Geoffrey West
"Scale" by Geoffrey West delves into the universal laws that govern everything from the smallest organisms to the largest cities. West, a physicist, explores how biological and social phenomena scale in a predictable manner, unveiling the underlying principles that drive growth, pace of life, and sustainability. He presents a fascinating argument that everything, from the number of heartbeats in a lifetime to the pace of economic growth, can be predicted based on size. This interdisciplinary work bridges the gap between biology, urban planning, and economics, offering insights into how understanding scale can help solve some of the most pressing issues facing the world today, such as sustainability, urban sprawl, and energy consumption.
Read if: you're intrigued by the idea that universal principles can explain the complex systems of life and society, and you're interested in a scientific approach to understanding the world's most challenging problems.