GOOGLE BOOKS AND THE END OF HISTORY

By Peter Duveen

PETER'S NEW YORK, December 15, 2008--I have often wondered why Google Inc. was interested in scanning all the world's books into its formidable Google Books database in short order. It was only a number of years ago that the company announced its ambitious project, and it has already made great, if uneven, progress in its implementation. It's a dramatic and democratic gesture, giving the proletariat access to the world's books at the touch of a keyboard. But in light of Google's cozy relationship with elitist organizations such as the Council on Foreign Relations, the company having only a few years ago recruited its vice president for global communications from that organization, its move toward universal access to the wealth of human knowledge almost strikes one as anomalous.