This book is about bio-inspiration - and that does not mean architects taking inspiration from the shapes in nature, but scientists and technologists taking inspiration from the way that bits of nature actually work. This is mostly on the nano-scale. The technologies range from self-cleaning glass inspired by lotus leaves, aritificial silk, new adhesives inspired by the way geckos stick to ceilings, invisibilty cloaks, flying robots and origami drinks cans... The book starts a bit slowly, with the first chapter giving an overview of bio-inspiration and how ideas about atoms developed, but the rest is a fascinating wander through a wide range of different technologies, natural and bio-inspired. Read it through or take one chapter at a time - but it's definitely worth a read.