Conceived as a general theory of design, natural selection assumes small improvements that favour survival, while unfavourable changes do not survive. This might sound logical, but does it really work as a design method? Can it be tested?

To answer such questions, Richard Toosey engages with the realities of practical, systemic design, something he is very familiar with from his long career in design/architecture. Can real design proceed by unguided incremental steps, as the theory of evolution requires?

This short book is clearly and cogently argued. It will make readers think carefully, including those with a strong background in biology.