From his geodesic dome to books popularizing the terms 'spaceship earth' and 'synergetics', the life mission of R. Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) was to create living environments that minimized the consumption of the earth's resources while maximizing interconnections with global systems of information and transportation. Never before has his extraordinary body of work been so fully explored as in this book, which focuses on Fuller's wide-ranging and sometimes controversial role within the worlds of art, architecture, and Utopian thought.The book chronicles Fuller's profound, often prophetic contributions, including his environmentally sensitive building designs. The essays illuminate the underappreciated thematic interactions of many sculptors, painters, musicians, and architects with this self-described 'comprehensive anticipatory design scientist', including contemporary artists wrestling with Fuller's legacy today. Also included is an illustrated contextual chronology.Reproductions of original drawings and models - including those for Fuller's 4D house, Wichita House, the Montreal Expo dome, and the sole extant Dymaxion car - plus a reprinted 1966 New Yorker profile on Fuller by Calvin Tomkins, complete the fascinating tribute.