Going Viral - Hardcover

Going Viral has won the 2014 Best Book Award by ASIS&T (Association of Information Science and Technology), and was named an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Magazine (Association of College and Research Libraries). "This concise and insightful book targets a niche topic in the studies of digital media that is becoming increasingly relevant to the public. It considers many questions and successfully accomplishes what it sets out to do. Students of media, digital worlds, and information will not be disappointed." LSE Review of Books "Virality is what make societies click at the pulse of the Internet. It is at the heart of the new forms of commerce, culture, media, social movements, and politics. This pathbreaking book explains what it is, how it works technologically and socially, and draws out the implications of this process for social change. It is a major contribution to network theory and to the understanding of the network society." Manuel Castells, University of Southern California "Ever wonder why a video, meme, or idea spreads like wildfire online? In 'Virality', Nahon and Hemsley examine the technology, social practices, and cultural conditions that enable media to go viral. This illuminating book gets beyond marketing hype to provide critical insights for understanding the powerful phenomenon of virality. This is a must-read for anyone trying to make sense of how information flows in a networked world." Danah Boyd, Microsoft Research "From Rosa Parks to Gangham style--a fascinating look at a defining phenomena of our age- virality, spreading, winner-take-all success. It is more than a fad-- Going Viral offers a compelling argument that viral processes are here to stay, and they are an essential feature of the online fabric." Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, Northeastern University Going Viral has won the 2014 Best Book Award by ASIS&T (Association of Information Science and Technology), and was named an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice Magazine (Association of College and Research Libraries).

What is virality and how does it work? Why do some videos get millions more viewers than others? Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the Joseph Kony video to the tweet that spread the news that Osama Bin Laden was dead, this path-breaking account will be essential reading for anyone who wants to understand why things go viral online.