33: Understanding Change & the Change in Understanding

by Richard Saul Wurman

You might describe Richard Saul Wurman as a provocateur, a pioneer, a creative genius. Inspirational, innovative, larger-than-life ... legendary, even. Others have. But the most apt description of this singular individual -- this architect, designer, creator of the celebrated TED Conference, and prolific author -- is storyteller. Springing to life from the mind of the world's original information architect is 33: Understanding Change & the Change in Understanding. A book that breaks out of any traditional (dare we say even rational) story-telling framework, 33 invites readers to journey through its pages as they will. A fable re-imagined three decades after its original telling as a conference keynote address, 33 chronicles the adventures and musings of an eccentric (yet oddly familiar) the Commissioner of Curiosity and Imagination. This bemused, amused, and roundish imp waddles through the city of What-If in the land of Could-Be, trying to make sense of the myriad changes that have transpired in the past 33 years. The story is presented in an ingenious, multi-layered format -- information upon information, as the Commissioner himself might say -- with the original fable at its core. Surrounding this is an updated tale as presented through 33 episodes and accompanying graphics.

64 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009