Bob Clark Beyond: Inspiration

latest inspiration posts

How the World Really Works by Vaclav Smil

We know climate change is altering our planet. How the World Really Works is a much-needed reality check reminding us that before we can tackle problems effectively, we must understand the facts. This is a thought-provoking book I recently read that looks at the importance of energy for humanity. Written by Canadian energy expert Professor Vaclav Smil, the book explains the fundamental realities governing our survival and prosperity. These include fossil fuels and food production, globalization, and the future of the environment.

May’s Artist of the Month: Lauren Halsey

Lauren Halsey is one of the most exciting young artists working today. She produces standalone artworks in sculpture and mixed media, and site-specific installations, particularly in the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles where her family has lived for several generations. She has the vision of an activist, and her work explores the relationship between architecture and community engagement in urban centers. Her sculptural environments and flat works combine imagery from contemporary life in Harlem and LA with ancient Egypt, outer space, technicolor, and funk.

The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir

If it wasn’t so scary, the book The Room Where it Happened: A White House Memoir would be a good read as a novel about what leads the world into chaos and even the darkest of war scenarios. It’s an authentic memoir, not a novel. This is an intriguing book I recently read that offered exclusive insights into the workings of the White House. Written by former President Trump’s National Security Advisor John Bolton, his integral title related to U.S. safety gave him insider information and access to the Administration’s affairs. He spent many of his 453 days working right in the room where everything happened (and the facts speak for themselves). Die-hard fans of Bolton’s former boss quickly try to ignore or discredit him, as Fox News seems to forget that he was a daring foreign policy hawk for a long time before his tenure with the former president.

Willis Tower Transformation

One of the reasons I love Chicago so much is its magnificent architecture. There are few buildings as iconic as the revamped Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. When it was completed in 1974, it was the world’s tallest building – standing at 1,450 feet and 110 stories. Willis Tower remains the highest point against the beautiful Chicago skyline. The one problem with the spectacular modernist tower was its disconnectedness from the city. In 2015, EQ Office, a realty company owned by Blackstone, bought the property. The company hired Gensler, the largest architecture firm in the world, in collaboration with SKB Architects and OLIN, to inject new life into the tower and weave it into the urban fabric.

April’s Architect of the Month: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill

Adrian Smith is an architect that I admire and have featured before on Bob Clark Beyond. The mind behind some of the most recognizable skyscrapers in the world, he also designed the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, the world’s tallest structure. Born in Chicago in 1944, Smith completed his Bachelor of Architecture at the University of Illinois, Chicago in 1969 while working at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill where he later met Gordon Gill.

Keeping it Current – Book Reviews

It’s important for me to keep up-to-date and informed regarding current affairs – not only global politics, but also looking at the world’s business leaders and what has fueled their success. I also get a lot from reading the history of specific issues and events.

ARCHITECHT SPOTLIGHT

Jean Nouveau’s Dynamic Vision

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a building with a dome roof and a body of water

Beyond Book Club

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Medicine 3.0: how to live a long, strong and happy life

The Legacies of Two Great American Heroes

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Inspiration

I have always had an insatiable curiosity

What causes me to get out of bed every morning is driven by inspiration. Ever since I was a little boy, I was inspired by my insatiable curiosity, which caused me to be a reader, a thinker, and a dreamer.

I can remember being inspired by seeing Bobby Kennedy on TV and watching videotapes of Martin Luther King Jr., and being deeply saddened by their assassination even though I was only 10 years old when I experienced all of this.

As a little boy, rocket flight was a big thing. I remember being fascinated by the moon and the stars and the astronauts exploring them.As humans we are achieving remarkable things that only a handful of years before were just in the imagination.

BUSINESS