List of Figures and Tables ix
Preface xiii
1. Introduction 3
What This Book Is Good For 3
The Argument 8
Coordination Problems 11
Common Knowledge 13
Where the Argument Comes From 16
2. Applications 19
Ceremonies and Authority 19
How Do Rituals Work? 25
Inward-Facing Circles 30
On the Waterfront 33
Believe the Hype 37
The Price of Publicity 49
Strong Links and Weak Links 61
The Chapel in the Panopticon 66
3. Elaborations 74
Competing Explanations 74
Is Common Knowledge an Impossible Ideal? 76
Meaning and Common Knowledge 79
Contesting Common Knowledge 83
Common Knowledge and History 87
Common Knowledge and Group Identity 91
4. Conclusion 94
Appendix. The Argument Expressed Diagrammatically 101
References 113
Afterword to the 2013 Edition 127
Index 135