Jules Verne’s “Around The World In 80 Days” is on its inaugural world tour. Wallet to wallet, ereader to ereader, reader to reader, person to person. Everywhere it lands, its new owner pays it forward to the next reader’s wallet. The blockchain’s ledger holds its full itinerary.

The book, the payments, the itinerary, they’re all digital. The people are analog, human. The devices that hold their wallets and display the book are metal, glass, and plastic. Verne would be as fascinated as I am.

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” comes to mind. I rephrased a line from it for “The Token Heard Around The World.” His poem commemorates a monument to early skirmishes in the American Revolution. Tokens aren’t war, far from it. Books aren’t either, and sharing them around the world is something that warmongers often try very hard to thwart.

Today I finished reading Ryan Holiday’s latest book “Conspiracy.” The American Revolution was a conspiracy but the Concord shots heard around the world were not. They were very small actions that signified what may lay ahead for the status quo.

What does this around-the-world trip of a book’s Blockchain Token signify about what may come?

As we’ve explained before, secondary markets for ebooks. That may not be your cup of tea but it appeals to many people, and now you and they can try it.

Verne’s book is traveling as paid-for gifts wrapped in a token. That’s not mercantilism, that’s volunteer activism. Generosity, community-building. Our Publicans are paying for it with their own Pebbles (PBL) and Ether tokens.

They know they’re making history, like the characters in the book. There’s no leader. Leaders may emerge if this tribe wants them to. They can’t run for the office because democracy versus autocracy is beside the point. Decentralization removes those from even being a consideration, and that fascinates us too.

The Token Heard Around The World is relying on the kindness of strangers bonding in a common cause. It’s happened many times before.

Photo by James Hammond on Unsplash

In Verne’s novel, Phileas Fogg and Jean Passepartout plan their itinerary. Of course it goes nothing like they planned. Detective Fix mistakes Phileas for a criminal fugitive. They rescue Aouda, a damsel in distress, and discover a new common cause. Arrested despite their innocence, they jump bail and become actual fugitives with Aouda. They traverse the rest of their intercontinental adventures and obstacles as such.

Upon their triumphant return to London‘s Reform Club where the wager started, they’re arrested again. The book ends happily, of course, and Aouda marries Phileas.

Verne wrote his novel for a society in upheaval caused by technological innovations that upset the status quo. It’s a happy tale for troubled times. Same as Emerson’s poem.

Your society may not be troubled but you’d like the book anyway. The rights-holder of this edition waived payments for these transactions. That establishes their contribution to this book’s journey around the world.

Other book tokens will follow Verne’s in their own time. It’s a blockchain and therefore the people who transact on it do so voluntarily, person-to-person.

I expect many book tokens will re-live Verne’s story. Common causes will be found, bonds will form. Kindnesses will happen, loves will bloom. Gifts will be given, misunderstandings cleared up, knowledge shared across continents.

All in a book token’s day’s work.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash

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