This book brings together different work in the new field of physics called the chaos theory, an extension of classical mechanics, in which simple and complex causes are seen to interact. Mathematics may only be able to solve simple linear equations which experiment has pushed nature into obeying in a limited way, but now that computers can map the whole plane of solutions of non-linear equations a new vision of nature is revealed. The implications are staggeringly universal in all areas of scientific work and philosophical thought.
Chaos: Making a New Science
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Amazon Review
Few writers distinguish themselves by their ability to write about complicated, even obscure topics clearly and engagingly. In Chaos, James Gleick, a former science writer for the New York Times, shows that he resides in this exclusive category. Here he takes on the job of depicting the first years of the study of chaos--the seemingly random patterns that characterise many natural phenomena.
This is not a purely technical book. Instead, it focuses as much on the scientists studying chaos as on the chaos itself. In the pages of Gleick's book, the reader meets dozens of extraordinary and eccentric people. For instance, Mitchell Feigenbaum, who constructed and regulated his life by a 26-hour clock and watched his waking hours come in and out of phase with those of his coworkers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
As for chaos itself, Gleick does an outstanding job of explaining the thought processes and investigative techniques that researchers bring to bear on chaos problems. Rather than attempt to explain Julia sets, Lorenz attractors and the Mandelbrot Set with gigantically complicated equations, Chaos relies on sketches, photographs and Gleick's wonderful descriptive prose. --Christine Buttery
Review
Fascinating... Almost every paragraph contains a jolt (New York Times )
Highly entertaining...a startling look at newly discovered universal laws (Chicago Tribune )
Highly entertaining...a startling look at newly discovered universal laws (Chicago Tribune )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
44 of 45 people found the following review helpful
By Optimistix
Format:Paperback
This book is called 'Chaos : Making a new science' - so it should hardly
surprise anyone that it deals with the history of Chaos, bringing forth
the elementary concepts of the field along the way.
This book isn't, nor does it pretend to be, a textbook on chaos theory,
so one shouldn't expect too much maths or technical details. On the other
hand, a little maths is unavoidable for discussing even the most basic
notions of chaos theory, so the reader should be prepared for some
(not very demanding) maths.
surprise anyone that it deals with the history of Chaos, bringing forth
the elementary concepts of the field along the way.
This book isn't, nor does it pretend to be, a textbook on chaos theory,
so one shouldn't expect too much maths or technical details. On the other
hand, a little maths is unavoidable for discussing even the most basic
notions of chaos theory, so the reader should be prepared for some
(not very demanding) maths.
The style adopted by Gleick is to interweave the personal lives of the
major players involved in the birth of chaos with a description the
concepts, thus giving the book a feel of an interesting story while
introducing a plethora of dazzling ideas at the same time.
The idea of self-similarity, of patterns composed of infinitely-repeating
tiny replicas of themselves, is astounding, to say the least. And to
learn that nature is full of such patterns is revealing indeed. The
implications to science and technology are far-reaching and often
surprising - researchers in Computer Networking have discovered that
network traffic in large networks such as the internet may actually be
following self-similar patterns !!
Personally, i found this to be a delightful read - Gleick's writing is
racy, the ideas involved are mind-bending, and the vivid imagery will
stay with you for a long,long time. I fell in love with fractals at
first sight and can gaze at a collection of beautiful fractals for hours.
In brief, this is a light, breezy account of the history of Chaos, with
a gentle introduction to the basic ideas of Chaos without much technical
details and only a minimum of maths.
One of the best 'Science for everyone' books i've ever read!
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
This was the first book I ever read on chaos theory. I am not involved in chaos theory at all, but I was interested in finding out more about it as it was big news at the time.
While at times the concept can be difficult to grasp, the author does go to great pains to make things clear. I think this book is aimed at people with some kind of background in maths, science or engineering ho know nothing about chaos theory.
THe story of how chaos theory came to be is enlightening and a real insight into how such ideas evolve over time.
By the end of the book I was quite able to create and run my own (basic) chaos equations. Quite a feat, really.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book left me looking at the world in a radically different perspective. It seemed to suggest that in the late twentieth century we were begining to pin down the extremely subtle mathematics that underpinned almost everything and as a consequence were suddenly gaining an incredible insight into what's actually going on behind the scenes of the universe.
You enter this book knowing chaos as a buzzword occasionally touched upon by the media and gradually realise that it describes the 'forces at work' behind a whole array of things from something as trivial as the Newton-Raphson procedure (who'd have thought a simple piece of A-level maths could give rise to cutting adge research?) to matters as important as the weather, the interepherence in phone lines, the populations in an e-cology, indeed (without meaning to give away the book's climax) it's the very set of theories and idea's that keeps human beings alive!
An absolute must for anyone who's ever wondered why they wonder!
You enter this book knowing chaos as a buzzword occasionally touched upon by the media and gradually realise that it describes the 'forces at work' behind a whole array of things from something as trivial as the Newton-Raphson procedure (who'd have thought a simple piece of A-level maths could give rise to cutting adge research?) to matters as important as the weather, the interepherence in phone lines, the populations in an e-cology, indeed (without meaning to give away the book's climax) it's the very set of theories and idea's that keeps human beings alive!
An absolute must for anyone who's ever wondered why they wonder!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
a birthday present
My son wanted a science book for his birthday and I knew he would like something on chaos theory. I was not wrong, I think he has read this a few times already and has pride of... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Nutrocker
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good read, if overly wordy, but sadly glosses over the most...
This was my first look at chaos. It is as noted by others, a history, which is interesting but I felt that it dwelled a little too much on the whys and wherefores of the numerous... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ofeliawotsits
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bought as a present...
... for my father-in-law, and it set me up with a reputation as a fantastic gift-giver to maintain. Good for anybody who likes science, history or people. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Rebecca /Liz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book, fast delivery
Item arrived quicker than expected and in great condition. The book is awesome and a must read for anyone wanting some knowledge of Chaos without being bamboozled
Published 4 months ago by james davis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well-described insights linking real-world systems and mathematics
Delicately skirting round some complex mathematics and using physical reasoning instead, this book explores behaviour of physical systems: the way the intertwined populations of... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mesomorphic Mesopotamian
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant
This is a wonderful read and I am completely captivated. Mr Gleick explains with a certain lightness of touch the often difficult and complex ideas inherent in all this. Read more
Published 6 months ago by thomas coffey
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent introduction
As a non-mathematician I found this book an excellent introduction to Chaos.
He explains concepts, introduces the main men and makes one want to read more on this... Read more
He explains concepts, introduces the main men and makes one want to read more on this... Read more
Published 9 months ago by David laird
5.0 out of 5 stars
brillant intro to chaos
I have always been drawn to chaos theory since I was a kid and this was the first book I brought on the subject. Read more
Published 11 months ago by csa27
5.0 out of 5 stars
Recieve the item in perfect condition
Got the book and I recieve it promptly and the condition of the book is perfect! Will order from the seller again!
Published 19 months ago by Ray
5.0 out of 5 stars
History of Chaos Theory
At first I was put off by the age of this book, it being written in the mid 80's, then I did a few searches and found it still topped the charts in this particular area. Read more
Published on 4 May 2011 by nicholas hargreaves
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