Scale

From visionary physicist Geoffrey West comes a fascinating exploration of the hidden laws that govern the life cycle of everything from plants and animals to the cities we inhabit.

As a pioneer in the field of complexity science, West has found an underlying simplicity that unites seemingly complex and diverse living systems, such as our bodies, cities, and businesses.

Fascinated by aging and mortality, West applied his physicist's rigor to the question of why mammals age and die. Through scaling laws, West discovered that no matter the riotous diversity in mammals' size and shape, they are fundamentally similar. With every doubling of average weight, a species becomes 25% more efficient and lives 25% longer thanks to the fractal geometry of energy and waste removal networks in each organism's body.

West's groundbreaking discoveries in biology have transformed the field, but his exploration didn't end there. After discovering the laws of scalability in living systems, West applied them to cities and businesses, uncovering why some thrive while others fail.

Through West's cutting-edge research and brilliant insights, "Scale" is a thrilling scientific adventure that demonstrates the simple but profound ways in which cities, companies, and biological life are all dancing to the same powerful tune.

作者简介

GeoffreyWestisatheoreticalphysicistwhoseprimaryinterestshavebeeninfundamentalquestionsinphysicsandbiology.WestisaSeniorFellowatLosAlamosNationalLaboratoryandadistinguishedprofessorattheSanteFeInstitute,whereheservedasthepresidentfrom2005-2009.In2006hewasnamedtoTime’slistof“The100MostInfluentialPeopleintheWorld.”