Rich,
Not sure the quote has anything to do with minimalism....how do you figure that?
BTW, true story, but one reason I am in golf architecture is that my Dad, knowing of my interest in design, would sometimes bring architecture books home from his Saturday trips to the library. Well, one was on "lawsuits against architects" and covered boiler explosions, building collapse, etc. About the time I read this, I played my first round of golf and decided a golf course couldn't fall down, so I wouldn't get sued! So, it was an influence on me, too.