Chief Tribe Officer

Tribal thinking is going mainstream. Today on Forbes.com there has been a great article contributed by Tina Sharkey, Chairman and Global President of Babycenter, referencing Seth Godin's 'Tribes'.

What's Your Tribe? Tap Into Your Core Consumers' Aspirations Like Nike, Gatorade, BabyCenter and REI Do

... What’s your tribe? How can you unlock its folklore, helps its members connect, listen to its stories, and activate its passion for your brand? Be more than a CMO—be a Chief Tribe Officer and see where that conversation takes you and your business ...

Read it all right here ...

www.forbes.com

If anyone likes to dive deeper into the subject the world modeling engine 8W8 enables access to the world of the global space tribes. It is a way of seeing and visualizing and ultimately acting.

8W8 - Global Space Tribes
An extract of Chapter III - Birth

... Antônio and Hans, in their usual alliance, added the green aspects, including the Happy World index. Priyanka, reflecting her media background, talked excitedly about adding demographics into the engine. Sonja, not to be out done, said that she wanted to see the last detail to the last element of individual tribal DNA so that she might better explore marketing streams relevant to her new product line. Next to Emanuel, Michael and Charles talked about how characteristics such as business strength, innovation and technological readiness could be addressed and weighted, since they both subscribed to the theory that on the world’s stage there could be no improvement without businesses and national economies flourishing.
...

8W8 - Global Space Tribes is available on Amazon in print and Kindle edition as well as on Google Books for free.

It has been in the Kindle bestseller charts since its launch in 2007, including # 1 in globalization in the US and most recently in the UK.

Enjoy.

Kindle Japan Launch Announced for April

In two month Amazon Kindle will be available in Japan. For more please visit http://www.amazon.co.jp/.

Social Network for Food Lovers: Foodie.com

As the world of the global space tribes is increasingly fragmenting and meanwhile also finding its structures a new service has gone live today:

http://www.foodie.com

Enjoy and bon appetit.

Mapping Globalization by McKinsey

McKinsey has published a report on how to better understand globalization and identify risks and opportunities ... Visualizing the invisible a valuable asset for anyone involved in decision making and more.


'Remapping your strategic mind-set

Shake up your thinking by looking at the world from the perspective of a particular country, industry, or company. “Rooted” maps can help you unearth hidden opportunities and threats ...'

For more the entire article is on http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com

The concept of the world modeling engine 8W8 provides a tool to enter information such as the the examples of the McKinsey report. For anyone interested adding the digital context and layer, 8W8 - Gobal Space Tribes is available on Amazon, Kindle, print and Google books for free.

World Population And Stage Live

http://www.berndkolb.com/facts_and_figures.php

For anyone interested in understanding how quickly we are heading in which direction this is a great source to be part of it live.

Now We Are Seven Billion

Well, this is a huge number by any measure especially taking its ongoing growth pace into account. The World Modeling Engine, 8W8, allows its users and readers to understand the impact of change based on own criteria entered - whether they are interested in natural resources, happiness or activity levels just to name a few. If you like to learn more you might find 8W8 - Global Space Tribes an enjoyable read.

Kindle Book Sales

Impressive adoption speed of a new technology and user experience. Source Amazon.

Kindle Fire

Today Amazon has released Kindle Fire, Kindle Touch and a new Kindle basic version. If you like to learn more about the new generation of the Kindle family simply visit www.amazon.com. Reading books on electronic devices such as the new Kindle Fire or the iPad and iPad 2 is turning main stream and ecologically correct. Well done tech industry! 8W8 - Global Space Tribes had been already released on the first version of Kindle in 2007. Since then it has been in the globalization charts on Amazon.com and recently also had climbed to the number one rank in this category on Amazon.co.uk. Nevertheless it is available on Google Books and for free for everyone.

ApplaudTo on Twitter

http://twitter.com/#applaudTo

What would you do to support the musicians, actors, painters, authors ... you love?

applaudTo.com will allow users and fans to connect with creators they appreciate. If you like to know more prior to launch you can follow it on Twitter already.

Pirate Party 8.9 % in Berlin. Generation 2.0

After Twitter and Facebook have to some extend enabled and supported the peaceful revolution in Egypt, the Internet continues to go mainstream: in Berlin the Pirate Party has gained 8.9 percent of the votes for the parliament of the city state Berlin, Germany. The Pirate Party and its global network is winning more and more traction representing views of the generation 2.0.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Parties_International

Facebook: Backbone of Global Space Tribes

Data comScore
www.businessinsider.com



Facebook's share providing the social backbone compared to its Western competitors, but excluding the Asian leaders such as Tencent and others.

Where is the Money?

Current financial turmoils hit many by surprise, especially China offering help to the established Western countries. For those, who like to understand it better, the world modeling engine 8W8 allows visualizing not only the flow of money on country budget levels, but also on people's net asset position and many aspects more ...


Extract 8W8 - Global Space Tribes, Chapter X - It Feels Good

...

“The question is ‘Where’s the money?’ But it could also mean, where are all the art lovers of the world, or any sub group, like the Impressionist lovers of the world.” Looking at her colleague Oskar again, she added, “Or classic BMW motorcycle enthusiasts. It doesn’t matter which tribe we are talking about, the process is the same. Let’s follow the money. We are used to looking at ‘money centers’ but how does that money get there? What is the path it takes? How do you see the flow of money—and I admit that this is a crass example, but for our purposes I’ll continue using it—to one of these centers? Money doesn’t just fall on New York City; it flows there—and flows out.

For us, the question had been how to track this ebb and flow, call it invisible movement, whether it was money or pizza lovers. We wanted to see where there was a lot of a given substance or where there existed a dearth.

...


For more 8W8 - Global Space Tribes, www.8W8.com, is available on in print and Kindle-edition on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. It can be read for free on Google books also. Enjoy.

'That Used to Be Us' by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum

'That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Can Come Back' by Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum. Why the two authors, who understand the world's dynamics as well as the US so wonderfully well, had to come up with these conclusions expressed in the book title, makes readers curious, but it would not be the US if there was not a positive path outlined for the future, too. Readers could render their findings using the concept of the world modeling engine 8W8. It was developed by the fictional Internet think-tank 'The Golden Sky', after Thomas L. Friedman summarized the history of globalization in his milestone work 'The World Is Flat'.

For more information

That Used to Be Us on Amazon

Google +

Google just launched its Global Space Tribes application.

Great Movie: When China Met Africa

When China Met Africa: Trailer frhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifom Speak-it on Vimeo.

www.whenchinametafrica.com

This is not only a great movie on how China expands into Africa, but also how 'the tribe of the Chinese' builds its global infrastructure. In the digital world this is happening in addition, but it is not easy to visualize. This is why the world modeling engine 8W8 was developed, www.8W8.com.

Google Public Data Explorer

The world modeling engine 8W8 renders data to visualize the world in the 21st century and beyond. Google labs has made available a nice tool to compare mainly economic and environmental data and partly visualize such. Cool service: http://www.google.com/publicdata/home

Amazon Kindle UK: 8W8 Top in Globalisation

Amazon Kindle UK Bestseller: Ralf Hirt’s ’8W8 - Global Space Tribes’ Tops Globalisation


Since the launch of Amazon Kindle in the UK ‘8W8 – Global Space Tribes‘ has climbed up the ranks in the Amazon Kindle bestseller lists in the UK and tops the Kindle globalisation category as well as ranks fifth in travel guides.

More here.

Berlin

Since Amazon Kindle has just arrived in Germany I like to share the beginning of 8W8 - Global Space Tribes with you. This is when Oskar Feller travels to Berlin ...





Chapter I - The Invisible World


The world turned twice that day for Oskar Feller. He would have been the first person to agree that he needed every mirrored minute to understand what he had seen on that 16-hour flight from San Francisco to Berlin.

Indeed, to have made sense of it all, he would have needed a mirror.

As he curled, pushed and stretched his 5’11”, 185 lb. frame into the ever-diminishing space consigned to a coach class seat in preparation for a long flight, he tried to come up with a mantra. He had found mantras useful in quieting his ever increasing anxiety about flying. This was a recent phenomenon. On an intellectual level, he knew that his fears were irrational; however, he knew the Law of Probability justified his fears. “If ‘N’,” he mused, “is equal to an Infinite line, and ‘S’ is equal to the sum of all statistical fluctuations within that unbroken line, with function ‘R’ equaling the rate in which ‘S’ …” He gulped and began mentally chanting, “Newworldmodelingengine, Newworldmodelingengine, Newworldmodelingengine.”

As a reporter and scout for IT-Rag, the San Francisco based Internet journal, and writer for the technology news Website, SeeKeyNow.com, he had covered a thousand science and information technology conferences and shows around the world and had flown in a thousand different airplanes of every description. Why all of a sudden, this anxiety? Perhaps, as an engineer, he knew the odds. “Newworldmodelingengine, Newworldmodelingengine, Newworldmodelingengine.”



For more: 8W8.com

Kindle download US: 8W8 - Global Space Tribes for Amazon Kindle
Kindle download UK: 8W8 - Global Space Tribes for Amazon Kindle
Kindle download GERMANY: 8W8 - Global Space Tribes for Amazon Kindle

Amazon.de Kindle shop opened: 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

Amazon has just launched Amazon Kindle in Germany. Effective immediately 8W8 - Global Space Tribes is also available for German Kindle users. As Amazon Kindle fosters its global foot print, more and more 8W8 - Global Space Tribes readers can travel with their Kindle devices enjoying virtual rides visualizing the world live.

For more: 8W8.com

Download your Kindle edition on Amazon.de: Amazon Kindle 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

8W8 # 3 in Globalisation in the UK

As Amazon Kindle is winning traction in the UK 8W8 - Global Space Tribes is climbing up the ranks. The current bestseller list in Globalisation (note with s and not with z) in the UK:


1. Beyond the Crash
Gordon Brown (Author)

2. Brand New Justice: How Branding Places and Products Can Help the Developing World, Revised Edition
Simon Anholt (Author)

3. 8W8 - Global Space Tribes
Ralf Hirt (Author)

4. Uprising: Will Emerging Markets Shape or Shake the World Economy
George Magnus (Author)

5. Falling off the Edge: Travels Through the Dark Heart of Globalization
Alex Perry (Author)

6. The Wisdom of Sustainability: Buddhist Economics for the 21st Century
Sulak Sivaraksa (Author)

7. The Conspiracy That Will Not Die: How the Rothschild Cabal Is Driving America into One World Government
Robert Gates Sr. (Author)

8. The New World Order
Adam Weishaupt (Author)

9. The Politics of Food: The Global Conflict between Food Security and Food Sovereignty (Praeger Security International)
William D. Schanbacher (Author)

10. The African Union: Challenges of Globalization, Security, and Governance (Global Institutions)
F. Wafula Okumu (Author)

For more please visit amazon.co.uk

The Social Animal by David Brooks, New York Times Columnist

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement

New York Times columnist David Brooks has taken a similar approach to 8W8 - Global Space Tribes: converting findings and knowledge into a story to understand the invisible and non-rational better, to look into the implications and finally to fictionalize those. Want to know more? Please read below or visit Amazon.com

From Publishers Weekly:

New York Times columnist Brooks (Bobos in Paradise) raids Malcolm Gladwell's pop psychology turf in a wobbly treatise on brain science, human nature, and public policy. Essentially a satirical novel interleaved with disquisitions on mirror neurons and behavioral economics, the narrative chronicles the life cycle of a fictional couple—Harold, a historian working at a think tank, and Erica, a Chinese-Chicana cable-TV executive—as a case study of the nonrational roots of social behaviors, from mating and shopping to voting. Their story lets Brooks mock the affluent and trendy while advancing soft neoconservative themes: that genetically ingrained emotions and biases trump reason; that social problems require cultural remedies (charter schools, not welfare payments); that the class divide is about intelligence, deportment, and taste, not money or power. Brooks is an engaging guide to the "cognitive revolution" in psychology, but what he shows us amounts mainly to restating platitudes. (Women like men with money, we learn, while men like women with breasts.) His attempt to inflate recent research on neural mechanisms into a grand worldview yields little except buzz concepts—"society is a layering of networks"—no more persuasive than the rationalist dogmas he derides. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

From Amazon.com:

A Letter from Author David Brooks

Several years ago I did some reporting on why so many kids drop out of high school, despite all rational incentives. That took me quickly to studies of early childhood and research on brain formation. Once I started poking around that realm, I found that people who study the mind are giving us an entirely new perspective on who we are and what it takes to flourish.

We’re used to a certain story of success, one that emphasizes getting good grades, getting the right job skills and making the right decisions. But these scientists were peering into the innermost mind and shedding light on the process one level down, in the realm of emotions, intuitions, perceptions, genetic dispositions and unconscious longings.

I’ve spent several years with their work now, and it’s changed my perspective on everything. In this book, I try to take their various findings and weave them together into one story.

This is not a science book. I don’t answer how the brain does things. I try to answer what it all means. I try to explain how these findings about the deepest recesses of our minds should change the way we see ourselves, raise our kids, conduct business, teach, manage our relationships and practice politics. This story is based on scientific research, but it is really about emotion, character, virtue and love. We’re not rational animals, or laboring animals; we’re social animals. We emerge out of relationships and live to bond with each other and connect to larger ideas.

Save The Children - Japan Emergency Appeal. DONATE, please!

Click here:


NO CHILD BORN TO DIE


If you want to help and appreciate the work of Save the Children this is a great opportunity to live up to the ethics of the 21st century.

8W8 Helicopter Rides over Japan

Copyright ft.com

The world modeling engine 8W8's concept comprises virtual helicopter rides to visualize the world stake holding factors and flow of all kinds. Below there is an extract of 8W8 - Global Space Tribes flying through Tokyo identifying a certain tribe. In this situation the recent incidents could be rendered and would show a very different environment much more similar to the sad and scary picture above.




Extract from 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

“So, here we are on the 8W8 Heli flying through the world with its aerial view spotting all tribe streams and views—those from above the volumes, or within the volumes. It not only goes through the new valleys, towers, hills, and mountains, it spots the connected elements in its area, action and intensity context. On this global ride, we come across some interesting Global Space Tribes, the first,” she said looking at Tomichi, “we will call the ‘MBA Jazz Wireless Tribe,’ or MBAJWT, for short.

“You can first spot it on Japan’s premier Mountain, the city of Tokyo. The sky is bright due to the high standard of living, with few clouds representing the risk of earthquakes. It also is not as colorful due to its lack of an ethnic, cultural or intellectual mix. The community of the MBAJWT is rather small compared to the scale of the Tokyo Mountain. The tribal streams spread out around the world, but the streams always find their intensity in the competence center on the mountains and tall hills of the world, which are mostly the hearts of cities with a strong business presence. The MBAJWT, like the majority of Global Space Tribes, has no leader other than the main influencers from within and outside the tribe. The tribe communicates through the Internet, alumni chat rooms and other social platforms. The tribe is driven by its shared interest in business news, jazz and Japanese culture, combined with some impact from high-tech geeks and techno-lovers. From a contextual point of view, the background of this Global Space Tribe suggests an interest in investment, career progression, travel, luxury brands, fashion, music or art. In other words,” she laughed, “Tomichi and his pals.”


If you are interested in understanding the parameters and elements of the world modeling engine and 8W8 helicopter flights better: 8W8 - Global Space Tribes is available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle edition or can be read on Google Books for free. www.8w8.com

From Chernobyl to Fukushima to Green

The world modeling engine 8W8 was developed by the fictive Internet think-tank The Golden Sky. The goal was to find members that would represent a maximum of world stake holding factors together with different backgrounds. Sadly, with the catastrophic and tragical earthquake and nuclear situation having occurred in Fukushima and across Japan the necessity of a tool like 8W8 is even more actual than ever. In a situation like this 8W8 would allow visualizing the implications of the current situation in a simple yet complex context defined by a user. Comparisons to Chernobyl or other incidents or national catastrophes could be rendered into 8W8 as well as visionary green solutions and outlooks.

Tomichi Murayama
Japanese, former pilot, Buddhist. He had always loved mechanical and electronic gadgetry. He was environmentally aware at the same time. During the negotiations leading to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Climate, he was in charge of communications, first for the Japanese government, then, directly for the UN.

Hans Dietrich Peters
If there was a true aristocrat in the group, it was Hans. His family began as traders in the 14th Century in Hamburg, Germany. Before becoming CEO, in 1975, he had worked at all levels of the company right after graduating from University, with a B.A. in Economics and a Master's in Business Administration. Chernobyl, in 1986, impacted on him, profoundly, and wakened him to an interest in the environment. He joined the environmental movement. He progressed to wind and ocean current energy.

Dmitri Rabinovich
Dmitri was born in Ekaterinburg, Russia, on the day, the siege of Leningrad was lifted, January 22, 1943. From 1972 to 1991, he worked for the Russian oil and gas company rising up to be Chairman of the Production and Development Committee. In 1992, with a few other colleagues, he started a technology consulting firm in Moscow. Today he is an adviser to the Kremlin.


If you want to meet all The Golden Sky members please click here.


8W8 - Global Space Tribes is available on Amazon.com in print and Kindle edition or can be read on Google Books for free.

Google URL shortening for 8W8 blog

goo.gl/4uYu7.qr

goo.gl/4uYu7

URL: 8w8-globalspacetribes.blogspot.com/

Amazon Kindle Bestseller in the UK: 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

Since last month 8W8 - Global Space Tribes has also entered the Amazon Kindle charts in the United Kingdom. Thank you.

Global Map of Nuclear Power Reactors

Map by International Nuclear Safety Center


Whether this is a map of risk or opportunity or a combination of both might be up to the beholder. The world modeling engine 8W8 was developed to render information from various sources and add a layer of opinion before visualizing the state of the world or segments of it.

For more ... read the entire blog and visit 8W8.com. Want to know still more? Read it for free on Google books or get it on Amazon in print and Kindle edition.

Seismic Hazard Map on Japan

8W8, the world modeling engine, has been developed to understand the world's dynamics better and also visualize those. It contains information on earthquake and tsunami risks amongst many other components. Above a potential information source covering Japan: The Seismic Hazard Map by the USGS.

Most mapping activities however only show a snapshot of one particular subject and do not allow room for opinions. In 8W8 - Global Space Tribes the think-tank The Golden Sky looked into this from a holistic point of view also adding digital aspects as shown in previous post about Facebook's users for instance.

Today our thoughts are with our friends in Japan.

Nice Facebook Illustration

Global Space Tribes connecting on Facebook. If anyone is interested in learning more about the impact of these relationships, communication and related actions you may like to read 8W8 - Global Space Tribes and enjoy this blog.

The Case For Globalization: Mad About Trade

Mad About Trade: Why Main Street America should Embrace Globalization


For anyone interested in this Amazon Kindle globalization bestseller ...

From Publishers Weekly

In 10 well-organized chapters, international trade expert Griswold, director of the Cato Institute's trade policy center, reaches out to low- and middle-class readers to make a persuasive case against U.S. protectionism by illustrating how have-nots are the most likely to benefit from the global marketplace in the form of lower prices, greater variety and better quality of goods. Criticizing everyone from President Obama to CNN's Lou Dobbs for fostering anti-trade sentiment, Griswold presents a "clean view" of "America's changing place in the world economy." Bringing complex issues home, literally, Griswold opens his examination with a survey of his closet, containing items from Australia, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, and Vietnam, but little from the U. S. How and why these faraway items wind up here is something few Main Street Americans think about, but Griswold explains the complicated mechanisms of world trade with brisk, easy-to-read prose. Griswold also claims that, despite the loss of American jobs to other countries, most new U.S. jobs (created in part by free trade) are in well-paying service industries that form the backbone of today's middle class. Griswold also presents an eight-point "trade agenda for a free people," but doesn't miss an opportunity to tout his organization's public policy efforts.

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Egypt: Polictal Instability - Visualizing the Impact

Photo copyright: Virtual Jerusalem



Extract from 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

Chapter X - It Feels Good

“I think that Stephen had just asked if we can quantify and volumize values like war, environmental disruptions like global warming, or the catastrophic consequences of HIV/AIDS,” answered Priyanka. “I was about to mention how both negative and positive values around the world can be viewed in the 8W8 Heli. If we were looking to find areas where there was a high incidence level of HIV/AIDS, famine or below benchmark health care, we would see a gray to black Sky Level—what we call ‘worst of breed.’ By the same token, if we were trying to find areas of political instability or violence, we would see a black earth and Sky Level. Again, we would see an area well below benchmarks and the worst of breed. In both instances —disease and war— what we would see is a gray/black earth and Sky Level with low PPP on a Sky Level and low to worst of breed GNP; in some cases, almost immeasurable.”

Priyanka stopped to see if anyone had a question or wanted to add something. Seeing that everybody seemed satisfied with her presentation, she continued. “One might ask if ‘Substances’ can be measured or volumized. The answer is absolutely! Quality of life issues like environmental changes and terrorism can be weighted. Over the last few years, we have seen what global warming has done to the economies of geographic areas affected by the searing heat that turned arable lands into Sahara-like landscapes. The impact of global warming on the GNP and PPP was such that what had once been blue and yellow skies turned into gray and black.

“However, if you were measuring issues like terrorism, human rights and democracy in the same geographic areas, then you might see blue and yellow skies. On an Earth Level, when the 8W8 pilot is looking at factors like competitiveness, education, resources and research and development issues, the colors might be totally different. In areas where factors are seen in black from a Sky Level might have blue and yellow Earth Level colors in areas like education or resources. We all live in the world’s volume broken down horizontally, if regional aspects are factored in, and vertically when tribal structures are seen primarily, and any combination of both.

“It’s impossible to understand substance and sustainable growth without an understanding of the world volume, its streams and its elements, without the role and impacts of the Global Space Tribes. Within the context of the tribe, we find the individual participating element, whether as business investors, environmental workers or first responders. Finally, I would like to mention the enormous velocity within the world volume. Those who understand its movements understand where the world is heading, which could be in just one direction or many directions or it might be in any combination of centrifugal and centripetal development, which always exists within the volume of the world. As such, 8W8 and the world of the Global Space Tribes are technically a program that allows the pilot to render invisible values visible; however, it is also a concept and way of perceiving the world.”


For more please visit www.8W8.com. 8W8 - Global Space Tribes is available on Amazon.com in both print and Kindle edition as well as for free on Google Books.

Kindle App Coming To Android And Windows Tablets

Kindle apps not only for iPad: Android and Windows Tablet are coming ...

January is DLD Time - Update Your Reality

As every year in January most innovative DLD Conference - Digital, Life & Design - takes place in Munich, Germany. Right before the World Economic Forum being held in Davos, Switzerland, many thought leaders come to town and exchange views and opinions of their various backgrounds of science, business, art and more.

Cool highlights of previous years:




And for more: www.dld-conference.com


In the fiction work 8W8 - Global Space Tribes, www.8W8.com, the fictive Internet think tank The Golden Sky develops the world modeling engine 8W8. It renders and visualizes world stake holding dynamics ... interested in learning more? It is available on Google books for free, for Kindle and in print on Amazon.com. 8W8 - Global Space Tribes has been an Amazon Kindle Globalization bestseller for almost three years or since the very beginning when Kindle was launched.

Facebook at 50 Billion US$ Valuation

It is great to see that Facebook, the leading platform enabling Global Space Tribes to communicate with each other around the world - excluding China unless you use an international mobile or Inraxx - is doing so well. Congrats to Mark Zuckerberg and his team.

Time - Person of the Year: Mark Zuckerberg

Click here if you like to know why Time has voted for Zuck as the person of the year 2010.

In case you have been wondering what Zuckerberg means in English... you could call him sugar mountain from now on.

Happy New Year Worldwide

Nice picture series on Spiegel

Going Global: Chinese Currency

On ft.com, Financial Times, there is a nice write up on how the Chinese currency Renminbi is going global. Even US companies like Caterpillar and McDonald's are issuning Rmb bonds - globalization is in full swing; with or without recession. The question of who is actually owning the money is the real question the way it always should have.

You can find the entire article on ft.com

If you are interested in modeling the world dynamics you may want to check out 8W8.com. Have fun visualizing the invisible.

Kindle Book Gifts For Anyone With An E-mail Address

Amazon hast just released this little, awesome feature that will have massive impact on the way digital content vs printed content in the books world will be distributed: cheaper, faster, environment friendlier, readable on any device (no Kindle needed). Well done Amazon.

Want to "gift" 8W8 - Global Space Tribes? Here you can check it out.

Kindle Everywhere

For 8W8 - Global Space Tribes on Kindle click here.

The Social Network - The Facebook Movie

The movie The Social Network has been out there for a couple of weeks now and indeed can be highly recommended. It is a little less about Facebook in respect to its user base and what the impact of all those Triber's activities are, but on building and developing an Internet company that is behind everything the 500 million members are using every day. For those interested in what the mega-trend of social networks and / or Facebook are 8W8 - Global Space Tribes might be worth a read.

Stephen Hawking and 8W8 beyond today

Stephen Hawking on bigthink.com

If you like to read the entire article please click on the link above, otherwise here is the

Takeaway

One way or another, the life on Earth will likely become uninhabitable for mankind in the future. We need to start seriously thinking about how we will free ourselves from the constraints of this dying planet.

and the video




In the "faction" work 8W8 - Global Space Tribes the Internet think-tank The Golden Sky has investigated many aspects of the world today and is modeling the world via its world modeling engine 8W8 in various ways. Here is a dialogue sharing some thoughts the group came up with. It partly ties in nicely with Stephen Hawking's "big thinking"


Extract from 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

Chapter IV - The Aerially Shaped Opportunities

... “What volume will the earth be able to carry and support? The stakeholders of the world will merge into the Global Space Tribes of the world and with its Elements, Substances and Action power. Whether the impact of these forces is intentional or unintentional, they will continue to contribute to the shaping of the world and its continuing growth. If growth is largely powered by nonrenewable natural resources, it is reasonable to assume that growth is limited and is finite. In this scenario the Earth’s Substance volume shrinks and the Action volume may follow. In addition, the pollution of the earth will likely contribute to this scenario and the clouds in the Sky Level would turn black. The good news is that with 8W8 the world can be seen and understood better, and therefore the right and necessary political, regulatory, business and social decisions can be made so that the Earth Substance will be stronger and the Sky Level will shine brighter instead of turning black.

“Taking 8W8 towards the 22nd Century, and obviously after the world has organized and structured itself into Global Space Tribes, the Global Space Tribes will emerge out of the world and integrated cyber spaces as we now know them. Space planets will appear out of the space of Global Space Tribes. By then, we will be able to enjoy the next journey made possible by the 8S8 Shuttle—the Space People Shuttle powered by the space modeling engine ‘8S8.’ World People will become Space People flying into the next cycle of evolution.”

Sonja, sat down, and looking into the faces of her colleagues. “That’s it, guys, unless Terri has something further to add.” Theresa shook her head, indicating that she was done. Then Sonja asked if anyone else had further input. The room was unusually quiet; the members of the Golden Sky had come to the end of their 24-hour breakout and they were all obviously exhausted.

“Look,” exclaimed Antônio. “The sun is up, and look at the horizon. It’s golden.”

“It’s an auspicious moment,” said Emanuel. “It’s awesome. I am as inspired by it, as I am about the work that has come out of this group over the last week. I am honored to have been a part of the labor that has brought forth our beautiful communal child.”

...

8W8 - Global Space Tribes can be read on Google Books for free and is available on Amazon.com both in print and Kindle edition

Social Media Map 2007 - 2010

Maps courtesy of www.wallblog.co.uk of BRANDREPUBLIC

For quite some while there has been this thought that social media platforms like facebook, myspace and more fragmented niche sites could be considered equivalent to countries or be transitioned into some virtual geography ... so below you see some maps on how this would actually look like.





For those, who would like to dig into this subject deeper ... they may apply the world modeling engine 8W8, www.8W8.com. It can take all aspects of live and our planet into account and dynamically renders YOUR information based on YOUR criteria set.



If you like to learn more about it, the book is available on Amazon and can be read on Google Books for free.

Soccer and Globalization, World Cup 2010

The largest tribe in the sport's world is certainly the global soccer community. "How Soccer Explains the World" by Franklin Foer has been in the Amazon Kindle Globalization Charts for quite some time. Now it is World Cup and I would like to bring it to your extension. An easy read for summer.

For more information here is the Amazon link.

Enjoy the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Good luck for your team.

Kindle Top Paid

Amazon Kindle bestseller rankings exclude free offerings as of now, hence reflect what consumers like best also when having to attach a value to it. Good move. For those interested in globalization, here are the latest:

Kindle Bestsellers in Globalization

Top 100 Paid

1. World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Thomas L. Friedman (Author)

2. Mein Kampf (with linked TOC)
Adolf Hitler (Author), James Murphy (Translator)

3. The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Naomi Klein (Author)

4. How Soccer Explains the World
Franklin Foer (Author)

5. The Great Brain Race: How Global Universities Are Reshaping the World
Ben Wildavsky (Author)

6. One Economics, Many Recipes: Globalization, Institutions, and Economic Growth
Dani Rodrik (Author)

7. Free Trade Doesn't Work: What Should Replace It and Why
Ian Fletcher (Author), Edward Luttwak (Foreword)

8. 8W8 - Global Space Tribes
Ralf Hirt (Author)

9. Two Stars for Peace
Martine Rothblatt (Author)

10. Power and Plenty: Trade, War, and the World Economy in the Second Millennium
Ronald Findlay (Author), Kevin H. O'Rourke (Author)

11. Making Globalization Work
Joseph E. Stiglitz (Author)

12. Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path toward Social Justice
Bill Fletcher Jr. (Author), Fernando Gapasin (Author)

13. The New World Order and the Eugenics Wars: A Christian Perspective
Andrew John Hoffman (Author)

14. Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights, and the New War on the Poor
Paul Farmer (Author), Amartya Sen (Foreword)

15. Moving Millions: How Coyote Capitalism Fuels Global Immigration
Jeffrey Kaye (Author)

Facebakers.com

8W8, the world modeling engine, developed by the Internet think-tank The Golden Sky takes many aspects of live, people, statistics, soft and hard values into account.

If you are interested in learning on what is going on in the Facebook-world you should visit facebakers.com. They developed a nice application to understand the Facebook's tribes high-level DNA's and what they are actually doing and being interested in.

Have fun.

Web 3.0 by Kate Ray: Great Clip on Post Google

What an excellent film on Web 3.0 or how it all works together moving forward!

Anyone interested in the semantic Web and the era Google's current model will be struggling with.

Web 3.0 from Kate Ray on Vimeo.

What does the next version of the Web look like, 'Web X.X?', that is the ongoing question and was also discussed during the break-out session of the Internet think-tank The Golden Sky when developing the world modeling engine 8W8. A small, not so serious extract below ...

8W8 - Global Space Tribes

Chapter I - The Invisible World

... BridgeMan, sensing a lull in the conversation, scanned the faces of the Golden Sky and said, “Winston mentioned that you guys will be going on a retreat at the end of December at his place on the Big Island. So, what’s going to be the topic, ‘Web 2.0’?”

Since his eyes were focused on Sonja, she quickly responded to what she felt was an irksome fishing expedition on the part of BridgeMan. “Not Web 2.0,” she said in a sly almost political tone, “but, Web 8.8”.

Terri’s eyes shot a glance to Sonja, as if to say, “Enough,” but the look of caution was unnecessary. Sonja wasn’t going to give up anything. Terri looked at Winston as if to ask him had he mentioned anything to BridgeMan. Winston made a furtive gesture indicating that he had not mentioned their future break-out topic.

BridgeMan began to feel uncomfortable since it was not normal for him as a CEO of a large international IT company to be kept out of the information loop.

...

For more please visit 8w8.com, amazon.com, or read all for free on Google Books.

The Facebook Effect

Recently,'The Facebook Effect' by David Kirkpatrick has been released . If anyone is interested in getting to know the company that has been building the platform for the world of the Global Space Tribes this might be worth a read.

You find more information on Amazon.com

Japan to launch solar-powered spacecraft

Copyright Jaxa


As reported by the Financial Times, ft.com, Japan launches its first solar powered spacecraft. Going green and exploring space further is also something the Internet think-tank The Golden Sky in 8W8 - Global Space Tribes looked into. Here is a small extract or read the whole by clicking on the links the below.




Extract from 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

Chapter IX - The Aerially Shaped Opportunities


... “One can ask, ‘How does the world really look?’ After traveling and using the aerial dynamics of the 8W8 helicopter, a Global Space Triber will see and experience the way the world really exists once the invisible has been revealed. While it can be said that this is always a matter for the beholder, there’s a consensus: as the world economy continues to grow, the surfaces of the world will grow in tandem with it. This growth will not always be synchronous; in fact it may differ significantly. However, volumes and hence surface heights will grow.

“What volume will the earth be able to carry and support? The stakeholders of the world will merge into the Global Space Tribes of the world and with its Elements, Substances and Action power. Whether the impact of these forces is intentional or unintentional, they will continue to contribute to the shaping of the world and its continuing growth. If growth is largely powered by nonrenewable natural resources, it is reasonable to assume that growth is limited and is finite. In this scenario the Earth’s Substance volume shrinks and the Action volume may follow. In addition, the pollution of the earth will likely contribute to this scenario and the clouds in the Sky Level would turn black. The good news is that with 8W8 the world can be seen and understood better, and therefore the right and necessary political, regulatory, business and social decisions can be made so that the Earth Substance will be stronger and the Sky Level will shine brighter instead of turning black.

“Taking 8W8 towards the 22nd Century, and obviously after the world has organized and structured itself into Global Space Tribes, the Global Space Tribes will emerge out of the world and integrated cyber spaces as we now know them. Space planets will appear out of the space of Global Space Tribes. By then, we will be able to enjoy the next journey made possible by the 8S8 Shuttle—the Space People Shuttle powered by the space modeling engine ‘8S8.’ World People will become Space People flying into the next cycle of evolution.”

...

for more please visit Amazon.com, 8W8.com or read on Google Books for free.

iPad vs Kindle vs Kindle iPad Apps

Amazon announced its Kindle App for iPad is now available in the App Store. This means you do not need the Kindle device anymore. The Kindle software is basically a tool for Amazon to keep its clients in the digital world independent from their choice of book reading device. That is cool so you can enjoy the Kindle features on the device of your choice and this is how it should be. Well done everyone.

Google: redirecting the Chinese Tribe

A virtual move:

Watch the ft.com video

Hong Kong Art Walk

www.hongkongartwalk.com

The 8W8 - Global Space Tribes blog gets quite some traffic from users interested in the arts since I posted something on the NYC based graffiti artist James De La Vega the first time. The same is true for some of the posts later down the track. Great to see that the Arts Tribe is coming here from time to time. If you do not live in Hong Kong you may enjoy the virtual Hong Kong art walk starting here.

The World Is Not Only Flat But Fast: Cisco

In the 90's when the world turned flat (Thomas Friedman, The World is Flat) this largely happened due to hyped-up tech firms providing initial Internet infrastructure around the globe. Today Cisco has announced a new router generation that would enable everyone in China make a video call at once ...

Watch Bloomberg on Youtube right here:

Mess Part II: The Road From Ruin

Just after posting the PIGS mess ... Here is the road map how to get out of the global one ...




Extract from Amazon product description:

We Have a World-Class Mess . . . Now What?

Amid the carnage of bankruptcies, soaring unemployment, and millions of families losing their homes during the financial crisis of 2007–2009 lay the bloody corpse of a set of ideas that had underpinned the economics of the previous thirty years. A system that had been delivering unprecedented prosperity on a global scale suddenly teetered on the verge of collapse. Capitalism was seemingly exposed as a house of cards. The blame game became a new national pastime as doomsayers predicted the end of America’s leadership of the world economy.

We’re at a crossroads, and decisions about how to reshape a discredited capitalism will profoundly affect whether the coming years will be ones of depression, stagnation, or renewed prosperity.

Instant analysis since the collapse of the financial system in the fall of 2008 has produced no end of ideas about what to do—ranging from those of free market ideologues (let the market do its work and damn the consequences) to extreme government interventionists determined to keep the animal spirits of capitalism penned up.

But if there is anything worse than toxic financial assets it is toxic ideas. We need to reject the old orthodoxies and conventional wisdoms. Matthew Bishop and Michael Green take a step back and analyze what can be learned from financial crises of the past—from the Tulip Craze of the seventeenth century through the Great Depression of the 1930s, Japan’s Great Deflation, and the Long-Term Capital debacle of the 1990s to the unprecedented interventions of the government during the past year—to set the agenda for a reformed twenty-first-century capitalism. The result is an enlightening perspective on what set us on the road to ruin, as well as road signs to guide us back to prosperity.

--Why bubbles are the consequence of financial innovations that generate economic breakthroughs, but why it would be wrong to abandon these inventions of the financial engineers. The Road from Ruin explains how stifling innovation and risk-taking comes at a huge cost to future prosperity.

--Why the economy needed a fiscal stimulus to recover from the crisis. Bishop and Green show how economic dogmatists of the Right, who opposed the stimulus, got it wrong, but warn that those on the Left who want the stimulus to run and run could usher in a new era of high inflation.

--Why company bosses became too focused on short-term results and did not see the crisis coming. The Road from Ruin shows how we can get business leaders to put the interests of society ahead of their own pay-packets.

--The danger of focusing on the financial symptoms of the crisis without tackling the underlying economic causes, such as the world operating on the dollar standard. Bishop and Green show why the role of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency is not just a problem for the rest of the world but for the United States as well.

--Why many of capitalism’s champions—especially the advocates of the efficient market hypothesis—lost touch with reality. The Road from Ruin provides insights into new ideas in economics that recognize how the complexity and irrationality of the human beings who make up the economy can be harnessed to build a better capitalism.

Remarkably, the issues we face today have presented themselves in one form or another over the past three centuries. Matthew Bishop and Michael Green skillfully draw both the lessons learned and prescriptions for reform to prevent another catastrophic meltdown and put America back on top.

Amazon The Road from Ruin by Matthew Bishop and Michael Green

The PIGS Mess Is Not A Surprise

The situation the PIGS states Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain are in right now is just a logical consequence of the economic politics over the last years or even decade. Although many have read plenty of articles on the matter and continue to do so it just has been not clear what all that actually means. This is where the concept of the world modeling engine 8W8 comes in. It renders information and visualized the results. So if you go on a virtual 8W8 helicopter ride you will see the lack of economical substance of the PIGS. Great information everyone can make something out of. Sadly, only the bankers do - again.

8W8 - Global Space Tribes is available on Amazon in print and as Kindle edition. It also can be read on Google books for free. It has been in the Amazon Kindle Globalization charts for more than two years.

Ebooks everywhere: Kindle for PC. Kindle for iPhone

Now you can sync your library of Kindle books across your PC , iPhone , and Kindle with Kindle for PC and Kindle for iPhone . Whispersync technology automatically syncs your last page read across Kindle devices and apps - so you can always pick up right where you left off.

Ebooks everywhere. www.amazon.com

Kindle for BlackBerry

At this stage for the US only: Kindle for BlackBerry is available.

If you like to learn more: Kindle for BlackBerry it is

400.000 Books on your phone or Inraxx

Space Is The Place. Sun Ra Arkestra

DLD Conference Maps for the 21st Century. Part II: Videos

Meanwhile the DLD Conference - Digital, Life, Design - took place in Munich and the session "Maps for the 21st Century" has been a refreshing, creative addition to the program. For details please refer to previous post from January 23 or visit www.dld-conference.com

Here is the video "Maps for the 21st Century". It is more than two hours long so you may want to make yourself comfortable before joining in:



Click here to view all DLD videos

If you like to flexibly visualize the world based on your criteria you may want to dive into 8W8 - Global Space Tribes, www.8W8.com

Ouch!

Ouch! The US deficit is to hit a record of $1,556 billion – 10.6% of GDP – this year. While the deficit is an enormous amount, the % puts it a bit more in perspective. How does it compare to other countries and to the past, how does it compare to savings, assets, know-how, research, investment vs cost and more? This is why 8W8, the world modeling engine, renders such data, weightens the data based on a user's view or opinion and ultimately visualizes the state of a country in this case or a global space tribe based on other elements chosen.

Anyone interested in some of the aspects is able to find an extract of the definitions in the 8W8 - Global Space Tribes glossary . Otherwise 8W8 - Global Space Tribes can be read on Google Books for free; Amazon.com has it as print and Kindle edition.

Maps for the 21st Century - DLD Conference

As every year just before the World Economic Forum is held in Davos, Switzerland, innovative minds meet at the DLD Conference (Digital Life and Design), www.dld-conference.com, in Munich, Germany.

DLD is an inspiring community for the 21st century which features digital innovation, science and culture and brings together thought leaders, creators, entrepreneurs and investors from all over the world.

This year's fantastic program includes the session "Maps for the 21st Century" (DLD Version) curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist in collaboration with Johannes Fricke Waldthausen. For details please visit http://www.dld-conference.com/2010/01/maps-for-the-21st-century.php

Speakers include:

* Julieta Aranda (artist New York, Berlin)
* Rosa Barba (artist, Berlin)
* Peter Hirshberg (The Communication Group, San Francisco)
* Qiu Zhi Jie (artist, Beijing)
* Alexander Kluge (fIlmmaker, dtcp.tv, Munich)
* Aaron Koblin (artist, Google Creative Lab, San Francisco)
* Philippe Parreno (artist, Paris)
* Josef Penninger (Gen-Mapping Biologist, Scientist of the Year 2003, Vienna)
* Eric Rodenbeck (Stamen Design, San Francisco, Wired Magazine)
* Anri Sala (artist, Berlin)
* Dimitar Sasselov (Harvard Astrophysician, Boston)

Since in 8W8 - Global Space Tribes the fictive think-tank "The Golden Sky" developed the world modeling engine 8W8 to visualize the world of the 21st century from all aspects and angles, views and and opinions, this session above certainly will be of interest for all the readers.

Sonic Boom - Globalization at Mach Speed

"Sonic Boom is the business book you must read"—Eric Schmidt, Chairman/CEO of Google Inc.

"I strongly recommend this book to everyone who wants deep insights into the future without either excessive optimism or pessimism."—Gary Becker, University of Chicago economist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics and Presidential Medal of Freedom
"Better than any other, this book explains why the future of our world is still a globalized future, one in which the increasing speed of change will directly affect us all. If you read Thomas Friedman's The World Is Flat, you must read Sonic Boom, because this book is the next step."—Tyler Cowen, Holbert C. Professor of Economics at George Mason University, and co-Founder, Marginalrevolution.com

Newly released Sonic Boom is in the top ten sales ranks of the Amazon Kindle Globalization category.

The Emirate State Building?

Today the world's tallest building has been officially opened: Burj Dubai. Impressive architecture no doubt. Especially in recent volatile times navigating through the Emirates with the visualized view through the eyes of the world modeling engine 8W8 might be an interesting experience. In 8W8 - Global Space Tribes a plane trip to New York City and the Empire State Building has been described by Oskar Kiernan Fellow "OK Fellow". A tower is and is not what you get. For those interested in understanding realities this might be an enjoyable read.

Extract from 8W8 - Global Space Tribes

Chapter X - It Feels Good

...

“Then, as I continued east, I could see miles of geometric geography, manmade of course. Again, I couldn’t see the real elements that I knew existed in those great checkered squares. Where were the motorcycle freaks or journalists? I asked myself the question, ‘If the plane landed on the highway below, where would I find those people with whom I could share a sense of commonality?’ Further, the majestic snowcapped Rocky Mountains began to become inverted. They were tall, but were as empty as paper bags. I think that’s when I began to see the world differently. When I reached the Mississippi Valley, it was like looking at the earth with mirrored glasses.

“Instead of a valley I saw a chain of mountains rising, reaching its tallest point in the middle of St. Louis. I was aware that I was only seeing wealth, population and activity. I was frustrated because I couldn’t discern the various elements that made up the vision I was having. Where were the BMW folks, the writers, the people online? Later that day, as we flew into New York City’s airspace, I could see the slopes of a giant mountain getting taller and taller. I could see miles of streams of cars and other vehicles going up and down the mountain. The Hudson Valley suddenly became rolling hills growing in heights they got closer to Manhattan. When the Empire State Building became visible it looked like a tower on top of the mountain.

...


For more: 8W8 - Global Space Tribes is available on Amazon in print and Kindle edition as well as on Google books for free.

A Whole New World

Last month The Economist looked into the increasingly globalized art markets. Event though the arts have been a global subject for millenniums what is happening now and in the future is driven by many more aspects starting from the creation of arts with the global customer in mind.

'What is art?' has been a question since ever, but now you need to consider additionally 'What is the reality actually?".

Extract from The Economist

... Part of the problem, explains Colin Sheaf, Bonhams’s deputy chairman and head of its Asian art department, is that much of it has been “Chinese art produced by Chinese artists who think they’re producing things to Western taste. And it is bought by Westerners who think they’re buying Chinese taste.” Mainland Chinese collectors prefer more traditional 20th-century masters such as Chen Chengbo and Wu Guanzhong. Once those collectors begin turning their attention to buying contemporary art, they may look towards the global contemporary market rather than these “made for the West” pieces, which might then drop in price.


Either way. Now for enjoyment only:


Ofili’s African apparition



Yue Minyun’s demons



Ghadirian’s face of modern Iran

Huge Shift

Certainly a milestone in how we read books worldwide:

Extract from Amazon Press Release

Amazon Kindle is the Most Gifted Item Ever on Amazon.com. On Christmas Day, for the First Time Ever, Customers Purchased More Kindle Books Than Physical Books.

SEATTLE, Dec 26, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced that Kindle has become the most gifted item in Amazon's history. On Christmas Day, for the first time ever, customers purchased more Kindle books than physical books. The Kindle Store now includes over 390,000 books and the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read, including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases.

"We are grateful to our customers for making Kindle the most gifted item ever in our history," said Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com. "On behalf of Amazon.com employees around the world, we wish everyone happy holidays and happy reading!"

On Amazon's peak day, Dec. 14, 2009, customers ordered over 9.5 million items worldwide, which is a record-breaking 110 items per second.

Last-minute free X-mas Gift: Give a Link to Google Books '8W8 - Global Space Tribes'

In the spirit of making knowledge available to everyone worldwide this is a small contribution.

Just in time for X-mas 8W8 - Global Space Tribes is now available for free on Google Books; instant delivery and ecologically correct...



8W8 - Global Space Tribes on Google Books

If you like to read it on your Kindle or in print it is still available on Amazon.com and Booksurge.com as well.

8W8 - Global Space Tribes has been released two years ago and since then has been an Amazon Kindle Bestseller in the Globalization category.

Carbon Emissions Simulator by FT.com

Amongst the world stake holding factors the world modeling engine 8W8 renders there is also an environmental level.

Now The Financial Times has released an interactive graph on Carbon Emissions. If you are interested here is the link: www.ft.com

For the link to Going Green on 8W8 please click here: 8W8.com or read below ...


8W8 - Global Space Tribes, extract from Chapter X - It Feels Good

...

"Take Sonja, whose business interest focuses on the production and distribution of naturally and locally grown foods, 'Bio' for short: her Global Space Tribe might be named Bio Foods Distribution and Production Global Space Tribe, or, BFDPgst. Sonja, like Hans, is a member of the Green Business Tribe, 'GreenBucks,' for short, which would include any business from environementally proactive automobile manufacturers to energy producing businesses. We could call their tribe, which would also include our hooky playing colleague, Antonio, the GBTgst, or simply, GBgst.


“But, you don’t have to be Green, or be in a Green business to be able to use 8W8. For Charles, Michael or Priyanka, it would allow them to run scenarios on business opportunities depending on weighting and relevancy of criterion. Based on the scenario they want to take the bet on or split a risk proportionally, they can see the world and invest or develop business plans. Am I making myself clear, Stephen?” she said almost condescendingly, as a college professor would inquire of a student who was having difficulty understanding a simple point.

Mann nodded affirmatively, feeling a little less confident in his intellecutal prowess. All of a sudden, he remembered that he was in a room with two individuals who had been mentioned for a Nobel Prize and 13 others, including Madam Chee, who were giants in their respective fields.

...

Wow: Amazon Kindle is Amazon's Bestselling Item

Amazon Inc. announced impressive Q3/09 results. 5 billion $ in revenues, guidance for Q4 are 8 - 9 billion $.

In the Amazon press release, Jeff Bezos says the "Kindle has become the #1 bestselling item by both unit sales and dollars – not just in our electronics store but across all product categories on Amazon.com."

This is quite a milestone. I guess here it goes:

WSJ on Kindle: The Book That Contains All Books

From the Wall Street Journal ...

The Book That Contains All Books
The globally available Kindle could mark as big a shift for reading as the printing press and the codex

On Monday, the Kindle 2 will become the first e-reader available globally. The only other events as important to the history of the book are the birth of print and the shift from the scroll to bound pages. The e-reader, now widely available, will likely change our thinking and our being as profoundly as the two previous pre-digital manifestations of text. The question is how. And the answer can be found in the history of earlier book forms.



read the entire article

America for Sale by Dr. Jerome Corsi

Many things are invisible for the naked eye. A scenario that could be modeled with 8W8, the world modeling engine developed by the Internet think-tank The Golden Sky in 8W8 - Global Space Tribes, would be "America for Sale' written by Dr. Jerome Corsi. Btw. it could apply for any other country also, of course. America for Sale is an Amazon Kindle bestseller in the globalization category. An introduction below:

From Amazon:

Product Description

A RESOUNDING CALL TO DEFEND AMERICA'S SOVEREIGNTY AND SAVE OUR NATION FROM GLOBAL ECONOMIC TAKEOVER -- FROM THE #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE OBAMA NATION AND THE LATE GREAT USA

Between President George W. Bush's "new world order" and the unprecedented governmental growth and massive redistribution of wealth under President Barack Obama, the United States risks losing the greatest middle class ever created in the history of the world. In his groundbreaking new book, Dr. Jerome R. Corsi blows the whistle on a movement to undercut the fundamental principles of limited government that our Founding Fathers fought for and died for trying to establish. As policy-makers manipulate the economic panic of our times to advance a globalist agenda that threatens American sovereignty, we must protect our independent and self-governing nation and preserve the decades of economic power and military strength we have enjoyed since the end of World War II .

In America for Sale, Corsi explains the globalists' plan to put America on the chopping block. While the radical Left promotes socialism and the radical Right champions unbridled free trade, valuable jobs are being outsourced, our national borders erased, and our dollar destroyed before our very eyes. Foreign investors are buying up U.S. assets, from financial-services firms to public infrastructure such as highways. We are on our way to a European Union-type North American common market and a one-world government.

With constructive solutions for resisting the global New Deal, reversing our dependence on foreign oil, and strengthening our middle class, Corsi shares important and practical strategies to help American families survive an imminent economic depression. The United States can be a major player in the world economy without sacrificing our sovereignty, the strength of our national domestic economy, or the dollar. America is for sale -- unless taxpayers stand up and say "NO!" to the globalist political agenda that threatens our great nation's freedom.


About the Author
Dr. Jerome Corsi received a Ph.D. from Harvard University in political science in 1972 and has written many books and articles, including the No. 1 New York Times best-seller, Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry. His latest best-seller was The Late Great USA: The Coming Merger with Mexico and Canada. He is a senior staff reporter for WorldNetDaily.com and the author of two books on contemporary Iran: Atomic Iran and Showdown with Nuclear Iran. In his 2005 book Black Gold Stranglehold: The Myth of Scarcity and the Politics of Oil, which he co-authored with Craig. R. Smith, Dr. Corsi predicted oil prices at over $100 a barrel.