The more it is an a priori. / The better is your pet theory.
Born and raised in Berlin, Wolfgang Zuckermann came to
the United States as a child in 1938. He saw front line action
with the U.S. Army and followed this by obtaining a B.A. in English
and Psychology from Queens College, New York, winning the title
of Queens College Scholar, the highest honor conferred upon graduates
at that institution. After a stint as a child psychologist, Zuckermann,
an amateur musician, became one of the first harpsichord makers
in the United States and in the late 1950's invented the harpsichord
kit, sometimes called the 'Model T' harpsichord, which he sold
in large quantities to institutions, professionals, and individuals
around the world. After a dozen years of this activity, he wrote
the widely read The Modern Harpsichord, which is generally
credited in starting a world-wide effort by harpsichord makers
to return to the principles of classic harpsichord making. In
1969 Zuckermann left New York to live first in England, and later
in France. Although he continued his musical activities, he became
involved in the environmental debates of the 1970s and 1980s.
While living in London, he noted the five hundred mews (former
stable blocks) in that city as, contrary to professional planning
views at the time, a viable city environment, and proceeded to
write the only book ever written on the Mews of London.
(Webb & Bower, 1982)
In 1987 Zuckermann began his collaboration with EcoPlan,
a non-profit policy research group based in Paris. (EcoPlan's
aim is to study the impact of technology on peoples' daily lives
and to try to do something about it.) He is a Senior Associate,
writer and editor on a ten-year EcoPlan program called Access
which looks at ways in which we could arrange our transportation
(and our lives) so that people could obtain better access to the
places they live and work. The project eventually led to a search
for ideas, suggestions, and possible solutions from people and
places around the world. In addition to technical research, the
Access program has led to several demonstration projects
in the United States and Europe, putting into effect a number
of the ideas and principles that are set out in End of the
Road, as well as a cycle of media "tools" including
articles, slide shows, videos, films, books and children's books
and programs. Zuckermann's significant experience as a 'kit
builder' on a large international scale has also been one
of the important driving forces behind the Access program
and its various spin-offs and demonstration projects.
End of the Road (Chelsea Green, Post Mils, Vermont, 1992)
was written as an attempt to pull together all the rich body of
information and ideas being generated by the Access project,
in an easily readable form, addressed to the general public, and
put into jargon-free and vivid language not generally found in
the transportation literature. Zuckermann has followed this up
with a number of other EcoPlan projects such as co-author of a
children's book, Family Mouse Behind the Wheel,
as well as taking a leading role in EcoPlan's cooperative international
Thursday program of carefully planned and controlled
car-free day demonstrations. His latest book in EcoPlan's Children's
Program, Alice in Underland, looks at today's technology
and society matters (and manners) from a perspective somewhat
different from that usually encountered in the literature.
Zuckermann currently continues his research, writing, and editing
activities at EcoPlan (via telework) and is in
parallel founder and owner-manager of Shakespeare, a bookstore
and arts center in Avignon which resolutely refuses the separation
of “culture” from the issues of technology and society. He suggests you may wish to have a look
at...
Best not to count the real events./ When only theories make sense.
Ergo, for echo-gnomic wisdom... / Don't let the facts upset your
system.
- Alice in Underland,by W.J. Zuckermann
Wolfgang Zuckermann can be contacted via:
The Centre for Technology & Systems Studies
10, rue Joseph Bara 75006 Paris, France
Tel. (331) 4326.1323
e-mail: :wz@ecoplan.org
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