About this Book

The Power of Collective Wisdom is the culmination of efforts that began with the Fetzer sponsored Collective Wisdom Initiative and which led to this website. Many of the people on this website have contributed directly to this book. Many more have influenced our thinking and/or contributed through the surveys we sent out regarding the key ideas of this emerging field and the naming of the book itself. On so many levels, this book has been a collective effort.

From our perspective, collective wisdom refers to knowledge and insight gained through group and community interaction. At a deeper level, however, it is about our living connection to each other and the interdependence we share in our neighborhoods, organizations, and world community.

Ultimately, this book emerges from a deep conviction that we all have a stake in each other and that what binds us together can be greater than what drives us apart. Stories and historical examples illustrate how collective wisdom has emerged in a range of cultures, settings, and traditions, and we offer a set of practices to help readers realize the key lessons of the book.