Reviews (14)

The arcane made accessible
On the surface, the book seems focused on computers and even video games.This makes the activities appealing for middle and high school students.However, the ideas in this book are actually relevant to two entirely different fields:1) genetics, and 2) artificial intelligence.Both these fields have at their centers the concept of complexity arising out of simplicity.Students who work their way though the activites in this book will find that Dr. Resnick offers a window into a deep mathematical world that has applications far beyond computers and games.
Great Starting Point in Agent based Modelling
Mitchel Resnick shares a lovely sense of wonder, discovery and fascination in this slim, easily read volume about agent based modelling.Using micro-worlds (termites, ants and other modelling metaphors) Resnick shows us how collective behaviours are more than a simple sum of the parts - and through his experiments using StarLogo programming he shows the nature of emergent behaviours that come through decentralised thinking.
interesting, but describes an old version of the software
This is a book describing the research of a team at MIT using a version of the educational language "Logo". Running in a simple graphical environment which supports multiple parallel operation of code in the same shared space. Write a few lines of code for an "ant", then let 1000 of them loose. The current version of this "StarLogo" system is written in Java, and available as a free download for anyone to play with.Read more

Subjects:  1. Artificial Intelligence    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer-Aided Instruction (General)    4. Parallel Processing    5. Parallel processing (Electronic computers)    6. Science    7. StarLogo (Computer program language)    8. System Theory    9. Cognition & cognitive psychology    10. Computer modelling & simulation    11. Cybernetics & systems theory   

Subjects:  1. Chaotic Behavior in Systems    2. Mechanics - General    3. Nonequilibrium statistical mec    4. Nonequilibrium statistical mechanics    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Statistical Mechanics    9. Science / Mathematical Physics    10. Statistical physics    11. Theoretical methods   

Reviews (3)

Not really worth it
Perhaps I bought this book with expecting too much. The books does talk about general system thinking, but: Great Book -- Makes You Think
One of the wonderful things about the Weinbergs' early series of books -- and this one in particular -- is that the ideas and the examples really make you think. With examples chosen from many fields, the book illustrates its central ideas with a cross-fertilization that helps one think outside ones box. One of the most infuential books I have ever read
An outstanding follow up to the first book Weinberg wrote(An Introductionto General Systems Thinking, 1975).Anyone who considers themseleves asystems thinker must read this book!Whereas the first book attempts toanswer the first questionin the systems triumvirate, "Why do we seewhat we see?", this books tackles the next question, namely "Whydo things stay the same?"As a marriage and family therapist,understanding systems is crucial to my work.This book is clearly written,and provides real world examples of sometimes difficult topics.I haveread this book cover to cover 3 times in the last 2 years, and continue toget something new from it every time.One of the best books around tothink about the organization of systems, regardless of the context. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Books: Operating Systems    2. Philosophy & Social Aspects    3. Programming - Systems Analysis & Design    4. Science    5. System Theory    6. System analysis    7. Systems Analysis    8. Systems analysis & design   

Reviews (4)

Excellent book
This book is an introduction dynamical systems defined by iterative maps of continuous functions.It doesn't require much advanced knowledge, but it does require a familiarity and certain level of comfort with proofs.
Good introduction to the beginning student
This book gives a quick and elementary introduction to the field of chaotic dynamical systems that could be read by anyone with a background in calculus and linear algebra. The approach taken by the author is very intuitive, lots of diagrams are used to illustrate the major points, and there are many useful exercises throughout the book. It could serve well in an undergraduate mathematics course in dynamical systems, and in a physics undergraduate course in advanced mechanics. The author emphasizes the mathematical aspects of dynamical systems, and readers will be well prepared after finishing it to read more advanced books on dynamical systems. The best starting point.
This book covers almost every aspect of theory of discrete dynamical systems and by far the easiest explains and proofs with useful exercises, anyone with solid calculus and linear algebra background shouldn't have anyproblem absorbing this material and is highly recommended to whom wants toknow about the theory of chaos from the scratch. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chaos Theory (Mathematics)    2. Chaotic Behavior in Systems    3. Differentiable dynamical syste    4. Differentiable dynamical systems    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Chaos theory    8. Engineering: general   

Reviews (5)

Mathematical Depth and Descriptive Simplicity

A masterpiece
This is the kind of book that should be available in every area of science and mathematics.A book that is not a research book, but yet is not a broad popularization.This book can benefit both persons who are just beginning a study of dynamic modeling and I dare say things will be learned by even those that are researchers in the area.Good work Foster Morrison whoever you are.

A broad overview
Very general overview for the subject of dynamic systems modeling, providing ample historical perspectives. Not suitable for folks looking for deep technical matters. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chaotic Behavior in Systems    2. Dynamics    3. Mathematical Models    4. Mechanics - General    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Stochastic processes    8. Applied mathematics    9. Probability & statistics    10. Science / Mechanics   

Reviews (1)

Very good
The book was sent very fast and I received it in excellent conditions ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology    2. Life Sciences - Ecology    3. Life Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems    4. Mathematical models    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Self-organizing systems    8. System Theory    9. Biological Sciences    10. Ecological science, the Biosphere    11. Physics    12. Science / Ecology   

Reviews (6)

I(X|Y) = H(X) - H(X|Y)
This 1990 Dover publication of the original 1965 edition serves as a great introduction to "the statistical communication theory", otherwise known as Information Theory, a subject which concerns the theoretical underpinnings of a broad class of communication devices. The exposition here is based on the Shannon's (not Wiener's) formulation or model of the theory, having been initiated in his breakthrough 1948 paper. I purchasedthis book more than a couple of years ago as a beginning math grad student mainly interested to (quickly and affordably) learn some basics about the subject, without necessarily intending to specialize in it. The text in my opinion should also be accessible to any engineering student with a one or two semester background in real analysis, and a working knowledge of the theory of probability (also summarized at the beginning of the book). Topics discussed include: noiseless coding, discrete memoryless channels, error correcting codes, information sources, channels with memory, and continuous channels. There are some very illuminating historical notes + remarks, and also problem sets at the end of each chapter, with solutions included at the back of the book, making an ideal setting for self-study. Aside from being a great resource for learning the basics however, one sole setback of the book is that all the results and theorems presentedtherein date from the 50's and early 60's, so one will have to look elsewhere to find out about some of the more recent developments in the field.

A classic.
The book by Shannon and Weaver (1949) is the classic; Shannon almost *is* information theory. There is more to it: The present lovely little book appeared first in 1965, but is still very relevant. I think it is a good next book to read. At least the mathematical part of the subject stays more constant over the years, as do the fundamental principles;-- that is what Ash's book is about. I especially liked ch 4 on error correcting codes, and the mathematical appendix which is centered around the Karhunen-Loeve theorem;-- the latter having found recent exciting applications in wavelet theory.

Rigourous.Not for Beginners.
This book is highly similar to the Reza book, also published by Dover publications.The Ash book kind of continues where the Reza book leaves off.In truth, this book is very, very rigorous... not so much in terms of proofs (see the small Khinchin book for great proofs), but in terms of it involves mathematics and concepts which require a higher level of knowledge.Undergraduate students would have alot of trouble trying to understand both math and general concepts.Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Information Theory    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Communication Studies    6. Mathematics / General   

Subjects:  1. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic    2. Information Theory    3. Mathematical Physics    4. Reference    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. System Theory    8. Applied mathematics    9. Engineering: general    10. Science: General Issues    11. Technology / Engineering / Electrical   

Subjects:  1. Applied    2. Bifurcation theory    3. Differential Equations    4. Dynamics    5. Mathematical physics    6. Mathematics    7. Science/Mathematics    8. System Theory    9. Applied mathematics    10. Fluid mechanics   

Reviews (6)

A Book Ahead of its Time - still
A wonderful synthesis of science at the edge. A grasp of how scientific methodology is changing to accommodate the revelations of chaos theory. The used edition I read was from 1990 and is prescient even now (alas). The informed and illuminating evidence that revolutionizes the current Neo-Darwinistic paradigm of molecular evolutionary theory towards the end of the book was particularly refreshing. John Briggs and F. Peat's thinking is so strikingly lucid, informed, and visionary that this book will fail to make almost any lecture list where it is most needed for years to come.

A step deeper guild of Chaos Theory to layman
I've finished this book's Chinese version today. In the last year, I'm trying my best effort to absorb knowledge of Chaos Theory, Complexity, and Catastrophe Theory. It's quite hard to get a in-depth guild of the above knowledge to common people in Hong Kong.

Subjects:  1. Chaotic behavior in systems    2. General    3. Nuclear Physics    4. Philosophy    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. System Theory   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Science/Mathematics    3. System Theory    4. Technology & Industrial Arts   

Reviews (2)

A Thought-Provoking Book
Bird makes a strong case for the use of Chaos theory and Fractals to model life. But he sometimes goes too far and seems to ascribe more power to the mathematics than it actually has; he makes it sound mystical at times. On page 266, the paragraph starting with Chomsky is very profound but isolated and not developed in the remainder of the text. All in all, I recommend the book.

Critique of Neo-Darwinism
This fascinating voyage braiding evolutionary thinking with chaos theory starts with a cogent critique of current Neo-Darwinism in a fashion reminiscent of Robert Wesson's _Beyond Natural Selection_. Students of evolution are seldom aware of the criticisms of Darwin springing from scientists themselves, or of the attempts to really grapple with the problems without the distractions of the current Darwin debate, which is mostly propaganda. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biology    2. Chaotic Behavior in Systems    3. Evolution (Biology)    4. Life Sciences - Evolution    5. Philosophy    6. Philosophy & Social Aspects    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Science    9. Chaos theory    10. Evolution    11. Science / Biology   

Reviews (27)

Thought provoking
The book examines the connection patterns of various networks, although it mostly focuses on the social aspect. The central idea is that you have a bunch of nodes (which can be people, Web sites, airports etc) and you want to connect them in such a way that you can get from anywhere to anywhere reasonably fast but you require very short routes for nodes that are close by some measure. So how do you do it?
Good introduction to the subject
A captivating read with some new and interesting insights into the theory of networks. My only complaint is the total lack of math to support the discussed ideas. A little of graph theory (which is very straight forward) would go a long way to get a more solid grip on the subject. For a more mathematically inclined reader I would recommend `Six Degrees' by Duncan Watts. However, this is a good introductory book to the field with some interesting insights, so if you are interested in the subject, it is definitely worth the time.
Illuminating Ideas
This book has some really interesting ideas, mostly pertaining to what mathematicians call "graph theory."My only criticism, which may be a positive thing for many people, is that there is no math in the book.This is a very readable book--something that you can quickly read on an airplane.Once you learn about the key "ideas," I recommend that you follow up with additional research to learn the mathematics behind the ideas.The author does seem a bit wordy about the "six degrees of separation" phenomenon.Even people as dumb as I am get the idea after hearing about it several times.The book is good, but it needs some mathematics to quantify the ideas. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Causality (Physics)    2. General    3. Geometry - General    4. Pattern formation (Physical sc    5. Pattern formation (Physical sciences)    6. Philosophy    7. Physics    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Social networks    11. System Theory   

Reviews (1)

Concise description of constraint programming using OPL
It is a good description of constraint programming. The book is very concise - I could read it in a couple of days. It helps to have some logic programming exposure although it is not required to understand the material. One can read the first two chapters and then jump straight to the particular application area that they are most interested in. For example, if you are interested in scheduling applications you could go straight to the scheduling chapter after reading the introduction. Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Languages / Programming    2. Computer Books: Languages    3. Computer Programming Languages    4. Computer Science    5. Computers    6. OPL (Computer program language)    7. Programming Languages - General    8. Applied mathematics    9. Computers / Programming Languages / General    10. Programming languages   

Reviews (18)

Multi-point reference, strong in all areas but very broad
The concepts of system thinking, enterprise architecture, business architecture are big enough by themselves to be covered in a book.Doing it all within the context of a single book is daunting and a topic that Gharajedaghi partially accomplishes.
Successful Integration of Systems Thinking "Camps"
Gharajedaghi's 2nd edition has accomplished an incredible feat - he has successfully integrated and synthesized the systems dynamics of Forrester with the systems thinking and interactive design of Ackoff. Jamshid connects Holistic thinking, operational thinking, socio-cultural models/conceptions, and interactive design into a complementary whole. Our organization has learned and is using Jamshid's methodology and it is fundamentally changing the way in which we see the world and the organizations that will be able to compete in this new "flat" world.
Go west young man go west!
If this book takes you back to the source material, then it will have accomplished its goal. The book itself, lacks the finesse of it's intellectual founders. But by god do we need this book in order to point us back. The last three years have been a result of reading all the source material for the book and for that Jamshid - I thank you.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Chaotic behavior in systems    5. Industrial management    6. Leadership    7. Management    8. Management - General    9. Reference - General    10. System Theory    11. System analysis    12. Technological complexity    13. Business & Economics / Management    14. Business strategy    15. Business systems analysis    16. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. General    3. Interior Design - General    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. System Theory    7. Mathematical modelling    8. Numerical analysis   

Subjects:  1. Flowers    2. Life Sciences - Botany    3. Life Sciences - Ecology    4. Plant ecology    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. System Theory   

Reviews (1)

Well written and informative introduction to SSM
Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) is an offshoot of systems thinking and has its roots in Peter Checkland's seminal 1981 book, "Systems Thinking, Systems Practice" (now out of print).This book shows how to apply SSM to the problem sets for which it was designed: the unpredictable behavior of human actions, which are often counter to the logic we apply to "hard" problems such as computer systems behavior and other systems that follow predictable laws of physics.Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Computer Books: General    3. Computer Books: Operating Systems    4. Computers    5. Decision Making & Problem Solving    6. Industrial Technology    7. Linguistic models    8. Management Information Systems    9. Office Automation    10. Problem solving    11. System Theory    12. System analysis    13. Systems Engineering    14. Business & Economics / Management Science    15. Business information systems    16. Cybernetics & systems theory    17. Management & management techniques   

Reviews (3)

A Necessary Book
I would unconditionally recommend this book. I have used the processes Warfield describes in my work as an Artist, an Artistic Director, a performing arts teacher and the leader of a religious congregation.
Odd, to say the least
This is a most peculiar book: rambling, discursive, full of impenetrable jargon and idiosyncratic phrases.It really never seems to get anywheres at all.It provides "data" in the form of brief biographical sketches of individuals from Aristotle onwards who have influenced the author professionally; and it references the author's prior work in terms of the total number of pages, etc which all seems rather meaningless.It is very repetetive.I just found the oddness of this book so distracting that it became ultimately annoying and unreadable.
An Introduction To Systems Science by John N. Warfield
Warning: this review may be premature.It is being written after one read whereas this book will sustain more than a dozen read-throughs, each generating new insights.Not that the book is obtuse--quite the opposite, this book is well organized and well written.But it is so full of ideas, propositions, methods, measures, and validations that a first reading cannot possibly glean the full essence.
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Subjects:  1. Computer Science    2. Computers - General Information    3. Earth Sciences - General    4. Production & Operations Management    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. System Theory    8. Systems analysis & design   

Reviews (3)

Excellent and honest
This book deserves 5 stars because it gives crystal-clear, precise, brutally honest and unbiased coverage of what "Self-Organized Criticality" is and what it is not. Don't waste your time readingBak's book, read this one instead.

A GOOD FORMAL INTRODUCTION TO SELF ORGANIZED CRITICALITY.
This book is the first attempt to condense in a single text a mathematical introduction to the emergent field of self organized criticality (SOC). The author describes the main general ideas of SOC in the first two chapters.In the third chapter there are a presentation of some systems that canexhibit SOC. The fourth chapter is a presentation and a study of "toymodels" in the spirit of SOC. The fifth chapter is about the search ofa general mathematical formalism for SOC, which is still an open question.The author presents in this chapter some formalisms developed to explainSOC. In the last chapter, the author discusses essentialy to what extent wecan observe SOC behaviour in real systems. There are five appendices, andthe first three of these appendices present FORTRAN codes for threedistinct toy models. I did not rate this book as five stars because in myopinion the author is very concise in some parts of the text. But this is agood book, and can be recommended to all those interested in the field ofself organized criticality.

Good introduction to Self Organized Criticality
From the caracteristics of systems exhibiting SOC to their simulation and modelling as well as many classical and new examples of SOC systems. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Complexity (Philosophy)    2. Critical phenomena (Physics)    3. Philosophy    4. Philosophy Of Science    5. Physics    6. Physics (Specific Aspects)    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. System Theory    10. Science / General    11. Science: General Issues