Agent-Based Models (Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences) [Paperback]

The aim of this book is to be some sort of a very quick introduction of agent based models to social scientists. Please be advice that this is exactly what he does, very concise in text and lacking examples and information. This book is definitely not what one comes to expect when looking for a textbook.

Shortly stated, agent based models is an emerging methodology that allows us to explore complex system that are to hard to define and explore analytically. As such, the idea is to define many simple entities (agents) with simple behavioral rules, put them in a multiagent environment that is also governed by simple rules, and watch as their local interactions cause the emergent of some global impact on the overall system (such as the emergent of some equilibrium point). The author, Nigel Gilber, is a well respected researchers in that field with profound contribution over the years.

The main problem is that this 'book' is basically a quite straightforward "introduction" paper that one can often find with simple search on the internet. It seems that the book is an in essence an extension of such paper. In terms of content, there are 20 pages on the introduction (what are agent-based models), which is an important read to newcomers. Then 10 pages of different parameters that people use in their experimental environments, and 16 pages on ways of using agent based models for social science research. This is basically the book. There are also another 22 pages on describing some programming environment, named NetLogo, but that information is widely available on the Internet, alongside many other free development environments that are often better (e.g. Ascape) with better online manuals.

This booklet is overly pricy, very shallow in content, examples and references as one would expect from a textbook (even in an introductory one). In addition, the book is very short and thin, and with a very cheap printing and cover. It is definitely not worth the requested price, and will be needed to complement with another book on the topic (e.g. an excellent textbook on the topic named "Complex Adaptive Systems").

This small booklet is very good for starters. The examples used are very relevant. I would recomment it for all beginners in agent-based modeling. It contains most of the important information and is very easy to read. It would be better if some necessary math are included.

This short book is very useful if you are writing a paper on the results of an agent-based model. It outlines how your paper should be set up and discusses what details to include. Although it presents an overview of what is ABM, it will not teach you how to create an agent-based model. Nonetheless the student or researcher should find this book useful.