The Non-Fiction Author Gerard Colby
Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:12 pm
Colby has written about what C. Wright Mills described as the Power Elite (an important sociological work) in books like Du Pont: Behind the Nylon Curtain and Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil.
What is possibly unique about Thy Will Be Done is the incredible depth of inquiry and examination of decision-making with regards to Rockefeller's empire building. It appears that Colby was influenced by Jaynes (The Origin of Consciousness is listed in the bibliography) in his thinking about power, economics, language, and social organization. The book is simply incredible, and if one were curious how one might apply Jaynes' theory, this might be a good example.
Here is an interview with Colby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqdQt1YAmiY
What is possibly unique about Thy Will Be Done is the incredible depth of inquiry and examination of decision-making with regards to Rockefeller's empire building. It appears that Colby was influenced by Jaynes (The Origin of Consciousness is listed in the bibliography) in his thinking about power, economics, language, and social organization. The book is simply incredible, and if one were curious how one might apply Jaynes' theory, this might be a good example.
Here is an interview with Colby: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqdQt1YAmiY