At the turn of the century I hadn’t given much thought to technology in a social sense. I was blissfully content teaching my students (in Beirut at that time) how to use proprietary operating systems and their related applications. One summer while visiting California I wandered into a bookstore, browsed the tech section, and bought a copy of The Future of Ideas. I returned to Lebanon and cracked it open. To be honest, after reading the first few chapters I was bored. However, the boredom was a product of my own apathy, not the content of the book. I recall getting a little angry with myself. I could sense that what was on the pages was important, but felt frustrated that I wasn’t taking it seriously. I wasn’t listening. I didn’t care to put in the effort to learn or think critically about such matters.
With a stubborn determination, I started again from chapter 1. I used a browser as I read. I researched many of the terms, personalities, and concepts brought up in the text. It started coming together and I began having fun making sense of it all. In short, it was the start of what turned into “GNUosphere”.
Naturally, I was pleased to hear that this inspiring book is now free.
