Anna's Share: The Seven Rules of Trust

From Anna: I bought this book for my husband, who does not read books. Or he only reads financial self-help books, which, whilst I can't deny have practical value (and actual, literal value, he'd argue), they do not feed the soul, and thus for me are more accurately categorised as instruction manuals. Having made various attempts over the years to persuade him to read novels and finally accepting (partial) defeat, I thought this book by 'the last decent tech baron', Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, might be a happy meeting of his allegiance to non-fiction and my belief that books should make us feel. After watching it collect dust on his bedside table in lieu of the Ashes Boxing Day Test, I picked it up to re-read the blurb and didn't put it down for two days. I have not given Wikipedia a second thought since finishing high school in 2008, when it seemed as though teachers were fighting tooth and nail to not have our brains and reference lists addled by this 'encyclopedia' that anyone could edit. This book turned my lazily-held assumption that Wikipedia is unreliable or irrelevant on its head. Wales presents his compelling view on how the trust-based model of Wikipedia can be applied to address the problem of polarisation, and how the solution to division in society lies in trust, for which he provides seven rules: 1. Make It Personal 2. Be Positive About People 3. Create a Clear Purpose 4. Be Trusting 5. Be Civil 6. Be Independent 7. Be Transparent This book made me think again, over and over. It also made me feel, deflated at how algorithms have eroded our collective trust of one another on a global scale, but also uplifted at how universal and simple the principles of trust are and how easily we can apply them to each interaction we have with another person, rebuilding the sense that we are in this together, and we can rely on one another. When things feel too big, it helps to go small, and the parting sentiment of this book that stayed with me long beyond the final page was rule #2: Be positive about people. For me, that has meant making an effort to assume the best of others. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, even when we disagree. Seeking out the good in others, or giving them opportunities to make their goodness known to me. And finally, when my husband tells me finance books make him feel, I really try my hardest to believe him.