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Reader question: Please explain “genesis”, as in: “The Genesis of Industrial America.” My comments: When people talk about “the genesis of” something, they’re addressing its origin. You can see “genesis” shares the same root with the word “generate” – to create or produce. For example, people in present day America are waiting for more and fresh Federal initiatives to generate new jobs, having seen the Obama Administration fail to fundamentally revive the economy two years into the recession brought on by the subprime crisis. Genesis, of course, is the first book of the Old Testament of the Christian Bible, which tells the creation of the world. Or Creation, in capital letter, signifying God’s work. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” and the Book of Genesis goes on to talk about Adam and Eve along with the apple and the snake in the Garden of Eden, later on Noah’s Arc, the great flood, etc and so forth. Anyways, the Christian Bible has given rise to the common usage of the phrase and it means the very beginning of the formation of an idea, project, phenomenon. Without further ado, here are two media examples: 1. Ioan Bowen Rees, poet, essayist, polemicist, mountaineer, internationalist, father to Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals and a White Robe Druid of the Gorsedd of Bards, who has died aged 70 was summed up by the TLS four years ago as “one of an old breed of highly educated, civilized public servants”. | 
