Dedication

Many people in the computer software industry are preoccupied with the year 2000. How many systems will break down? How much money will it cost to keep things going? I find myself thinking about the year 2000 as more of a handy "check point" for the state of humanity. After all, if we are going to consider ourselves as somehow more than just mammals, we should hold ourselves to a different standard than simply propagation of the species and individual survival.

So I ask myself: What progress have we made (over the last 100 years, 1000, 2000, whatever!) in fashioning a world grounded in justice and equality? And I would have to say that the picture as we approach the year 2000 is fairly bleak. Most people live in poverty, a handful control most of the resources and power, and--well, I'm sure you've read the same stories I have. It's easy to get depressed, isn't it? Fortunately, some among us refuse to accept the status quo.

I dedicate this book to the thousands and thousands of people around the world who devote their lives to combating tyranny and exploitation--those who never receive awards from corporate foundations and often perish "en la lucha" -- especially those who suffer at the hands of my own government.

Forget about the generals, CEOs, and sports celebrities of our day. They just show you how well mammals can adapt to highly varied circumstances and still flourish. Let's instead celebrate and recognize the few among us who represent the best of what we can achieve as moral beings.