It was pure coincidence that I read the two books – ” The New Culture of Desire ” by Melinda Davis and ” Karama! – Journeys Through The Arab Spring ” by Johnny Smith in quick succession.
While Melinda creates a new geography of the human imagination that will not only help humankind navigate technology but also enable us to find our way around the inside of our brains and provides five radical strategies that will change our business and life , Johnny takes us through a journey in Tunisia , Egypt and Libya immediately after the Arab Spring where the author encounters revolutionists and security staff at the ground level who narrate the why’s and how’s of the revolution which dethroned three long term leaders – Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Muammar Gaddafi of Libya in quick succession .
It is technology and its absorption by the common public enabling a tectonic shift in lifestyle, desire and new hope which is central to the theme of both the books. While Melinda dwells on the life changes at personal and societal levels , Johnny tells us how a primitive Middle east society harness the power of the Internet , Television and Social Networking to start a revolution and overthrow the dictators in short time through public opinion and revolution.
Both the books have fascinating insights and foretell shape of things to come , probably in China , Myanmar , Tibet and other places where Democracy is still a distant dream .