Referring back to MY explanation, I would still
say that the design elements of the cover are only
effective if the layout of the cover mimics a
memetic pattern which has been shown to be viable.
As such, the content of the book would be a
"mutation" of the cover and the content would be
the viral form of the graphic meme. On the other
hand, the content of the book might be considered
the "meme" (though I have some problem with this).
So it might be better to say that the thesis
statement is the meme and the "mutation" of this
thesis occurs in a way which organizes random
ideas such that they [as "padding" to the story]
elicit the emotions of the reader... and so the
reader might become attracted by the viral content
of the book, and so replicate the theme.
So we might consider the book to be the virus and
the cover to act as a "hook" (similar to how the
content, itself, [as virus] acts as a "hook" for
the memetic "theme"). Then, the similarities
between graphic design and viral hook might stand.
This would be explained (according to my analogy)
as an emotional attachment to the design elements
by which the content of the book is generalized to
an (perhaps singular) element of the book which is
suggested by, but not resolvable to, the design
itself.
B. Lane Robertson
Indiana, USA
http://www.window.to/mindrec
Bio: http://members.theglobe.com/bretthay
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