Critical Path

The term critical path, in the realm of ProjectManagement, refers to a sequence of inter-dependent tasks that determine the estimated time of completion of the project as a whole. If a task on the critical path takes longer than expected, the whole project will take longer than expected. See LongPoleInTheTent.

It is the title of a book by BuckminsterFuller (ISBN 0312174918 ). It describes the economic problems of the Earth, and presents some proposed solutions that Fuller believes would lead to the elimination of the need for economic competition.

Some excerpts and discussion can be found here: http://www.whywork.org/rethinking/leisure/bucky.html

Review moved to http://bookshelved.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?CriticalPath

[Regarding the book:] Why do proposals of this kind always involve a centralized government that works only if everyone working in it / running it is incorruptible and idealistic? Given that this will never be true, they seem rather likely, if ever attempted, to end up as dictatorships or other oppressive regimes.

I have the same reservations, and think Fuller's vision is too idealistic. But his theory is that those in power maintain that power by controlling resources that everyone believes to be limited. When people learn that resources are not limited, and that they are therefore not dependent upon leaders to provide them with wealth nor to protect them from those who would take that wealth away, they will stop following those leaders.

See inevitably TheBottleneck.

CategoryBook