Customer Reviews
A wasted opportunity - By: , 12 Sep 2002 
I wanted to like this book, but it does not do anything like justice to the important ideas it is trying to introduce, & I had to stop reading it. I would not recommend it, especially to anyone with a scientific background as it is badly written, imprecise, subjective & bulked out by irrelevant & lame descriptive information, an infuriating mess through which the reader must struggle to pick out the facts. When trying to explain scientific concepts such as photosynthesis, the author seems to think that this can be done by mixing as many metaphors as possible. The author should have decided whether she was writing a book about a personal voyage of discovery or an objective factual book.
Misleading title- propaganda heavy, content light - By: , 10 Aug 1999 
Halfway finished, I am putting this book down. It's very rare that I don't finish a book. If you have a strong science background, you will be very disappointedin what this book has to offer. The alleged topic is fascinating, & I think I will go find a book that really discusses it.
The photosynthesis chapter screams for pictures & diagrams, but the author has provided none. The reader will read thousands clumsy words trying to describe complex geometries, waiting for a clarifying picture that never comes.
Inspires us to look to nature for solutions - By: , 16 Jul 1999 
Where can we find the best solutions to the many technical, environmental, social & economic problems that beset us?
In this wonderful book Benyus shows us that nature can teach us valuable lessons. "In the 3.8 billion years since the first bacteria, life has learned to fly, circumnavigate the globe, livein the depths of the ocean & atop the highest peaks, craft miracle materials, light up the night, lassoo the sun's energy, & build a self-reflective brain...living things have done everything we want to do, without guzzling fossil fuel, polluting the planet, or mortgaging their future. What better models could there be?"
By adopting a little humility & treating nature as a model, a measure, & a mentor, she argues, we can catch up on the lessons nature has had millions of years to learn. Benyus writes like an angel, her prose conjuring vivid images as she takes us with her on a journey to explore what Biomimics are doingin material science, medicine, computing, energy, agriculture, & business. Her journalistic style does not shrink from the intricacies of photosynthesis & relishes the wonders of mussel tethering techniques, but always keeps the wider picturein view.
I found myself wanting to push the fast-forward button - to the time when prarie-style agriculture is widely adopted; materials are made at room-temperaturein life-friendly conditions with no toxicity; & our economy is modelled on a rainforest, not a ragweed. Readers of this book could be those who will help get us there faster. Enjoy!
Inspires us to look to nature for solutions to our problems - By: , 16 Jul 1999 Where can we find the best solutions to the many technical, environmental, social & economic problems that beset us?
In this wonderful book Benyus shows us that nature can teach us valuable lessons. "In the 3.8 billion years since the first bacteria, life has learned to fly, circumnavigate the globe, livein the depths of the ocean & atop the highest peaks, craft miracle materials, light up the night, lassoo the sun's energy, & build a self-reflective brain...living things have done everything we want to do, without guzzling fossil fuel, polluting the planet, or mortgaging their future. What better models could there be?"
By adopting a little humility & treating nature as a model, a measure, & a mentor, she argues, we can catch up on the lessons nature has had millions of years to learn. Benyus writes like an angel, her prose conjuring vivid images as she takes us with her on a journey to explore what Biomimics are doingin material science, medicine, computing, energy, agriculture, & business. Her journalistic style does not shrink from the intricacies of photosynthesis & relishes the wonders of mussel tethering techniques, but always keeps the wider picturein view.
I found myself wanting to push the fast-forward button - to the time when prarie-style agriculture is widely adopted; materials are made at room-temperaturein life-friendly conditions with no toxicity; & our economy is modelled on a rainforest, not a ragweed. Readers of this book could be those who will help get us there faster. Enjoy!
Realistic, innovative solutions for a sustainable world - By: , 13 Jul 1999 With the eloquence of an angel, Janine Benyus captures & describes the rapidly emerging field of biomimicry. In this beautifully written "seed of hope", Janine reveals how Nature--in her complexity & intricacy--can provide the innovative solutions we as a society desperately seek as we strive for sustainability. Through clear, clever, & enjoyable writing, Janine tackles difficult scientific information & presents itin a manner digestible to even those that fear science! The book is full of wonderful examples ranging from biomimetic materials to agricultural systems to pharmaceuticals to industrial ecology. After reading this book, I can no longer look at the natural worldin the same way. With over 3.8 billion years of research & at least 30 million case studies, Nature probably has the answer we are looking for. Every roadblock presented to me is now countered with the following question: "What would Nature do if she had to tackle the same problem?" As a biologist & a business person, I'm finding that the two have morein common that I previously thought. This book is on my number one list for life. I find myself carrying my page worn copy everywhere I go just so I can recommend it to everyone, including strangers! This book gives me hope for our society. If we can learn to look towards Nature as model, measure, & mentor, we might just stand a chance.
