Chris Wanstrath, also known as @defunkt, highlights the collaborative efforts of cschneid and friends in writing a book about Sinatra using Git and GitHub, inviting others to participate. This initiative is part of a broader trend where authors use these platforms to co-author books collaboratively, with several examples like books on Rubinius, Ramaze, and Rails 2.1, as well as "Life on the Edge with Merb, DataMapper, & RSpec," available in multiple languages. This approach underscores the growing popularity and effectiveness of using Git and GitHub for collaborative writing projects.