During his lifetime, Buckminster Fuller was known as a celebrated inventor, innovative architect, and futurist, who saw his notoriety skyrocket, when he conceived of the now iconic geodesic dome. He graced the cover of Time, became a highly sought-after speaker, professor, and was even awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Today, his influence is far-reaching and wide-ranging, with his approach to innovation embraced by the likes of tech giants such as Steve Jobs and Elon Musk.
Inventor of the Future is the first authoritative biography to cover all aspects of Fuller's career, drawing on meticulous research, dozens of interviews, and thousands of unpublished documents. As Nevala-Lee unpacks in this informative, engaging read, Fuller is one of our most fascinating and complicated American figures. In the book, Nevala-Lee reconstructs the true origins of his most famous inventions, including the Dymaxion Car, the Wichita House, and the dome itself, his fraught relationships with his students and collaborators, his interactions with Frank Lloyd Wright, Isamu Noguchi, Clare Boothe Luce, John Cage, and many others, and his tumultuous private life, in which his determination to succeed on his own terms came at an immense personal cost. In an era of accelerating change, Fuller's example remains enormously relevant, and his lessons for designers, activists, and innovators are as powerful and essential as ever.
