EVERYTHING would be better if we learned from nature, says Rafe Sagarin. It might be surprising to hear this idea coming from a former advisor to a US congresswoman, but Sagarin鈥檚 primary habitat is an even tougher environment than Washington鈥檚 corridors of power; the rock pools of California.
His biologist鈥檚-eye-view provided a radical perspective when his time in politics coincided with the aftermath of 9/11. Faced with rigid security checks, Sagarin was reminded of the flexible dynamic threat responses of the octopuses and anemones he studied, which keep both the animals and their aggressors on their metaphorical toes. Inspired by the insight, Sagarin set out on the path that led to Learning from the Octopus.
For Sagarin, and those in power who have been listening to him, the US鈥檚 operations in Iraq and Afghanistan were further proof of concept. Here a mighty but inflexible military machine faced the insurgents鈥� mercurial forces. As Sagarin notes, American survival and success came with flexibility: scrap metal bolted on as 鈥渉illbilly armour鈥�, field commanders who ignored Standing Operating Procedures and, like the insurgents, worked on-the-fly adaptations. Social smarts, it seemed, counted more than smart bombs.
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Every living species, Sagarin points out, has been under attack for its entire evolutionary history. Survival involves flexibility when confronting everything from minor skirmishes to full-on blitzkriegs. This inchoate ability has largely withered in generally safe western societies. In showing how to get it back, Sagarin explains biology鈥檚 lessons for successful national security with a brisk, clear style, designed for the broadest possible audience. The book will be as informative to a field biologist as a field commander.
The natural history examples are linked cleverly and effectively, making surprising and provocative points to prompt discussion of how the flexibility of natural defences can be used for strategic benefit.
Learning from the Octopus
Basic Books