The Seven Rules of Trust - by Jimmy Wales (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

From the founder of Wikipedia, a sweeping reflection on the global crisis of credibility and knowledge, revealing "the rules of trust" that transformed Wikipedia from a scrappy experiment into a global utility used by billions of people--and how those rules can help others build things that last

"An important book . . . both hopeful and practical."--Yuval Noah Harari, bestselling author of Sapiens and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

From the beginning, people predicted Wikipedia's demise. Instead, this global experiment in sharing knowledge and expertise online has become part of the fabric of modern, connected life. Today, every month, people view Wikipedia 11 billion times--just in the English language. The Internet's encyclopedia has become a global utility, like water or electricity, and we rarely pause to consider the extraordinary fact of its existence.

Long before it became the biggest collection of knowledge in the history of the world, Wikipedia had to overcome its greatest challenge: getting strangers on the Internet to trust each other. They had to trust that others would not be abusive or uncivil. They had to trust that others would not unfairly change or erase their contributions. They had to trust that people had good intentions.

Trust, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales says, is a treasure. But it is not inanimate, like gold or gems. Trust is a living thing that can and must be cultivated. This book will show you how. And it will reveal how his organization, this one-time punchline, has become a global authority--in the same two decades when the public's trust in everything else, from government to social media, has trended backwards.

Every community on earth depends on trust; it underpins our capacity to know things, and it is at an all-time low. Inspiring, approachable, and packed with candid lessons from the early days of Wikipedia, The Seven Rules of Trust is a guide to kickstarting a positive loop of accountability and creativity--and to building things that stand the test of time.

Review Quotes

"This book was made for this moment. In building Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales built a wealth of knowledge about what makes a message and source credible. His lessons are timely for a world where too many individuals and institutions are struggling to earn trust."--Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of hit podcast Re: Thinking

"This is an important book, which is both hopeful and practical. Using lessons from the astounding success of Wikipedia, it advises readers how to tackle the global crisis of trust. If only the whole world could look like Wikipedia!"--Yuval Noah Harari, bestselling author of Sapiens and 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

"Jimmy Wales argues beautifully that without passion and crazy ideas, very little gets done. Without trust, almost nothing gets done. Along with changing the way you think about the future in our information age, The Seven Rules of Trust is a joy. Read on."--Bill Nye, science educator, CEO of The Planetary Society

"This is much more than the founder's history of a ground-breaking online encyclopedia. It is a vital reminder of the importance of fact as the basis of debate, and a passionate call to rediscover the art of reasonable dialogue. Where trust has been lost, Jimmy Wales offers routes to its rediscovery."--Alastair Campbell, co-host of hit podcast The Rest is Politics

"Wikipedia is a remarkable invention. Powered by human trust, this once quixotic project thrived where so many others failed, becoming one of the greatest collections of knowledge in the world. With this book, Jimmy is passing on the principles that drove Wikipedia's success so that others can build meaningful projects of their own. The result is a powerful, essential book that cuts to the heart of how technology can benefit humanity."--Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn and bestselling author of Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future

"Trust is a feeling. We can't 'convince' someone to trust, they have to feel it. Sadly, we now live in a world in which it's often hard to know who or what we can trust. Where some of the biggest online companies are trying to allow for public regulation of their content, only to significantly harm their trustworthiness, Wikipedia is the exception. What does Wikipedia know that others don't and how can more companies adopt their practices to make our digital world safer and, well, more trustworthy? Thank you to Jimmy Wales for founding Wikipedia and now, for the first time, telling us how he did it!"--Simon Sinek, New York Times bestselling author of Start with Why and The Infinite Game, and host of the podcast "A Bit of Optimism"

"Everything in our thrilling and chilling future depends on one increasingly diminishing human resource: trust. Jimmy Wales is in a better position than almost anyone to teach the world the most important lessons required for us to learn if we want to win trust back, in our own lives and out into the community and the wider world."--Stephen Fry, actor, broadcaster, and bestselling author

About the Author

Jimmy Wales is an internet entrepreneur who is best known as the founder of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia Foundation. Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People, he was also acknowledged by the World Economic Forum as one of the top 250 leaders across the world for his professional accomplishments, his commitment to society, and his potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world. Born in Huntsville, Alabama, he lives with his family in London.