From the Publisher
"A leading scholar and researcher, Denny has produced a unique book that will interest a diverse audience, from biologists wanting to understand the physical and engineering principles underlying form and function, to physicists and engineers looking for applications of fundamental concepts. Building from essential physics to biological uses with dexterity, Denny's work is perfect course material and fascinating reading."—Simon A. Levin, Princeton University"The specific features of organisms come more from their physical situations than from biological interactions. But which aspects of physics matter—and where, when, and how are they important? Moving beyond simplistic presentations, Mark Denny's latest work serves as a richly insightful guide. In particular, the book's range of examples, interwoven with the physical material, have contemporary ecological relevance for the biologist, engineer, or physicist."—Steven Vogel, Duke University"Denny's book provides an excellent introduction to the basics of transport processes—momentum, heat, and mass transfer—and their application to organisms in natural and unnatural environments. The coverage of fluid and solid mechanics is strong. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on quantifying environmental variation in terms of scale, noise, and extremes—these concepts are essential for understanding how organisms respond and adapt to variable and unpredictable surroundings."—Joel Kingsolver, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill"Denny's lucid new book is a ‘tour de forces'—that is, a tour of how diverse physical forces in the environment help govern the physiology, behavior, ecology, population biology, and even evolution of organisms. Deftly using physics principles and more to define the emerging field of ecological mechanics, this remarkable book forever changes and enriches our understanding of the dynamic biology of organisms in nature."—Raymond B. Huey, University of Washington"In defining the emerging field of ecomechanics, Denny builds on key principles from physics, fluid dynamics, and mechanics—innovatively combined with concepts from the statistics of extremes, variability, and probability—to show how biomechanical and ecological approaches work together to provide tools for predicting future interactions of organisms and their environment. Denny writes effortlessly and with exceptional clarity to explain physical science concepts and their relevance to ecology for a general audience."—Andrew A. Biewener, Harvard University"In this timely book, Denny posits that treating biomechanics and ecology separately leads to an incomplete understanding of nature. Their working together is key. Using engaging case studies and explaining in depth the physics underlying biomechanics, Denny takes readers through a vast amount of material and territory, and presents science that is relevant to actual and pressing problems. There is no other work like it."—Jérôme Casas, Institut Universitaire de France and University of Tours"This is a landmark book, the best of its kind I've ever read. It manages to be beautifully detailed and broadly visionary at the same time. Denny sees connections among multiple phenomena and offers his insights with an authoritative, comprehensive, lucid, and entertaining style. I will certainly use this book, as will other professional biologists, graduate students, and advanced undergraduates in the field."—Art Woods, University of Montana
