Nature Got There First: Inventions Inspired by Nature

Drawing parallels between natural phenomena and human inventions, an intriguing study of how nature works looks at how burrs inspired the development of Velcro, how squid proved to be a working example for jet engines, and how teeth became prototypes for chisels.

Grade 4-7-Blending natural science and technology, Gates packs a tremendous amount of information into this large, colorful volume. Through clear, full-color photographs, illustrations, and magnifications, he compares the structure of a tree and a cathedral; suckers on an octopus's tentacles and suction cups; a plant's burrs and Velcro; rose thorns and barbed wire; the nautilus (a primitive mollusk) and a submarine, etc. Some comparisons are a stretch. The author asserts that future inventions will be inspired by nature as humans learn more about the millions of yet undiscovered organisms in our world. This title is more for browsing than reports, although it could certainly be used as a starting point for science projects.?Kathleen McCabe, East Meadow Public Library, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5^-8. Great for browsing and certain to interest readers who relish science, this attractive, oversize book reveals a host of intriguing links between technology and nature. Gates explains how lessons learned from plants and animals have inspired everything from geodesic domes to safety helmets to cameras to armored cars. The format is crowded and the information delivery brisk and sometimes haphazard, with each double-page spread concentrating on a different topic (for example, magnetism and gravity, keeping warm, buoyancy and floating). But the color pictures, a mix of original artwork and photographs, will intrigue kids, who may want to pursue in more depth elsewhere the connections Gates introduces. Stephanie Zvirin