Bioinspired - by Samuel Cord Stier (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Since the dawn of humanity, Nature has inspired our best ideas and most revolutionary inventions--this book shows how nature shapes innovation today, and how it is the key to a sustainable future.

Humans are recognized for intelligence and creativity, but where do these stand-out smarts come from? Our celebrated brains play a role, but it turns out something else altogether unexpected is going on.

Bioinspired is a fascinating natural history of modern humankind that lays out a compelling case for Nature playing an outsized, yet unsung, role in human advancement. From the famous inventor who traveled with a dismembered ear in his suitcase, to how the internet is organized based on the human brain, to why popular music makes us get up and dance, Stier's exploration of how various aspects of technology and culture came to be will astonish readers, one fresh revelation after another.

A paradigm-shaking analysis of our technological history and what truly drives innovation, and a guide map pointing towards enduring human prosperity, Bioinspired will sweep you up, enthrall you as the pages go cascading by, and ultimately deposit you before a profoundly new horizon.

Review Quotes

"Stier's awe for the natural world is palpable throughout Bioinspired. Grounded in the understanding that creativity is central to human progress, Stier invites readers to examine the biological forms, functions, and systems that serve as models for innovation through applied creativity. By tracing the enduring dialogue between nature and human invention, he demonstrates how the principles underlying living organisms can inspire technologies that are not only more effective and resilient, but also more sustainable. The result is a compelling roadmap for innovation, revealed one nucleus, branch, phage, and micron at a time--reminding us that the solutions to many of humanity's greatest challenges may already exist in the natural world, waiting to be observed and leveraged with reverence for a better tomorrow."--Jayme Cellitioci, Senior Director of Education, National Inventors Hall of Fame

"Where do you find inspiration to solve your toughest problems? For much of history, the answer has been nature. But here's the problem. How can you learn billions of years of biological design in a limited time? This book is a great start. The author is an experienced educator and scientist who distills down the history of bioinspiration into short, fun, and readable examples. He is a master explainer. This book left me inspired, thoughtful, and full of hope. If you have ever felt awe at the natural world, this book will show you how that same feeling throughout history has changed people's lives and the world we live in today."--David Hu, author of How to Walk on Water and Climb Up Walls

"Where do inventors get their ideas? As Stier, executive director of the educational nonprofit, Learning with Nature, describes here, many innovations are directly impacted by humans observing or interacting with nature. Stier draws readers' attention to commonplace items (e.g., money, gears, video games) and unpacks how humans can thank butterflies, the solar system, and ants, respectively, for these technologies... Humans have innovated using nature's resilience before, and we can--and must--do it again...[Readers] will enjoy this accessible and light-hearted read." --Booklist

About the Author

S. Cord Stier is a recognized expert on the subject of biologically inspired innovation. He first fell in love with Nature as a child catching frogs in the wilds of Iowa. He founded The Center for Learning with Nature and developed award-winning curricula on the topic, which are now used across the United States and in over seventy countries worldwide. He has held faculty appointments in sustainable design at Otis College of Art and Design and in engineering at Texas Tech University. He and his family live alongside a chatty creek in Montana.