The book begins with familiar designs found all around and inside us
(such as the 'trees' of river basins, human lungs, blood and city
traffic). It then shows how all flow systems are driven by power from
natural engines everywhere, and how they are endlessly shaped because of
freedom. Finally, Professor Bejan explains how people, like everything
else that moves on earth, are driven by power derived from our "engines"
that consume fuel and food, and that our movement dissipates the power
completely and changes constantly for greater access, economies of
scale, efficiency, innovation and life. Written for wide audiences of
all ages, including readers interested in science, patterns in nature,
similarity and non-uniformity, history and the future, and those just
interested in having fun with ideas, the book shows how many "design
change" concepts acquire a solid scientific footing and how they exist
with the evolution of nature, society, technology and science.