R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe
Fuller, who died in 1983, was one of the 20th century’s most original and idiosyncratic thinkers, devoting over 50 years of his life to what he called “comprehensive anticipatory design science.” It was his conviction that “emphemeralization”–doing the most with the least material–could eliminate want. Efficiently designed technology, driven by humanitarian impulses (there’s the rub), could provide everything to everyone, rendering selfishness “unnecessary.” Contemptuous of inertia-laden political processes, he insisted that “changing the environment, not the man” was the surest way to create an egalitarian world.
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The problem is Jacobs’s script, a bizarre, sometimes opaque barrage of ideas, anecdotes, theories, and reminiscences. It’s rare for his Fuller to stay on one topic for more than a few minutes, and while certain escapades may prove momentarily enlightening–watching Fuller play inside an oversize icosahedron is particularly charming–the cumulative effect is intellectually deadening. Some may argue that the script’s stream-of-consciousness structure mimics Fuller’s own lectures; he was famous for delivering daylong extemporaneous talks. But while the real Buckminster Fuller holding forth in such a manner may have been captivating, an ersatz Fuller meandering for over two hours is an exercise in theatrical noise.
