dispatches from the new world of work

Wow!

Book cover, the Federalist papers, 1818 edition

I gave Susan a MacBook Pro15 for Christmas—and was pretty damned proud of myself. (I plan to RTM—return to Mac—in 2007.) But she left me in tears, as she turned back the clock to about 180 B.M. (180 years Before Mac.) Yep, I wept when I unwrapped a mint condition 1818 edition of The Federalist—see photo above. (The 1818 was an original—that is, the original original plus current-to-1818 addenda from James Madison et a few.)

The period from the end of the Revolutionary War through about 1815 or so is my hobby. The end of the war was the beginning of an intense and at times acrimonious effort to define human governance in a totally original way.

I love the period as a very amateur historian; but I also love it because this struggle for appropriate organizational models has been my professional preoccupation for over 30 years.

(Obviously this has ramifications for Iraq. The Battle of Baghdad was over in a flash; the effort to achieve stable and equitable governance thus began—and it's been the tough nut to crack. In fact, obviously, the nut has not been cracked—and may not/probably will not be cracked.)

Tom Peters posted this on 12/27/06.

Comments

Tom: Wow! Nice gift! I also share your (passionate?)interest in the period believing the Revolutionary War and Founding to be THE seminal event in modern history.

I have only a sixth edition Federalist Papers published in 1847 . . . As of late, as much as I admire Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Madison's work, I am beginning to believe the Anti-Federalists may have had it right.

Posted by S. Anthony Iannarino at December 27, 2006 5:11 PM

Amazing! Tom, you clearly have an intelligent, resourceful and thoughtful wife! Congratulations on your gift.

I hope to start a proper old book collection myself in the coming years, and this post is inspirational in what's available.

Posted by Jed Christiansen at December 27, 2006 6:59 PM

Ever wondered why it's a tough nut to crack? Who ever said the nut had to be cracked anyway?

Posted by John Hamilton at December 27, 2006 8:48 PM

Wonderful gift, TP! Surprising that Revolutionary War financiers Robert Morris and Haym Salomon aren't mentioned in your PPT. Our first venture capitalists, and also the first to be shafted ... There must be a valuable lesson there.

Posted by Mike L at December 27, 2006 9:48 PM

A fact Mike ... something about the historical (millenia) love-hate relations with financiers.

Posted by tom peters at December 28, 2006 8:45 AM

What amazingly remarkable gifts! The book is truly a treasure. Even more precious is the wife who understands you to the depth she could give such a gift...Yeah - Wow.

Posted by Walter White at December 28, 2006 10:00 AM

Hmmm...I am pretty sure the fruitcake I received is about that old....

Posted by Mike Neiss at December 28, 2006 3:02 PM