The proper management of social networks within and between organizations, argue the authors (research consultants for IBM's Knowledge and Organizational Performance Forum), can have a major impact on performance, learning, and innovation. They describe how managers can use social network analysis to assess and support important networks in a targeted way. After first describing the nature of informal social networks in organizations, they offer chapters telling managers how to understand how individuals affect networks, how to initiate and develop networks, and how to adapt organizational context to support social networks. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)