Intriguingly explores natural design and celebrates the human benefits of studying and conserving nature for inspiration.
A riveting investigation into how biomimicry influences design.
Inventions that imitate nature have emerged from centuries of research and development: Nardo describes Leonardo da Vinci’s famous bird-inspired flight designs as an example. The introduction describes a shopping center in Harare, Zimbabwe, whose architect used termite mounds as a model for cost-effective and efficient temperature control; throughout the rest of the book, sustainability benefits are also emphasized. Burdock burrs inspired Velcro; less benignly, briars gave us barbed wire. Eiffel’s tower mimics the femur; kingfisher beaks solved the problem of sonic booms from bullet trains. In addition to engineering and construction, Nardo covers applications in medicine (including semaglutide, the focus of much recent excitement in treatment of Type 2 diabetes, inspired by Gila monster venom); military and athletic gear (like an aircraft coating developed from studying sharks’ skin; energy (quieter wind turbine blades modeled on owl wings); and robotics (a gecko- and inchworm-inspired robot). An additional bonus to these informative forays is the clear presentation of evidence that nature has many mysteries still to be decoded, which may inspire young people to explore STEM fields; the concise but information-packed chapters offer examples from engineering, medicine, the military, athletics, energy, and robotics. Ample color photographs enhance the text in this overview that is equally successful for pleasure reading or supplementing research.
Intriguingly explores natural design and celebrates the human benefits of studying and conserving nature for inspiration. (source notes, further reading, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781678206086
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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