For James Fowler, an interest in social networks started at an early age while he was growing up in small-town Oklahoma in the '70s and '80s.

"Of course, there was no internet back then, so the only way I could meet other people was through activities at school," says Fowler, an associate professor of political science at UC San Diego. His work on social networks and how they affect our lives has captured the interest of the media and general public in recent years.

A self-described "odd man out," Fowler became very involved in his high school debate team, which allowed him to meet students from different schools and states. "Most of them were into politics, science and research—things I was interested in," he says. "They became peers and friends I could share my ideas with."

After high school, Fowler embarked on an academic odyssey that included getting his undergraduate degree at Harvard, a M.A. in International Relations at Yale and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Government from Harvard. In between his studies, he served a two-year stint in the Peace Corps, where he met his wife, a fellow Peace Corps volunteer. The two traveled in South America for a year before he headed to Yale, and later traveled around Asia for a year before he went back to Harvard to get his Ph.D.

"The great thing about the Peace Corps is it gets you used to living at a very simple level," he says. "So even on one income—my wife's—we were able to save up enough to travel around. It was an incredible experience."

While always interested in politics and networks, it was in graduate school that Fowler became intrigued by the potential power of social networks. He was struggling with the idea of "paradox of turnout," or the question of why we vote when it seems that one person's vote does not actually have the power to do anything.

This voting puzzle was not new to political science but it fascinated Fowler nevertheless. He was pondering this question one sleepless night when inspiration struck in the form of an old shampoo commercial from the 1970s.

"The woman in the commercial loved her new shampoo so much that she told two friends about it," he recalls. "Those two friends each told two other friends and so on until it seemed like everyone was using the shampoo. I was just becoming interested in all these great papers on social networks and things just clicked. It occurred to me that even though one person may not feel influential, they're actually connected to lots of people by two or three degrees of separation."

He added: "That network gives you access to hundreds, or sometimes, thousands of people. Even if you have just a small chance of starting a cascade of good behavior, pretty soon a lot of people could be influenced."

And so began Fowler's exploration into social networks and how they shape our lives.

Since then, Fowler has found a kindred spirit in Nicholas Christakis, a social scientist and physician at Harvard who is as intrigued by social networks as Fowler. Together, the "dynamic duo," as they were dubbed by Science Magazine, have gone on to report that obesity, smoking, happiness, loneliness and other facets of health "spread" in networks. Their research is the subject of a new book they co-wrote called "Connected: The Surprising Power of Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives." Written for a lay audience, the book delves into the idea that our social networks drive and shape virtually every aspect of our life.

"With the book, we wanted to make our research very accessible to people because what we're talking about is every day experience," says Fowler. "I know for me, the research has made me feel as if I'm part of something larger. It also makes me take more responsibility for my own behavior. I hope it makes other people react the same way as well."

Since the book came out in late September, Fowler and Christakis have been on a media whirlwind, conducting numerous interviews and appearing at various speaking engagements. Fowler has also been trying to conduct research for the next book, which will focus on the biological basis of friendship, as well as studying how online networks such as Facebook influence our lives.

How does he do it all?

"It's a juggling act," he admits. "I've been figuring out how to balance everything as I go along. I guess I get less sleep, but then that will be good for me because I'll be up at 2 a.m. to think about things like shampoo commercials, won't I?"

For more information on Fowler's work, please visit:

http://jhfowler.ucsd.edu/
http://connectedthebook.com/