And It Came to Pass Not to Stay

by R. Buckminster Fuller

And It Came To Not To Stay by Fuller, R. Buckminster

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

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....