More on An Army of Davids

Yesterday, I got the chance to follow up on some more ideas presented in An Army of Davids. Glenn Reynolds has a couple of interesting points in addition to what I wrote about earlier.

#1 - The Role of Bureaucracy - One of the major themes in the book is the outdated role of bureaucracies. In any bureaucratic system, information and power are equated. Thus, responses like the odd effects of Katrina by the Mayor, the Gov and FEMA are fully expected. He does some interesting discussion of the spontaneous order that occured after 9/11 where lots of non-governmental resources were mobilized in the city and surrounding areas to assist in relief. He points out that the feds were able to get their act together at about day four after 9/11. But he also suggests that in less secure environments bureaucracies are ill equiped to monitor events. The terrorists are able to move their strategies while most bureaucracies will want to follow established patterns. Both points should point the way to changes in governmental organization that might be necessary in this new world. When information is ubiquitous the value increases only when it moves. That is something originally discussed by Kevin Kelly ( New Rules for the New Economy) but Reynolds expands on the idea in interesting ways.

#2 - The Role of Comfy Chair Stores - Reynolds makes a couple of points about the rash of new types of stores where you are expected to stay a while (Borders, Barnes and Noble, Starbucks). First, he suggests an interesting convergence - of WIFI, Coffee, books/CDs - etc. -those things bring the people into the store. Second, he suggests that the fight that some local merchants (especially independent sellers) had with the big bookstores was wrong on a couple of bases including allowing consumers a wider choice. He makes a classic comment that in some of the small bookstores the clerks liked books more than people. Part of the benefits of the big book stores is the ability to carry lots more titles. Ultimately that allows more authors to have a shot to be read. With the advent of alternative kinds of electronic publishing that diversity of ideas might even increase. Third, he sees these places (when you add in Kinkos and other places like that) as enablers to allow people to determine their own futures. People can now put together their own jobs based on their ingenuity - the possibilities in this environment are certainly higher than they were in earlier times.

#3 - The Grey Flannel People - He makes an important set of points about the initial division of labor (during the Industrial Revolution) which transitioned into the Grey Flannel period - when office and factory workers needed to be in the same place. That transition in turn created a situation where family structures were altered so that dads took less role with children and moms were ghettoed into home chores. (Very different from the pre-industrial period.) But now with the ability to bring economic value back to small units, families can get back to better organizational structures.

#4 - Wedia - He offers a smart turn of phrase that we are moving from Media to Wedia. He gives some great examples (beyond the common ones about the NYT and Dan Rather) where this new force in journalism is reshaping how we get our news. Part of his assumptions here are based on a clear notion that the big news entities are indeed bureaucracies and as I have commented before also financial units trying to make a buck (Why else would the networks employ people like Katie Couric?)

#5 - Political Transitions - He argues that the political figure who figures out the relationships described in the first four will begin a process of winning and changing the system. I think that is true. Both the Demublicans and the Remocrats seem to think we are in the 1930s with their massive solutions - neither Hillary Care nor No Child Left Behind evidences any idea about the changes being wrought in society by things like WIFI and Ebay.

I will have some more comments later when I have the chance to write about some other major points. As I said earlier - this book is worth reading.