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Description
Cats' Paws and Catapults: Mechanical Worlds of Nature and PeopleNature and humans build their devices with the same earthly materials and use them in the same air and water, pulled by the same gravity. Why, then, do their designs diverge so sharply? Humans, for instance, love right angles, while nature's angles are rarely right and usually rounded. Our technology goes around on wheels and on rotating pulleys, gears, shafts, and cams yet in nature only the tiny propellers of bacteria spin as true wheels. Our hinges
Nature and humans build their devices with the same earthly materials and use them in the same air and water, pulled by the same gravity. Why, then, do their designs diverge so sharply? Humans, for instance, love right angles, while nature's angles are rarely right and usually rounded. Our technology goes around on wheels and on rotating pulleys, gears, shafts, and cams yet in nature only the tiny propellers of bacteria spin as true wheels. Our hinges turn because hard parts slide around each other, whereas nature's hinges (a rabbit's ear, for example) more often swing by bending flexible materials. In this marvelously surprising, witty book, Steven Vogel compares these two mechanical worlds, introduces the reader to his field of biomechanics, and explains how the nexus of physical law, size, and convenience of construction determine the designs of both people and nature. "This elegant comparison of human and biological technology will forever change the way you look at each." Michael LaBarbera, American Scientist"Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: 01/17/2000
ISBN: 9780393319903
Pages: 384
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 7.92h x 6.25w x 0.95d
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4.1 ★★★★★
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Product Reviews
★★★★★ 5
A Beta Worth Rooting For
Format: Kindle
In Spare, Violet Fox flips the omegaverse on its head, giving us a Beta heroine determined to make her mark. Joining the Beta Trials to support her sick father, she's thrown into a pack that doesn't want her, especially the possessive Alphas.
But here's the twist: their sweet Omega turns out to be her scent match. Cue the angst, forbidden tension, and a slow-burn romance that will make your heart ache in the best way.
Violet Fox delivers an emotional, refreshing take on the genre, proving Betas aren't "spares." They're stars.
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Reviewed in the United States on January 10, 2025
★★★★★ 5
Beta, Alpha, Omega oh my!
Format: Kindle
Omegas are precious and given to Alphas & their packs... but the Betas want in too. To this end, the Beta government is rolling out its trial of assigning a Beta to each Alpha-Omega pack. But forcing a Beta into a pack where they are not wanted will not end well... Of course, no one expected the Omega to fall for the assigned Beta. Great read and cliffhanger
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Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2025
★★★★★ 3
A familiar story, just with…..less.
Format: Kindle
So, as other reviewers make clear, this is very similar to Pack Darling and The Beta. It’s much closer aligned with The Beta, in plot and maybe more like Pack Darling with characters.
That being said, I don’t hate this…..but it wasn’t great either. It’s both books mentioned but just….less. Less angst, less emotion, less feeling. The plot feels very half fleshed out, and the “bad guy” feels underwhelming. I didn’t really feel any real emotions from and of the male leads, except maybe Oliver. The others fell sorta flat for me. And Mika makes herself out to be this big bad ass straight outta training and then we never see it from here again with the one fitting room incident as the exception.
SPOILER:
The whole, “Oh, I’m actually probably an Omega, but I don’t wanna be but I do actually wanna be but no one can ever know my secret that I do nothing to hide “ thing fell so flat. She never commutes to believing she was secretly an omega, but also mentions her “secret” a lot. It just felt so manufactured.
I’m intrigued enough to read part 2 and see how the author closes everything out, but this is not one I’ll recommend or ever come back to.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
★★★★★ 5
A good read
Format: Kindle
A good read, just fluffy cuteness, no antagonism. I like all the characters. It could have used another round of editing however, glanfds being one error that cracked me up, and my personal pet peeve was that the author kept using the word fill instead of feel, which I promise you are not interchangeable haha, but it's definitely better than the majority of books I read on here mistake-wise.
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Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2024
★★★★★ 4
amazing
Format: Kindle
Knot the Bride was a fantastic read! The characters were all amazing and well-developed. It was easy to like them all. Sophia, Luca, Nick, and Gavin were all perfect for each other. It was such a charming story that had me hooked the entire time. I did wish there were POVs from Luca, Nick, and Gavin but it was still an amazing book without it.
I am excited to read the next book in the Willowside Omegaverse series! This is definitely a must-read for fans of omegaverse romance!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2025