History tells us that when you want something clone you turn to a leader: right? Wrong. If you want to make a correct decision or solve a problem, large groups of people are smarter than a few experts. This brilliant and insightful book shows why the conventional wisdom is so wrong and why the theory of the wisdom of crowds has huge implications for how we run our businesses, structure our political systems and organise our society. Shrewd, meticulous and profound, The Wisdom of Crowds will change for ever the way you think about human behaviour.

James Surowiecki is a staff writer at the New Yorker, where he writes the popular business column, 'The Financial Page'. His work has appeared in a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Artforum, Wired and Slate. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.