This easy-to read book looks at the many ways in which diffusion bears on processes that involve dispersion, starting from the Brownian motion of molecules, covering the invasion of exotic plants, migration of populations, epidemics, and extending to the spreading of languages and ideas. Recently, there has been a growing interest in understanding migrations, diffusion and spreading outside the "hard" natural sciences of physics and chemistry, for example the spreading of plants introduced as a result of globalization. Another fascinating story is that of human migration in the distant past, i.e. the immigration of our ancestors who brought agriculture from the Near East, or the fast spread of the Palaeo-Indians into the Americas after the end of the Ice Age. Likewise, the spread of languages in the past, and even more so the current spread and retreat of languages will be described here in terms of diffusion. By understanding these principles, there is hope that some of the less common languages that are threatened by globalization can be saved. Another important implication discussed by the author concerns the outbreak of epidemics; these may be mitigated if we understand their spreading mechanism. Last but not least the spreading of ideas and innovations, a process which changes the world sometimes faster than we wish, can also be usefully described in this picture.

This book deals with randomly moving objects and their spreading. The objects considered are particles like atoms and molecules, but also living beings such as humans, animals, plants, bacteria and even abstract entities like ideas, rumors, information, innovations and linguistic features. The book explores and communicates the laws behind these movements and reports about astonishing similarities and very specific features typical of the given object under considerations. Leading scientists in disciplines as diverse as archeology, epidemics, linguistics and sociology, in collaboration with their colleagues from engineering, natural sciences and mathematics, introduce the phenomena of spreading as relevant for their fields. An introductory chapter on "Spreading Fundamentals" provides a common basis for all these considerations, with a minimum of mathematics, selected and presented for enjoying rather than frustrating the reader.

Diffusion ist ein allgegenw rtiger Vorgang in Physik, Chemie und Biologie. Mit der Deutung der Brownschen Molekularbewegung gelang Albert Einstein vor fast genau hundert Jahren der wesentliche Schritt zur Erkl rung der regellosen Bewegung einzelner Molek le in Fl ssigkeiten und fester Materie. Mit fortschreitendem Verst ndnis des physikalischen Ph nomens der Diffusion stieg das Interesse an der logischen Erkl rung von Diffusionsbewegungen au erhalb der "harten Naturwissenschaften," u.a. der Wanderung von Pflanzen, Tieren, Menschen und Ideen. Ohne viel Mathematik zeigt der international erfahrene Autor hier die bestechenden hnlichkeiten verschiedener Wanderungsbewegungen auf. Sein verst ndliches Buch ist f r alle Naturwissenschaftler zug nglich und liefert neue Einsichten in die Disziplinen au erhalb der Physik.