Social Chemistry

April 1, 2020

According to this work, three simple topographies characterize most people's networks: expansionists, brokers, and conveners. How your network is shaped has implications for a variety of personal and professional outcomes. The book promises to transform the way you think about networking, but does it succeed? No. The weakest material is the exploration of the three types of networkers King proposes. The horoscope-like nature of the distinctions between expansionists, brokers, and conveners (any given characteristic of one type of networker could be equally true of the others) leaves the entire concept feeling pointless. However, the second part, dedicated to strategies for improving networking, is more interesting and informative. Chapter seven onward provides the best material of the ten-chapter book. But the helpful generalities for improving social interaction in the latter half calls into question the whole selling point of the book: King does not make a satisfactory case for the promised revelatory distinctions between people's different networking capabilities and how to leverage them. VERDICT Pass. The value of the second half does not make up for the feebleness of the first.--Laurel Tacoma, Fairfax Cty. P.L., VA

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
A close look at the various structures of social networks. King, a professor of organizational behavior at the Yale School of Management, has spent some 15 years studying social relationships among a variety of networks. In a psychobabble-free manner, she presents the findings of numerous researchers in the field, and, using simple diagrams, she maps the structure of three common types of personal networks. She categorizes their organizers as Expansionists, Brokers, and Conveners, and anecdotes about well-known figures illustrate the basic elements of each network's social structure and psychological differences. Expansionists have huge but relatively weak networks, spend time meeting lots of new people, and know how to work a room. A good example is Jim Cramer, the loud host of Mad Money, whom the author describes as "the epitome of brash overconfidence." Networks organized by Brokers have a very different style, embodied here by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, whose musical collective Silk Road Ensemble is a network of talented people from very different social worlds. Conveners build dense networks with deep roots in which their friends are also each other's friends. King's choice to illustrate this is Vogue editor Anna Wintour, queen of the fashion industry. Celebrities abound in these pages, but the author takes care to clarify the benefits and drawbacks of each style and emphasizes that for any individual, the most appropriate style is one that matches their personal goals, career stage, and needs. Throughout, she blends the findings of numerous sociological and psychological research studies with thoughtful advice and relevant stories from her own life, which gives the book a comfortable balance and adds to its readability. Rather than providing quick tips on how to build a network, King gives readers the big picture, showing what social networks are and demonstrating their importance in one's career and personal life. A personable approach to one of the hot topics of our times.

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May 4, 2020
King, professor of organizational management at Yale, explains the nuances of networking in this smart debut. She identifies three main groups of connectors: conveners, such as Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who build dense networks with outsize trust and reputational benefits; brokers, like Barack Obama, who bring together disconnected parties from different social worlds; and expansionists, including rock ’n’ roll manager Shep Gordon, who have large social networks but can’t always maintain or leverage them. In King’s thinking, convenors don’t spend a lot of time exploring multiple social worlds, but have deep roots in a few—and pairing with brokers can inject diversity into a convenor’s network. Brokers are adaptable translators, and are the most likely group to produce innovations that benefit the group, making them good partners to both convenors and expansionists. Expansionists, meanwhile, are generous, have an uncanny ability to read others, and often have a larger social network than other personality types, making them ideal for signal-boosting messaging. A robust and lengthy notes section also provides plenty of follow-up reading material. King’s wise, well-reasoned advice will be perfect for those aiming to climb the corporate ladder.

May 1, 2020
How many people do you consider close friends? Who would you reach out to if you lost your job? King, professor of organizational behavior at Yale, poses these and similar questions in her exploration of the structures and qualities of relationships in her first book. She examines three common structures for an individual's network: "Brokers" bring together unconnected groups, "Expansionists" maintain many individual connections, and "Conveners" build networks of mutual friends. Each structure requires different levels of effort and engagement to maintain and yields different professional and personal results. King's research touches on a range of subjects applicable to any profession, such as team dynamics and workplace inclusion, while also highlighting intrapersonal connections in nonwork contexts. Understanding the ways in which one builds and maintains relationships can affect a person's quality of life and decisions around how to engage with others. Using recognizable celebrities and anecdotes from interviewed individuals as examples, King blends large-scale research with personal stories to illustrate her findings. Social Chemistry is a fascinating study for anyone curious about human interaction.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)