Chapter I
1. The Second Book of Thinkers, just as in the First, covers those people throughout history who've dealt with the human rather than the technical.
2. It is certainly not the intention to disparage any who have pursued ends other than human, but between the human and the technical, the technical is simplicity;
3. Between the human and the mathematical, the mathematical is simplicity;
4. Between the human and science, science is simplicity;
5. Between the human and partisan politics, partisan politics is simplicity;
6. Between the human and commerce, commerce is simplicity;
7. Between the human and literary endeavour, literary endeavour is simplicity;
8. Between the human and religion, religion is simplicity;
9. Between the human and quantum cosmology, quantum cosmology is simplicity.
10. The analysis of the why could be extensive but is utterly unnecessary.
11. All of the biggest problems in the world are thoroughly rooted in human matters,
12. And as at the end of the twentieth century we are unable to solve any of them.
13. In all other endeavours we have answers that allow us a comfort zone.
14. This is all the context that is needed to understand why, against all other things the human element or human matters are by far the most complex.
15. It is an important qualification to be made, that some will say we could solve our human problems if we do this or that, but this statement that some would make only enhances the point being made in the discourse.
16. Almost anything could be done, but a thing's ability to be done is only proven as and when it is being done, or perhaps only when it has been done.
17. We like to believe that there have been genius amongst us, but the genius that has cross-endeavour application and extensive understanding in all things could not have existed yet.
18. If such a person has existed, then it has been to our shame, but even more to their shame (if they have existed) that the human problems remain not only unsolved, but in a state of accelerated entropy.
19. Do not fool yourself into believing that we've seen true genius yet;
20. What we have seen, as at the end of the twentieth century, is high-functioning savants, and those with extraordinarily well developed Photographic Memories.
21. We all stare at them in awe because they have a rare gift, and we call them genius, and this is well, but when it comes to the human, when it comes to that which is most important to humans, such individuals often have less insight than Joe or Joanne Average down at the corner store.
22. They are extraordinary. No-one can argue that, but true genius they are not.
23. We will know when a true genius arrives on the scene, because within two decades of its arrival (and I purposely avoid the gender designation) most of the biggest problems in this world will be solved,
24. But even more, all those in power who change things will believe they acted independently to change things; the true genius will necessarily receive very little credit in the great accomplishments.
25. To paraphrase what someone famous once said, a true genius will wear its wisdom and knowledge like a pocket watch, pull it out only occasionally and return it before anybody else sees it.
26. All those who are represented in this Second Book of Thinkers are closer to True Genius than any of those we have called genius; closer than Albert Einstein, closer than Stephen Hawking, closer than Isaac Newton, Michael Faraday or da Vinci.
27. Closer to True Genius because they have striven to seek the answers to the human element,
28. And they have given us a foundation so that we may stand on their shoulders and get closer to solutions for some of our biggest problems;
29. Perhaps one day even solve them without the aid of a True Genius.
30. In this Second Book of Thinkers you will find the words of a wide range of thinkers through the ages including Spinoza, Confucius, Hegel, Kierkegaard, Satayana, Godwin, even Machiavelli and Aurelius, and several others.
31. It doesn't matter who wrote which passages. What matters is the understanding in the words; and that you can see the truth in them, and in this regard it is irrelevant who wrote them.
32. It is important to make clear that certain understandings stated by the various thinkers in this book should not be taken as meaning certain things are acceptable in society, when our own compass clearly says they are not.
33. Those chapters that speak of the way people are and the way they will behave are simply objective statements of understanding, and should not be taken that it is acceptable to do them.