Michael John Gorman

This is a “coffee table” format book. It's about 200 pages long with a one page bibliography, and has about 245 pictures, so the pictures make up a significant portion of the book. In fact, the large, well-produced pictures are a nice feature of the book. Topics covered are: the Dymaxion house, car and map, geodesic domes, tensegrity, and Fuller's environmental views. An limited attempt is made to relate Fuller's design philosophy with his contemporary’s such as designers Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, and others, and also to suggest influences (or priority) on Fuller's ideas, such as: Carl Zeiss (geodesic dome, 1922), Albrecht Durer (polyhedral map, 1525), Alexander Graham Bell (octet truss, 1909). However, details are not extensively investigated. Fuller is credited with influencing later environmental thinkers in various fields: Lord Norman Foster, Nicholas Grimshaw, McDonnough, Paul Hawkin, among others. The author also briefly mentions Lewis Mumford as a contemporary of Fuller who wrote on the impact of technology on society. According to the author, Mumford was critical of Fuller's apparent imposition of technology on society against its will. I have not read any books by Mumford, but now know that he wrote several. This contrasting point of view by an American of Fuller's generation could make an interesting topic, but the book reviewed here does not pursue the subject in more depth. Unfortunately, the text of the whole book is rather sketchy, none of these topics are discussed in very much detail, and the conclusion is rather uninspired. Therefore, I think the book's chief selling points are the large, well-reproduced photos and drawings.… (mais)