Buckminster Fuller

In 1927 R. Buckminster Fuller stood on the shore of Lake Michigan contemplating suicide. Suddenly he asked himself, ""Could I use myself as a scientific `guinea pig'... on behalf of all humanity?"" Fuller decided at that moment to ""make the world work for one hundred percent of humanity, in the shortest possible time, through spontaneous cooperation, without ecological offense or the disadvantage of anyone."" From this auspicious beginning, Fuller quickly rose to fame as one of the 20th century's most brilliant inventors, architects and ""poets of technology."" Believing that ""mankind has the capability through proper planning and use of natural resources to forever house himself,"" he devised the geodesic dome--a model of which now looms over Disney's Epcot Center--an architectural wonder designed to conserve both space and energy. Fuller's foresight that advances in transportation and communication would make the world a smaller place culturally led him to famously describe the global village as ""Spaceship Earth."" He also introduced the world to the now commonplace idea of synergy. In order to acquaint a new generation with Fuller, his former architectural partner, Zung, gathers selections from 20 of Fuller's 23 writings on topics ranging from education and environment to engineering and the Lord's Prayer. Admirers of Fuller--such as actress Valerie Harper, author Arthur C. Clarke and entrepreneur Steve Forbes--introduce each selection. Zung's anthology traces the development of Fuller's intellectual life and provides an excellent introduction for a new generation to the life and work of this brilliant thinker. 51 b&w illus. (Jan. 23)