Bioinspired

“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

Samuel 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. This passion led him to study biology and natural resource management and work as a backcountry ranger with the U.S. Forest Service. As a Peace Corps volunteer, he studied flying foxes in the Philippines and started that country’s first natural history museum.

A lecture by Janine Benyus, co-founder of the Biomimicry Institute, led him down a new path, consulting on sustainability with corporations and leading youth education initiatives. 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 70 countries worldwide. He has also held faculty appointments in sustainable design at Otis College of Art and Design and in engineering at Texas Tech University.

Sam and his family live alongside a chatty creek in Montana.

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