And It Came to Pass-Not to Stay

by R. Buckminster Fuller

Buckminster Fuller (1895–1983) was an architect, engineer, geometrician, cartographer, philosopher, futurist, inventor of the famous geodesic dome, and one of the most brilliant thinkers of his time. For more than five decades, he set forth his comprehensive perspective on the world’s problems in numerous essays, which offer an illuminating insight into the intellectual universe of this renaissance man.“ These texts remain surprisingly topical even today, decades after their initial publication. While Fuller wrote the works in the 1960’s and 1970’s, they could not be more like desperately needed time-capsules of wisdom for the critical moment he foresaw, and in which we find ourselves. Long out of print, they are now being published again, together with commentary by Jaime Snyder, the grandson of Buckminster Fuller. Designed for a new generation of readers, Snyder prepared these editions with supplementary material providing background on the texts, factual updates, and interpretation of his visionary ideas. Initially published in 1969, and one of Fuller’s most popular works, Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth is a brilliant synthesis of his world view. In this very accessible volume, Fuller investigates the great challenges facing humanity, and the principles for avoiding extinction and “exercising our option to make it”. How will humanity survive? How does automation influence individualization? How can we utilize our resources more effectively to realize our potential to end poverty in this generation? He questions the concept of specialization, calls for a design revolution of innovation, and offers advice on how to guide “spaceship earth” toward a sustainable future. And it Came to Pass – Not to Stay brings together Buckminster Fuller’s lyrical and philosophical best, including seven “essays” in a form he called his “ventilated prose”, and as always addressing the current global crisis and his predictions for the future. These essays, including “How Little I Know,” “What I am Trying to Do“, “Soft Revolution”, and “Ethics”, put the task of ushering in a new era of humanity in the context of “always starting with the universe.” In rare form, Fuller elegantly weaves the personal, the playful, the simple, and the profound. Utopia or Oblivion is a provocative blueprint for the future. This comprehensive volume is composed of essays derived from the lectures he gave all over the world during the 1960’s. Fuller’s thesis is that humanity – for the first time in its history – has the opportunity to create a world where the needs of 100% of humanity are met. This is Fuller in his prime, relaying his urgent message for earthians critical moment and presenting pioneering solutions which reflect his commitment to the potential of innovative design to create technology that does “more with less” and thereby improves human lives . . . “ This is what man tends to call utopia. It's a fairly small word, but inadequate to describe the extraordinary new freedom of man in a new relationship to universe - the alternative of which is oblivion”. Buckminster Fuller.

Genres: Philosophy, Science, Nonfiction, Poetry, Self Help, Politics

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Richard Buckminster "Bucky" Fuller was an American architect, systems theorist, author, designer, and inventor.

Fuller published more than 30 books, coining or popularizing terms such as "Spaceship Earth", ephemeralization, and synergetic. He also developed numerous inventions, mainly architectural designs, and popularized the widely known geodesic dome. Carbon molecules known as fullerenes were later named by scientists for their structural and mathematical resemblance to geodesic spheres.

Buckminster Fuller was the second president of Mensa from 1974 to 1983.

Reviews

[Alex V.]

I can feel every crackling, electrical discharge in my brain while I read this.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written in 1976 (later years of Fuller's writing). I loved this one as it included (in some cases duplicatively) the best of Fuller's other writing, including things or ideas I had read in Education Automation and Humans in Universe. That said, this was mostly about how all of humanity can be "wealthy" as wealth, according to Fuller, cannot diminish. That is because wealth is a function of energy (cannot be increased or decreased) and know-how or intelligence, which only increases.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

Who is this guy? Why does he show up everywhere I go? Black Mountain College? There he is. Random geodesic domes? There he is. Dana Spiotta's "Eat the Document"? Yes, he's somewhere in there too!

I bought this book at the Pasadena Flea Market along with that Ferlinghetti collection. Contrast the two covers, both featuring their respective authors: Ferlinghetti stands against a wooden fence in front of a field with his face obscured, leaving him bereft of features, more an avatar than an individual; Fuller (much older than Ferlinghetti) on the other hand is not only clearly in view, dapperly dressed, but also reflected in the table he is writing on. This is the land versus the lab. But both are humanists at heart.

How is this book so prolix, yet so concise? How does reading these poems aloud make them more understandable?

Reading this book when it was released must have been exciting. I know I would have finished it feeling optimistic about the future of the world, as though positive change were inexorable. Reading it now feels a bit hollow, as humanity has heeded nearly none of Fuller's recommendations and the world is closer now than ever before to complete catastrophe. Which is not to say that this book wasn't inspiring or life-affirming. It was! There is much love and wonder felt for the human mind, the human organism, the necessary chance happenings to make all of this possible. Yes, some of it can get a little too starry-eyed, resembling the kind of things you'd hear from your stoner friend, though sometimes you need that if you are calcified by cynicism.

It was not prose with line breaks, I do genuinely believe that it is poetry. It is Theoretical Poetry, sort of the obverse of Billy-Ray Belcourt's Poetic Theory, and I think it is interesting because of that. Certain scientific words become beautiful through their shapes and repetitions from section to section. I can't really choose a favorite part because I think of them as connected, with each one enriching the possible readings of the others. Utopia is possible. We can provide for everybody on this planet. It is not too late. But it is getting there...

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

written by an idealist with a mind’s understanding so expansive that the summarization of all is “how little I know”

[Lizzie · Rating 3 out of 5]

profound ideas, prose was very confusing though

[Gabrielle Lipton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I say, best book.

[Edee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ONLY reason I gave this book a "4" is that it is REALLY difficult to understand - one has to pay attention and focus on each word....