Hallo,

the Oxford University Press has (had?) in its list two books in the field:

1. Richard A.L.Jones. 2004. Soft machines. Nanotechnology and life. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-852855

2. Vinod K. Wadhawan. 2007. Smart structures. Blurring the Distinction Between the Living and the Nonliving. (Monographs on the physics and chemistry of maerials. Oxford University Press.

I found them interesting, understandable (to non physicists) and comprehensive.

Best regards.

Anna Giulia Cattaneo