Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature by Janine M. Benyus

I picked up Biomimicry and was inspired by the many contemporary sounding examples, only to realize the book was originally published in 1997! Eventually the book dates itself by references to projects that have failed, moved in different directions, or by reporting as astounding facts that are now taken for granted, like multi-layered network models of the brain yielding models for AI. But the basic inspirational impact of the book still worked on me, and I suspect it will for most readers that aren’t current in developments in biomimicry as a design strategy. Even if you are familiar with the latest developments in this area the detailed accounts of the amazing design features of plants and animals are likely to be worth reading major portions of the book. If you find the idea of using naturally evolved systems as inspiration for engineering, whether you are primarily a fan of nature or engineering, I recommend this entertaining and informative book by Benyus.