Could someone you've never met influence your happiness or cause you to gain weight? In “Connected,” Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler say yes. The authors argue that friends of friends can profoundly alter our health and behavior, even if we’ve never met them. Nicholas Christakis talks with Larry about social networks and how they can impact things like voting behavior, nut allergies, and even suicide prevention.
Guest:
Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, co-author of "Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives" (Little, Brown, and Co.). He is a professor at Harvard University with joint appointments in the Departments of Health Care Policy, Sociology, and Medicine. In 2009 he was named on of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in the world.