In a Forbes review of George Gilder’s new book, Knowledge and Power, Ralph Benko describes the crucial role that information theory plays in Gilder’s new economics, yielding insights from one field to another.

Writes Benko, "He imports the fruits of a vividly fresh worldview from the intellectually vibrant Discovery Institute, based in Washington State, to the too-often stagnant Washington, DC."

Not mentioned in the review is the quite conscious concordance of Gilder’s use of information theory in economics with Stephen Meyer’s use of information theory in his own new book (that Gilder read in manuscript), Darwin’s Doubt. The latter will be published next week, on June 18. What is found in science — namely biology — is found in technology and in economics. Both Gilder and Meyer are meditating on the subject of creativity in various forms. That is a large element in the robust "fresh worldview" to which Benko alludes.

"Once we, of DC, get done rethinking economic policy along Gilderian lines the world likely never will be the same," writes Benko. "It will be better. Information theory laps classical economics and, perhaps at last, drives the wooden stake into the heart of undead Keynians dogma haunting the capital. Gilderianism eats Keynesianism for breakfast."

Gilder’s new theory of economics turns its light on Wall Street, energy, banking, financial markets, tax policy, Israel and even monetary policy. Along the way he explains technology and its interface with science on one side and entrepreneurism on the other. Read it as the ideal background for today’s headlines on computer security and hacking.

Ralph Benko describes the book as Gilder’s "most brilliant work yet — one of potentially explosive importance if taken to heart by our political and policy thought leaders."

He acknowledges that Knowledge and Power is "not for the faint of heart or the closed of mind," a book to sit down and read, not an amusement while standing in line at an airport. "Its early chapters drive the reader up a challenging learning curve." But it is worth it because "this near pitch-perfect book" proves that Gilder is "an intellectual Titan, in fact, a modern Prometheus [bringing] humanity the fire of Knowledge…and Power."

Among other upcoming publications from Discovery Institute fellows, in August the public can expect Jay Richards’s Infiltration (McGraw-Hill), a new explanation of the housing and financial bust of ’08 and how its repetition may be prevented.

Discovery Institute not only was co-founded by George Gilder, as Forbes notes, but also is home to the Center for Wealth, Poverty, and Morality where Gilder and Richards hang their hats. We may be "vibrant," as the reviewer says, but our work needs support. The commanding foundations and chiefs of great wealth do not support us, and, of course, neither does (nor should) the government.

We rely largely, especially with Gilder’s work, on individual donors. If you would like to be among them, you’ll be in a distinguished corps of pioneers!