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Reviewed by Alija Turkovic for Readers' Favorite
Minariel by David Elkins combines ideas of science, technology, and group behavior. It investigates how people can move, communicate, and share information in organized, often geometric ways. The book explores how groups form physical patterns, operate devices together, and coordinate actions in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional spaces. It explains how language is more than words and letters. It also includes touch, temperature, air, sound, and smell. Elkins explores extended human senses such as balance, magnet detection, and full-body spatial awareness, and shows how devices can enhance or simulate these senses. Overall, this book is a well-written guide to understanding how humans behave, perceive, and communicate in technology and shared spaces.
I found David Elkins' Minariel to be a surprisingly insightful and inventive book. Even though the topics are scientific and technical, Elkins explains them clearly and provides examples of how they can work in real-life settings. The book encouraged me to think about communication in much broader terms than how we typically view language. I appreciated the balance between the theoretical sections and pages that show equipment, diagrams, and environments. Some of the concepts are complex, yet the book is accessible due to its clear structure and visual explanations. I also like that it treats human senses as flexible and expandable rather than fixed. Although the scope is broad, the author's focus remains on how groups function and how technology can support them. This makes me curious as to where these ideas can lead in practice. Very highly recommended.
