The Lucifer Principle: A Scientific Expedition Into the Forces of History
Bloom, Howard

This is a book I picked up at the Accelerating Change Conference 2003 back in September. It employs logical deductions derived from scientific and historic findings to explain the nature of mankind, and in particular Man's more evil nature. It begins with the first self-replicating molecules floating in our primordial oceans and continues on to the superorganisms that make up our global societies.

It was a fascinating and eye opening journey, and I now count it among my favorite books. I deeply respect a book which has made such solid challenges to my instinctual and intellectual beliefs. It goes beyond simple theories such as self-preservation and self-propagation, looking deeper into the more complex yet common themes running through all organic life.

Additionally I found myself absorbed in the numerous historical anecdotes, both in the main text and in the footnotes (roughly a third of the book is devoted to footnotes). The book was a pleasure to read, I highly recommend it.

CNN has an article on Silbador: CNN.com - Nearly extinct whistling language revived - Nov. 18, 2003.

Cabello is a "silbador," until recently a dying breed on tiny, mountainous La Gomera, one of Spain's Canary Islands off West Africa. Like his father and grandfather before him, Cabello, 50, knows "Silbo Gomero," a language that's whistled, not spoken, and can be heard more than two miles away.

I found a link to this site on the dorkbot mailing list and just wanted to blog it so I could find it easily later.

Various Schematics and Diagrams

I'm in NC at the moment on a business trip. I'll be back in SF in a week or so. I just finished a thought-provoking book called The Lucifer Principle that I bought back at the Accelerating Change conference. I'll try to post a review in a day or two when I get the chance.