Richard Saul Wurman: Architect of Ideas

Labelled by Fortune magazine as an “intellectual hedonist” with a “hummingbird mind”, Richard Saul Wurman has always sought ways to make the complex clear. When people sell their expertise, he sells his ignorance. Having written, designed, and published 90 books on topics ranging from football to healthcare to city guides, he likes to mention that they all spring from the same place — his ignorance.

Born on 26 March 1935 in Philadelphia, Wurman’s parents were Morris Louis Wurman and Fannie (Pelson) Wurman. His father habitually questioned his children on current events at the dinner table. Wurman spent much of his early life following his father’s curiosity. His first love was architecture. He received a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in the field at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1959 with the highest honours.

Over the next six years, he worked as a project architect in the U.S. and London, during which time he also began his work as an author.

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