Copycats and Contrarians: Why We Follow Others... and When We Don't

A multidisciplinary exploration of our human inclination to herd and why our instinct to copy others can be dangerous in today's interlinked world.



Rioting teenagers, tumbling stock markets, and the spread of religious terrorism appear to have little in common, but all are driven by the same basic instincts: the tendency to herd, follow, and imitate others. In today's interconnected world, group choices all too often seem maladaptive. With unprecedented speed, information flashes across the ...