In Social Capital, first published in 2001, Nan Lin explains the importance of using social connections and social relations in achieving goals. Social capital, or resources accessed through such connections and relations, is critical (along with human capital, or what a person or organization actually possesses) to individuals, social groups, organizations, and communities in obtaining their objectives. This book places social capital in the family of capital theories (the classical and neo-capital theories), articulates its elements and propositions, presents research programs, findings, and agenda, and theorizes its significance in various moments of interactions between individual actions and social structure (for example, the primordial groups, social exchanges, organizations, institutional transformations and cybernetworks). Nan Lin eloquently introduces a groundbreaking theory that forcefully argues and shows why it is 'who you know', as well as 'what you know' that makes a difference in life and society.

林南，现任杜克大学社会学教授、亚太研究所所长，前美国社会学会副会长（1999-2000），台湾中研院院士，中国人民大学荣誉教授，华中理工大学顾问教授，南开大学客座教授，复旦大学顾问教授和中山大学客座教授。其著作包括：《社会支持、生活事件与抑郁》（Social Support, Life Events and Depression）（与Alfred Dean, Walter Ensel 合著，1986）；《社会研究的基础》（Foundation of Social Research）（1976）；《人类沟通研究》（The Study of Human Communication）（1973）等。他与Peter Marsden合编了《社会结构与社会网络分析》（Social Structure and network Analysis）（1982）。林南还有很多文章在《美国社会学评论》（American Sociological Review）、《美国社会学杂志》（American Journal of Sociology）、《健康与社会行为杂志》（Journal of Health and Social Behavior）、《社会力量》（Social Forces）等杂志上发表。