This is an interesting book filled with fascinating information. The book is divided into seven sections; making and using energy, surviving the elements, locomotion, materials, building structures, sensing the environment and, finally, communication. In each of the sections the author gives a brief account of human progress and technology in that particular field. He then produces a number of examples, around ten, of how non‐human organisms have evolved ways of dealing with the challenges of the particular aspect of that environment. Finally, a brief note at the end of each example mentions ways in which humans are trying to copy the particular solution the organism has developed. This section is also used to mention traditional use of the organisms and occasionally to make an environmental comment. The examples are the bulk of the book. The further reading provided is mainly of books on other interesting aspects of biology and evolutionary theory. Some web site and journal references are given for the more interesting examples, but as a librarian I would have liked to see references for every example.
The aim of the book is not immediately obvious. It is not really about biomimetic materials, although they do get a mention. Once you start reading the examples, it becomes obvious that this is a book about the amazing possibilities that evolution can provide. The human technology sections show what humans can achieve with their intelligence and social organization. The examples show how evolution has solved many of the problems for other organisms, often in ways better than humans. Borrowing from nature shows the humans are working to copy what evolution has provided. The examples are mainly from animals. Humans are included for having evolved the human brain and human language. There are quite a few insects, which reflects the wide range of habitats and environments they live in and the vast number of insects there are. Trees, diatoms, bacteria, viruses all appear.
I learned a lot from this book, especially aspects of animal physiology. It is a book designed for dipping about in; after some initial reading, I took it on a train journey and just picked what caught my interest. The book would make a good addition to school and public libraries. It will probably have particular value in the United States as there is much here to argue against Intelligent Design, including the fact that, compared with the Octopus, vertebrates (including humans) have badly designed eyes. The book is easy to read and jargon has been kept to the minimum, for example I do not think the word biomimetic occurs in the book, even though I have used it in the review! If I have one complaint it is that the pictures are rather dark, I expect they are mainly colour images the have been reproduced in black and white.
