197. Renaissance Web Pioneer Tackles Evolution-Design Divide
Perry S. Marshall
Perry Marshall is an author, speaker, engineer, and business consultant in Chicago. With a decade of research, he brings a fresh perspective to the 150-year-old evolution debate. His book, Evolution 2.0, harnesses a communication engineer’s outsider perspective to reveal a century of unrecognized scientific research and discoveries. Drawing on his expertise in digital communications, control systems, acoustics, and e-commerce, Perry brings practical insight to questions about nature and science.
How Did You Start Using Your Talents?
Perry discovered his “inner geek” early in life. “When I was 17 I decided to major in electrical engineering. I was intensely curious about it, but I knew I only understood it at a surface level. I was designing and building stereo equipment, and already had a business selling speakers through a local dealer. I thought, ‘If I got an electrical engineering degree I would really know this subject down to the bedrock.’ I did get the degree and got to know it down to the bedrock.”
The Most Impactful Turning Point?
After immersing himself in various aspects of electrical engineering, he became interested in computer networks. As with his other pursuits, he got down to the bedrock as he prepared to write a book about Ethernets. Along the way, a conversation with his brother—a Christian missionary who had become disillusioned—Perry started thinking about the intricate, logical patterns in electronics, wondering if similar patterns might be found in nature. Six years and hours of research later, he completed his book, Evolution 2.0: Breaking the Deadlock between Darwin and Design.
The Most Powerful Lessons Learned?
Perry began to see a way of beginning to bridge the gulf between some religions and science. “The Darwin skeptics are right about a lot of things. But the Darwinists are also right about a lot of things. Looking at the two sides, scouring the propaganda—a meticulous surgery—the two sides started coming together. When you fill in the missing story, all of a sudden it makes sense. What you find out is evolution of organisms is remarkably similar to the evolution of jazz, coffee shops, politics, art, cell phones, software, automobiles. There are some very consistent patterns you see over and over again.”
Steps to Success from Perry S. Marshall
1. Don’t allow yourself to live in a silo. Open yourself up to information outside your specialty.
2. Learn the topics that intrigue you “down to the bedrock.”
3. Don’t be afraid to tackle new subjects, but bring your life’s learnings with you.
On His Bookshelf
80/20 Sales and Marketing: The Definitive Guide to Working Less and Making More, by Perry Marshall
Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords: How to Access 1 Billion People in 10 Minutes, by Perry Marshall, Mike Rhodes, Bryan Todd
Industrial Ethernet, by Perry S. Marshall, John S. Rinaldi
Evolution 2.0: Breaking the Deadlock Between Darwin and Design, by Perry Marshall
Connecting With Perry S. Marshall
Website: http://cosmicfingerprints.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfingerprints
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2.0.evolution
