The origin of viral marketing

The history of going viral in the United States goes back to Thomas Paine. On January 10, 1776 he published *Common Sense* anonymously. Although there were no official states yet, you could argue this was one of the publications that cemented the independence movement and more or less guaranteed the transition. The publication was a huge success and in high demand. Many people argued it had no merit because it had no author, but the first chapter describes why having no author is secondary to having the right substance and ideas.

The publication provides an overview of the British monarchy during that time, idealistic views on governance, and other factors that were used to argue for independence from the King. It's a fascinating read. There are many relevant themes to what we see happening today as a philosophical argument about the ideals of government and what it means to have a just society.

It's not a long book, and you could probably finish it in one sitting. I would recommend reading it.

I'm sure if someone were to write a similarly styled book about the United States today, it would be equally popular, but the themes and examples would of course be different. Also, the key element is style. The style of this book is very compelling, built for viral distribution in the time it was created.

Maybe Thomas Paine was onto a secret formula?