but what good is power if it cannot be directed?

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very timely and informative look at “old power” and today’s “new power.” Old power is mainly the traditional corporate-type structure run by CEOs and typically out of reach to the masses. New power is comprised of anyone willing to make real connections within their sphere of influence and then channel it outward in very large ways through new paradigms. Old power is exclusive whereas new power is inclusive. I found the authors’ conclusions to be quite accurate in that to be successful one must find the balance between old and new power in ways that are conducive to the connected “many” having success rather than just the elitist, largely disconnected “few.”

[Ryan Puccinelli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decent book - way too many political jabs. I feel they could have gotten their point across without digging on our current president, like him or not. Like kneeling in the NFL, not a platform that should be used to push your political agenda.

[Mathias · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important guide on the power dynamics of a connected world. Can't recommend it enough.

[Gizem Kendik Önduygu · Rating 5 out of 5]

En sevdiğim iletişim ajanslarından Purpose'un kurucusu Jeremy Heimans yazdığı için <3 (#GivingTuesday'in fikir insanı Henry Timms de işin içinde tabii) 

Müsade varsa şuraya bir özet bırakıyorum:
Kampanya yürütücüleri, topluluk etkileşimcileri, içerik üreticileri, savunucular toplanın. Eğer mesajınızı yaymak istiyorsanız geçti artık öyle "made to stick" dönemi. Artık sırf insanların aklında kalsın diye mesaj-içerik üretmiyoruz. Eğer ürettiğiniz içerik alıcılar tarafından eğilip bükülmüyor, şekli bozulmuyor, kişiselleştirilmiyorsa, eğer içeriklerinizi sadece alınıp okunuyor, olduğu gibi paylaşılıyorsa üzgünüz içeriğiniz yayılmayacak, yaşamayacak. Ve eğer herkes tarafından sahiplenilecek, katılıma açık yapılar oluşturamayacaksanız hadi yallah.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book: smart, inspiring and novel. I liked it more and more as it progressed.

The first couple of chapters made me grumpy, assuming that “old” and “new” power would be presented as good and bad. I expected to get halfway through and fling the book across the room yelling “how about people just pay their frickin taxes and stop being self-centred dicks so governments can build some actual infrastructure and public services and so people don’t have to crowdfund healthcare to stay alive?!”.

But I was mistaken. The book does not present new power as good and old as bad. It has clear and alarming examples of new power being used for horrible outcomes - including outlining the very successful strategies used by ISIS, Trump and the NRA. It also gives examples of what happens when power is recklessly scattered or poor governance becomes a movement’s downfall. The authors save greatest praise for those people or organisations who are able to strategically use both old and new power for maximum impact, and there’s lots of good examples from people of different genders and countries. It also differentiates between new power strategies and new power values, providing a helpful framework to show how companies like Uber may look like they’re sharing power but really they’re undercutting wages of the powerless while centralising capital for the powerful.

This book also explains what you need to do to harness new power, whether that’s to build a social movement, get people hear a new song, improve service delivery, or sell a product. It is by no means easy but this is the best guide I’ve seen. In this way the book is both a sociological text and an instruction manual for the early 21st century.

As a policy advisor and former scientist, I did get annoyed at the unnecessary binary presented between “experts” and “the public”. Realistically an engineer is going to know more about engineering than a finance manager or doctor would, so it’s not reasonable to give their perspectives the same weight on an engineering problem (similarly with finance issues and health for the manager and doctor). But I take the point that more brains does mean more knowledge, if that knowledge can be harnessed in a useful way. The authors were also cautious to point out that NFPs and governments handing the reins to the public needed mechanisms to prevent “viral” ideas completely displacing “vital” ideas: no group of residents is going to vote for an upgrade of the city’s sewerage system (over a fun new idea) until it starts malfunctioning after years of neglect, so there’s definitely a need for some decisions to be made “old power”.

The main takeaway for me was that new power isn’t explicitly good or bad, but it’s definitely here for the coming decades. Those who are best able to use it will (literally, in the case of Trump) rule the world.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Power is not what it used to be. The authors has written a convincing argument that what we are used to was Old Power. It is top-down power where you have to do your time and climb the ladder, and do the politicking and eliminate your competitors. Once you reach the top you keep your power and fend off potential usurpers. New Power, in contrast, stems from the crowd, is bottom-up, and could become very powerful in a matter of days.

New Power ideas are Actionable, Connected and Extensible. Old ideas only allow spectators. New Power ideas are connected in a social network. Extensible means participants can make build on the original memes.

Both Power bases could be combined with either Power approaches: The most fragile is Old + Old (castle) like authoritarian regimes. Old + New (co-opter) would be Facebook when people were free to contribute to the crowd but ultimate control resided with Zuckerberg. New + Old (cheerleader) would champion new power values but lead in an old fashioned way. Finally New + New (crowd leader) makes her followers more powerful, and makes herself smaller.

It is not easy to wield New Power, as the Egyptian ‘We are all Khaled Said’ movement has shown. It was powerful enough to topple Mubarak but unable to form its own government to make lasting changes. Skilful and strong leadership becomes even more important.

A refreshing book!

[Dmitry · Rating 1 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath Russian one)

Интернет. Да, да и ещё раз да, это очередное творение на тему, как интернет изменил наше общество (мир) в целом и бизнес в частности. Поэтому речь пойдёт по большей части об интернете или даже точнее, социальных сетей.
Нынче уже только ленивый не написал книгу, как же интернет измелил всё вокруг и как это замечательно. Однако если сравнить подобные восхваления с тем, что пишут в профессиональной литературе, то окажется, что не настолько всё просто и ясно и не настолько всё однозначно. Поэтому я уже давно отношусь к непрофессиональным книгам/авторам с большим скептицизмом. Я хочу сказать, это очень важно, кто написал книгу. Если это очередной блогер/журналист, то какой-то глубины от книги ждать не стоит и с вероятностью 98%, книга будет состоять из историй. Т.е. не стоит ждать, что автор презентует какую-то цельную и ясную теорию, как это происходит в профессиональной литературе по маркетингу, к примеру.
Итак, это сборник историй. Как правильно заметил один комментатор этой книги: хорошая статья, но пустая книга (не дословно, но суть такая). Я частично согласен с этим определением, а частично лишь потому, что в книге отсутствует критический взгляд как таковой. Т.е. наш автор похож на человека, который встал в очередь не потому, что ему действительно нужно что-то купить, а только потому, что «так делают все».
Социальные сети сделали революцию? «Ну так я (автор) добавлю в книгу всё, что смогу найти, невзирая на то, а эффективно ли это было», своими действиями как бы говорит автор.
Возьмем, к примеру, организацию на территории Сирии и Ирака. Автор пишет, что благодаря социальным сетям она навербовала много сторонников, а, следовательно, это эффективно. Во-первых, мы не знаем точное число сторонников. Во-вторых, мы не знаем, насколько социальные сети эффективны были в данном случаи, т.е. какая была бы разница, если бы их не было. И в третьих, помогло? Уже сегодня приходят новости, что у организации остался один город, т.е. территория в разы съежилась, и никакие социальные сети не помогли. Я считаю это важно, т.к. цель была победить, а не навербовать. Потому что навербовать можно и детей, а в войнах побеждают всё же взрослые, а в нынешнее время, профессионалы. Другими словами, пример автора, который он приводит как эффективный приём, как минимум неоднозначный, а как максимум – абсолютно провальный.
В принципе, если посмотреть на мир бизнеса, то мы увидим, что благодаря одним лишь социальным сетям ни одна компания не стала таким же гигантом как BMW, Zara, Intel, Microsoft, Samsung. Всё что живёт только в онлайне, выше «семейного бизнеса» крайне редко поднимается.
Я сейчас говорю о том, что лежит в основе идеи книги, ибо автор вводит такие понятия как «старая власть» и «новая власть» и вот новая, она новая именно из-за того, что появился интернет с его возможностями. К примеру, #metoo, это новая власть, а Харви Вайнштейн – старая. Честно сказать, в такой системе координат, те же газеты и журналы также могли сыграть роль новой власти. Поэтому в целом, идея не то что ошибочна, а она не проработана. Автор вставляет истории, которые сработали, но не нужно забывать, что существует множество похожих, которые подняли лишь небольшой шум в интернете или вообще остались незамеченными и именно поэтому я и написал, что в книге отсутствует и критический взгляд и цельная теория, а без этого мы получаем ситуацию а-ля 50/50, т.е. «новая власть» то ли сработает, то ли нет. Шансы 50/50.

The Internet. Yes, yes, and once again yes, this is another book on how the Internet has changed our society (world) in general and business in particular. Therefore, we will talk mostly about the Internet or even more precisely about social media.
Today, only the lazy person has not written a book about how the Internet has changed everything around and how wonderful it is. However, if we compare such praise with what is written in professional literature, it turns out that everything is not so simple and clear and not so unambiguous. That is why I am very skeptical about non-professional books/authors. I mean, it's very important who wrote the book. If it's just another blogger/journalist, then we shouldn't expect any depth from the book, and with a probability of 98%, the book will consist of stories. That is, you should not expect that the author will present comprehensive and clear theory, as it happens in professional marketing literature, for example.
So, this is a collection of stories. As one commentator of this book correctly pointed out: a good article, but an empty book. I partially agree with this definition, and partially only because the book does not have a critical look as such. In other words, our author looks like a person who has queued up not because he really needs to buy something, but only because "everybody does it". Has social networking made a revolution? "Well, that way I (the author) will add to the book everything I can find, regardless of whether it was effective" as if the author was saying. Take, for example, an organization (ISIS) in Syria and Iraq. The author writes that thanks to social media, it has recruited many supporters, and therefore it is effective. First, we do not know the exact number of supporters. Secondly, we don't know how effective social media were in this case, i.e. what would be the difference if there were no social media. And thirdly, did it help? Already today there is news that the ISIS has only one city left, i.e. the territory has shrunk, and no social networks have helped. I think it is important because the goal was to win, not to recruit. Because it is possible to recruit children, but in wars, it is still adults who win, and nowadays - professionals. In other words, the example of the author, which he gives as an effective method, is at least ambiguous, and at most - completely failed.
In principle, if we look at the business world, we will see that due to social networks only, no company has become as giant as BMW, Zara, Intel, Microsoft, Samsung. Everything that lives only online above the "family business" is extremely rare rises.
I am now talking about what lies at the heart of the book because the author introduces such concepts as "old power" and "new power". And "new power" is new because of the Internet with its possibilities. For example, #metoo is the new power, and Harvey Weinstein is the old power. To be honest, in such a system of coordinates, the same newspapers and magazines could also play the role of the new power. Therefore, in general, the idea is not simply erroneous but rather not elaborated. The author inserts the stories that have worked, but we should not forget that there are many similar stories that have raised only a little noise on the Internet or have gone unnoticed at all, and that's why I wrote that the book does not have both a critical view and a holistic theory, and without it, we get a situation a la 50/50, i.e. "new power" either works or not. Chances are 50/50.

[Mike Troiano · Rating 5 out of 5]

It doesn't take a genius to see something's changed in the nature of the power that shapes the world, a shift away from centralized, hierarchical models (USA, Harvey Weinstein...) to distributed, participatory ones (ISIS, #MeToo...) This book is a deep and thoughtful exploration of the latter model, and argues "New Power" is both fundamentally different from and often at odds with the forces that have shaped the lives of most adults up to now. I buy this argument, have a much deeper understanding of how it works, and - perhaps best of all - hold a little more optimistic view of where it might all lead. This is an excellent book, more than just a one-or-two-good-ideas kind of business book, an enjoyable and unfussy read packed with human insight and compelling case studies taken from the real world.

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. Insightful and thought provoking, providing a valuable theoretical framework for the venture i am building.

Often non fiction business books are longer than necessary, with curated examples that fit a narrow thesis. While this isn’t necessarily an exception to that, the analysis and examples provided were more intellectually honest than many other texts of the same genre and point out unresolved aspects of putting the framework into action.

Alas, while I’ll recommend it to others, I won’t be able to lend it, as I’ll want to keep this nearby my desk as a reference.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eye-opening

Essential reading for those interested in how power works and the forces that shape the modern world, taking in the baffling (to some) rise of Trump, the enduring power of the NRA despite mass shooting after mass shooting, how communities and social movements are built and sustained, and other studies in power.

[Kym · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting summary and explanation of old and new business structures melding together to form this new technologically diverse space we find ourselves. This book is more of an exploration of current power structures and their position on the new power old power quadrant. I picked up a couple of new ideas but nothing groundbreaking or particularly new!

[Corina Murafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it quite a lot. Not sure if the conceptual framework is flawless, as it does relate only on case studies, at the end of the day. So it feels a tad anecdotical. But definitely a good reading for anyone involved in managing community, running campaigns, leading teams, etc. The glossary of terms at the end is very helpful.

[Brendan Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody excellent book, looks at the new power in and of the crowd and sideways collaboration and meaning making. Looks at the benefits of blending new and old power models for organisations. The sheer power of the forgotten crowd that rose Trump to power, heaps of easy to understand examples and models. Extremely well structured with pops of humour as well.

[Vlatka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting and intriguing view of the way society communicates today. This book is an eye opener in many ways. It will make you question the ways you market your work, take action and initiate a change. New Power brings hope. Why? Because it encourages collaboration on the global level, something no generation before was capable of doing.

[Matthew O’Shea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone wishing to understand the real reason why millennials are the way they are, why Trump got the support to win the Presidential Election, why the hashtag can be both empowering for some movements yet destabilising for others. New power is about the crowd. A crowd that we all need to understand to either seek inspiration, seek to harness or seek to avoid.

[Rohith Desikan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very different kind of book. Talks about how social movements are created in this viral internet age and how old and new power can be combined successfully in corporations. There are lots of examples, which is the main positive of this book.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book about how power shifts in our connected world. The impact of technology platforms to connect, create action and involve people in movements, companies and products. It's very well written, easy to understand and the examples are such that everyone can relate. Highly recommend this book.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, well written book.
However, too long and repetitive for me. Full of stories/examples of new power. If you’re only interested in the author’s message, this book is not for you.

[Parker Busick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very accurately captures the paradigm shift that caused taxis and hotels to lose power to uber and AirBnB. New applications of this shift of power continue to emerge all around.

[Zack Rearick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, particularly the exploration of old/new power in the workplace. My big critique would be that I'm not sure whether Heimans and Timms wrote with a clear working definition of power. Zeynep Tufekci (Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest) structured her analysis around a conception of power as three specific capacities: narrative, disruptive, and/or electoral. She was clear that merely connecting or mobilizing people doesn't create or rebalance power. New Power talked a lot about connection and mobilization, but didn't dig as deeply as I would've hoped into exploring whether they were actually redistributing power in a meaningful way. The individual case studies were interesting and useful, with lots of great insights to be extracted. I just thought the overall analysis fell a little short.