E. J. Applewhite (1919–2005)

This books describes the author's 5-year project helping Buckminster Fuller to write Fuller's book Synergy. The author had know Fuller for many years as a family friend, but admitted that although he found Fuller's ideas to be fascinating, he did not have the mathematical or technical background to understand most of them. Upon retiring from the CIA and with free time, he volunteered to work with Fuller. Near the beginning of the book, he poses this question about Fuller and Synergetics: “Was there a way he could lay it all out from scratch in a way that even I could understand it?”
I don't think the book directly answers that question, but this short (156 page) book is a lively account of the two authors' collaboration, and Applewhite's obvious satisfaction with the end result suggests the massive (875 page) Synergetics may also be worth tackling.… (mais)

In short: only read Synergetics after reading an 'interpretation' of Bucky's ideas by other writers.

Synergetics is a book that is impossible to rate with a star-rating. So I won't.

This is a an 800 page condensation of Buckminster Fuller's 50-year investigations into geometry, mathematics, physics, and metaphysics. It is formatted like a textbook, with every paragraph assigned a categorisation number ("524.101", "524.11", etc).

The fact that the book is almost exclusively about physics and metaphysics makes it harder for the layperson to understand than some of Bucky's other books. By contrast, his other books are about his more practical, everyday-life inventions and philosophies. Be warned!

Bucky does little to extend an olive branch to his readers. His text is heavy with his unusual jargon, as well as paragraph-length sentences. By his own account, Bucky preferred to be not understood than misunderstood. Therefore, he would rather you re-read a sentence out of sheer necessity, rather than skim through and misunderstand his points.

Despite reading horror stories of the book being utterly incomprehensible, I managed to get a good sense of what Bucky describes in Synergetics. I achieved this mostly by forcing myself to focus on the words, rather than relying on Bucky to pave an easy path. Having a reasonable understanding of high school Physics also helped.

The other reason why I was able to understand the book is because I had read a 'plain-English primer' of Bucky's ideas via the great biography Buckminster Fuller's Universe (1989), which remains the best book I have read about Bucky. This is the approach I recommend for other readers, in conjunction with the books A Fuller Explanation by Amy C. Edmondson and Bucky: a guided tour of Buckminster Fuller by Hugh Kenner.

Not being a mathematician, I am unable to verify the worthiness of the concepts described within this book. Bucky claims that it all fits within the parameters of conventional mathematics, though he emphasises a 60°, triangle-based coordinate system, rather than a 90°, square-based coordinate system. This flows into his philosophical conception of 'the geometry of thought', as described in the book.

By now you've already decided whether you want to read this book or not. For most people, reading books about Bucky will suffice. Others will be drawn to the magnetic allure of Synergetics through its reputation. As mentioned, I recommend reading only after being pre-primed by other writers' interpretations!

Side note: I was a little alarmed with how easily Bucky dismisses the concept of evolution. If he really disputes the Darwinian concept of simple organisms evolving into complex organisms, he really should have devoted more than a flimsy one-page dismissal to the topic. His arguments are easily demolished. I presume this oversight does not cloud the validity of the rest of his book...… (mais)

All of the good bits combined to a neatly drawn, tightly woven romantic novella. Quickly paced with well-developed characters, a touch of mystery and a newly defined type of paranormal creature, this story does not disappoint and is a fun addition to historical romance, with a twist that will appeal to fans of many genres.

The author has a breezy and light hand with description, and an ability to match fact to fantasy to build a world that is a perfect setting for the action. This book stood alone perfectly, although the second in a series, and was a nice introduction to this author and her work.

I received an eBook copy for purpose of review for Book and Trailer Showcase eMagazine. I was not compensated for this review, and all conclusions are my own responsibility.… (mais)