THE PLAIN DEALER Saturday, June 29, 2002; p. 17EA BOOK OF THE WEEK by Jill Sell There's more, much more to "The Best That Money Can't Buy: Beyond Politics, Poverty, & War," by Jacque Fresco (Global Cyber-Visions; $24.95), than just the chapters dealing with construction and housing of the future. Fresco, an 85-year-old futurist and industrial designer, shares his visions of an ideal world. But we'll concentrate on his Circular Cities — metropolises where outer perimeters are recreational areas with golf courses, water sports, hiking and biking trails. A waterway surrounds an agricultural belt that includes enclosed, transparent buildings. Eight sections of the circle are devoted to renewable sources of energy (wind, thermal and solar power), and homes and apartments are contoured to blend with the landscape. Each home would be a self-contained energy-efficient residence that used photovoltaic arrays built into the skin of the building and the windows. The book is fascinating and someday we may see some of Fresco's ideas become reality. |