Product Description

A fascinating and authoritative look at the enduring legacy of a singular philosopher.

Buckminster Fuller, the brilliant and eccentric futurist philosopher best known as the inventor of the Geodesic Dome, was one of the most creative contributors to innovative thought and technology in the twentieth century. Incomparable designer, engineer, and architect, he proved that a lone genius, through sheer initiative, can have an astounding impact on the world. In this inspiring account of Fuller's life and legacy, Lloyd Steven Sieden brings new light to Fuller's belief system and recognizes his many contributions to humanity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #75731 in Books
• Published on: 2000-08-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 511 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780738203799
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Publishers Weekly
Inventor of the geodesic dome and the phrase "spaceship earth," Fuller reportedly once had an out-of-body experience in which a voice told him: "You do not belong to you. You belong to the Universe." The cocky, self-assured architect-engineer-poet-futurist, expelled twice from Harvard, who went on to shake the world with his technological innovations and vision of global unity, is brought down to earth in this absorbing biographical study. A lecturer-consultant specializing in Fuller's philosophy, Sieden here attempts to translate Fuller's ideas from the tech-guru's convoluted, jargon-laden style into accessible language. Though many of Fuller's major projects were commercial failures, Sieden succeeds in demonstrating how his search for Nature's underlying rules of harmony and efficiency is relevant to fields ranging from aviation and manufacturing technology to environmentalism, housing, parapsychology and extraterrestrial anthropology. Photos.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"Buckminster Fuller's Universe is a vivid, personal and revealing work which brings Fuller home to today’s people." -- Barbara Marx Hubbard, futurist & author

"Everybody concerned about the planet should read this book. It fully illustrates that a great man walked among us." -- Larry King, talk show host & author

"Sieden probes beyond Fuller's famous inventions to offer a unique psychological perspective on the roots of his successes and failures." -- Amory B. Lovins, Director of Research, Rocky Mountain Institute

"Sieden's biography is a tribute to a great man." -- Marilyn Ferguson, author The Aquarian Conspiracy

"This is a very necessary and useful book. It is not written in Fuller's language. You will understand it." -- John Cage

...lays out the saga of one of the great minds of the 20th century... his complicated ideas come into focus. -- Timothy Willard, Former Editor, The Futurist

Fuller is brought down to earth in this absorbing biographical study. -- Publisher's Weekly

“Sieden has done a magnificent job of simplifying and restating Fuller’s comprehensive view.” -- Rev. Peggy Bassett, D.D., Former President United Church of Religious Science Worldwide

“Sieden has succeeded in bringing Fuller back as vibrant and thought provoking as ever, in a way we can understand.” -- Allan Ray Putnam, Former Director, American Society for Metals

From the Inside Flap
Buckminster Fuller, the brilliant and eccentric futurist philosopher best known as the inventor of the Geodesic Dome, was one of the most creative contributors to innovative thought and technology of the 20th century. This Leonardo da Vinci of our time - an incomparable designer, engineer, and architect - proved that a single individual, through sheer initiative, can have an astounding impact on the world.

As one of the first to perceive that humanity’s very survival was dependent on global cooperation and making the necessities of life available to all, he devoted most of his life to that cause. He created modern technologies and revolutionary designs that would support humanity in working as one global community on what he referred to as “Spaceship Earth.” Fuller’s was a bold, global perspective - one based on a new way of merging Nature and technology. With great enthusiasm, he extrapolated from the intricate structure of Nature to design imaginative, ultramodern inventions for the common good, among which the Geodesic Dome, the Dymaxion Car, the Dymaxion House, and the Dymaxion Map figure most prominently.

Lloyd Steven Sieden, a respected educator and consultant on Buckminster Fuller, remains true to the vitality and imagination of Fuller’s ideas and wisdom. His book follows Fuller’s life in order to translate his complex ideas into clear, accessible language. Sieden brings new light to Fuller’s fascinating belief system and the rationale behind his futuristic designs; he also shows how these unprecedented designs model the framework of Fuller’s elaborate philosophy.

This eloquent and inspiring work fulfills the need for a book that ultimately recognizes and articulates Fuller’s monumental contributions to humanity. It conveys an appreciative portrayal of the man affectionately dubbed “the grandfather of the Universe.” It also vividly illustrates Fuller’s enormous impact upon and contribution to society as well as the ways in which his visionary ideas will continue to shape and expand our perception of Spaceship Earth for years to come.

Customer Reviews

New ideas on every page...
I love to read books that I don't completely understand the first time through. This is certainly one of those books.

Part biography, part scientific dissertation, the author enlightens us on the wonderful and extraordinary life of R. Buckminster Fuller, a true renaissance man.

Many people have never even heard of Buckminster Fuller... but his ideas, inventions and philosophy have touched the lives of everyone on here on 'Spaceship Earth' as he liked to call it.

Just take a trip down to Epcot in Orlando, FL and see a geodesic sphere in real life, one that engineers and construction types said would not stand... its been standing there for almost 20 years now. Or, look down the street to the Contemporary Resort at the Magic Kingdom. Built entirely with modular construction and finished in record time.. a la "Bucky" Fuller.

Certainly this man was a great innovator... but what I was most impressed with was his 'comprensivist' point of view. He always strove to see the big picture of what is happening on Earth as well as the entire Universe around us.

Get this book if you want to open you mind to new ideas and paradigms. It has changed the way I look at many different things now.

Excellent Introduction for a Non-Technical Reader
I've tried to dive into some of the books actually written by Buckminster Fuller without success. His ideas have always intrigued me, but I found his writing style to be rambling and confusing. This book, however, is an excellent introduction to Fuller's life and ideas, without the confusing detritus. I don't have a strong math or science background, so I appreciated the fact that the author was able to explain Fuller's ideas without resorting to complex equations or formulas. The biographical aspects of this book are also quite interesting. It is chronologically arranged so that the reader can track the evolution of Fuller's thoughts as he progressed through life.

excellent source for Bucky's life
This was the first book I read about Buckminster Fuller. It was a great introduction to the man because a lot of people go right to his written works which can be hard to digest at first because he's just a very intense human being.

Reading this book first enabled me to understand Bucky so when I did move on the Critical Path and Synergetics I knew what I was getting in to. And boy if your ready to go through the mirror to see the truth, you're in for the ride of your life!

Enjoy!