Preface to the Second Edition

This greatly expanded revision was prompted by the many questions I received after the original edition proved to be so popular and piqued the curiosity of so many. I have added further accounts of the interaction of the Project with other societies, scenes from Semillas, a greater emphasis on “Kai-Kai’s” interactions with his own age group, and also information on internal Project affairs which has now become declassified. Corrections have been made to the accounts of some incidents and conversations. More epidemiological information is included, based largely on material that has appeared in The Sire Journal, which remarkably still contributes valuable and original insights in the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology and medicine even though the work of the Sire Project has long been completed. By unanimous consent of its editors it has kept its original name as a tribute to the gentle young man who “powered” the Project. Speaking of which, this edition benefits from more in-depth interviews with the Sire himself, whom it can be hard to catch up with these days. At his request, proceeds from this edition will be donated to the Kyodai Task Force on Endangered Cultures. I encourage all to visit their “action centers” in Paris, Hong Kong, New York, São Paulo, Juba and Melbourne.

A.C.H.

New York

August 31, 2074