Until recently I'd never really
thought much about my social
networks — the intricate web of friends,
colleagues, and acquaintances around
me. I always pretty much let these contacts
happen by themselves, although I
often marveled at the interconnected
chain of events they spawned.
As an example, consider this sequence
of events. Not long ago, I was best man
at the wedding of a college roommate of
mine who married the daughter of the
dean at a local university. I sat at the
head table, and I hit it off with the
bride's parents. A professor at the university
subsequently mentioned to the
dean that he needed his front fence
restored; the dean gave him my phone
number,