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EARLY versions of the American rail system suffered from broken links: neighbouring networks could not connect because their tracks were of different widths. The problem was fixed in the late 19th century when train operators agreed on a common gauge. The result was the free flow of people, goods and ideas across America.

This minimal piece of standardisation impinged little on the operators鈥� businesses and brought big gains for travellers. If we are to solve some of the major problems of this century, we need to aim for similar sweet spots, argue Harvard University鈥檚 John Palfrey and Urs Gasser in Interop.

Take the issue of information storage. Can we be sure that the digital books and movies of 2012 will be readable in 2052? The answer is probably 鈥渘o鈥�. Storage devices from the previous decade, like the floppy disc, are already hard to access. As a remedy, Palfrey and Gasser suggest that publishers should be required to deposit a version of a work, stored in a standard format, in a central digital library. Companies of the future will then have an incentive to ensure that any new reading device understands this format.

鈥淲ill digital books and movies from 2012 be usable in 2052? The answer is probably not鈥�

The idea is an example of what the authors call the need to 鈥渟olve for interoperability鈥�. The right solution will ensure that things travelling over a network, be they trains or e-books, can move freely. A good solution also protects the interests of those who produce, consume or use these objects.

It is not easy to strike this balance. But by looking at other 21st-century challenges, including climate change and electronic health records, the authors make a persuasive case for trying.

Palfrey and Gasser are legal scholars writing for a broad audience, which makes their book feel like a clear and thoughtful lecture. Their writing is light but careful; their arguments are illuminating but not exhilarating.

Interop is not exactly sun-lounger reading 鈥� unless you happen to be a policy-maker, in which case it might just be mandatory reading.