Reading Virtual Minds, Volume I [Paperback]

For me, reading this book crystallized many of the concepts that underpin NextStage technology, and I feel like I am better able to articulate its promise. As I read, a foundation was built - barely perceptible - it wasn't just a string of "aha moments"; it was more like pieces falling into place and gaps being filled. Clearly if you've ever wondered what the technology is all about or how it came to be, this book is for you. However, it's perfectly obvious that this book is a must-read for anybody who has heard Joseph speak about the NextStage technology over the years. What is less obvious, perhaps, is that this is not a book only for web analysts or other web technologists. I believe this book will appeal also to anyone fascinated by human behavior, invention, science, and technology. If you happen to be a web analyst who also happens to be fascinated by those things, congratulations: you have found your ideal weekend reading. I very much look forward to the next volume.

I have been learning from Joseph in various ways for several years - sometimes in person, often through his writing. We have worked together on various projects together. His humor, stories and patience have been great aids to me as a novice in navigating social media in various forms. That humor, the story telling, insight and patience all come through in this book. It is not a "how-to," but rather an engaging introduction to his very original way of thinking about how individuals reveal themselves through their behaviors. My only critique is that at times I wish he had written a longer book: Some short paragraph would cause me to think about something in a new way and I wanted to explore what he meant and what I thought about it. Fortunately, he cross references his many writings elsewhere and promises a second volume. Through this book, I'm still learning from him, and that's the highest recommendation I can give anyone's (nonfiction) book.

Think of every science fiction movie and television show you've ever seen. Remember every scene where any physical object, from a robot to a chair, interacts with an individual according to their size, preferences, mood, etc.

Evolution Technology ("ET" for short), is the technology behind Reading Virtual Minds. The scenes you're remembering? ET makes them possible. All of them.

To sum up the book, "The human brain is wired in a specific way and is bound by the rules of that wiring. Anything which can't be attributed to direct cause and effect of that wiring must be unique to the individual using the computer [or any object]."

Age is unique.
Gender is unique.
Emotional engagement is unique.
Excitement is unique.
Frustration is unique.
Confusion is unique.
The threshold required to reach any of those emotional states is unique for each individual, and that barely scratches the surface. The list seems to be limited by the number of times someone asks "Can ET ______?".

The answer? Yes. It can. Further, Evolution technology is small, fast, and works with any human/object interface.

Re-stated so you don't miss that. It applies to -any human/object interface-.

* Education: Imagine being able to know the learning potential of any student in the classroom, and the moment any get confused.
* Education2: PCs (or iPads): Imagine eBooks that tailor themselves to the way your brain learns, so you can instantly recall what you read six months earlier.
* Human Resources/Management: Imagine live measurements of every departments' staff satisfaction level.
* Marketing: Imagine knowing which pages of your website bored your visitors before they decided to leave.
* Business: Imagine an alarm clock that reminds you of what you're doing every time you get distracted.
* Medical/Behavioral: Imagine diagnosing neurological & psychological disorders over the web.
* Automotive: Imagine your car recognizing you by touch, and your seats adjusting without controls until they sense you're comfortable.

Evolution Technology isn't just a dream. It's here. Today. Working. Many of my colleagues and I have used it and been amazed (and sometimes humbled) by the insights it provides. New ET-based tools seem to pop up in the NextStage Knowledgeshop every month - presents for the endlessly curious.

Like a cloud, ET has the potential to bring peaceful and refreshing mist, and it has the potential to bring oak-shattering lightning. NextStage tools' license agreements retain the right to refuse anyone in order to prevent harmful outcomes. Regardless of how it's used, however, Evolution Technology exists, and its existence will change your world.

As I said, I'm barely scratching the surface. Reading Virtual Minds, dimmed by its marketing-esque cover, heralds an age where our environment, our books, our possessions, understand what we need before we can ask for them. It also heralds an age of prejudices that have never before been possible. You owe it to yourself and those you care about to read it and explain it. I personally bought ten copies for family and friends.