The Seven Rules Of Trust

Non-Fiction Forum: Words & Wine

Hosted by Peter Lamell & Tony Nippard

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.

The book we are discussing is: The Seven Rules of Trust: A Blueprint For Building Things That Last by Jimmy Wales with Dan Gardner.

* An important book ... Both hopeful and practical – YUVAL NOAH HARARI

* A powerful, essential book that cuts to the heart of how technology can benefit humanity – REID HOFFMAN

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 organisation, 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 (Bloomsbury 2025) is a guide to kickstarting a positive loop of accountability and creativity – and to building things that stand the test of time.

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.

Read the book, come with an open mind and join us for drinks at this Words & Wine in-person Non-Fiction Forum. The enjoyment of participating in these intimate discussions is that everyone who attends gets to comment on the book we’ve read, exchange ideas with fellow readers and share their perspectives.

Here's the full reading list for the rest of the year.