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Product Description
The Guardian
Critical Mass fizzes with ideas and insights
Independent on Sunday
‘more than a book, this in an intellectual curiosity’
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
50 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Yes, without a doubt, Philip Ball's greatest book to date. He is probably better known among scientists than laypersons as he was for a long time editor at Nature one of the worlds top multi-disciplinary science journals. He has a degree in chemistry and a doctorate in physics but he seems to know a great deal more, when he mentions literature he sounds like an english professor but enough about the man - what about his book?
The joy of Ball's erudition is that he can speak intelligently on any subject which must have been useful at Nature and is essential when he tackles popular science books such as this. His books are not for the lazy but curious person, to get joy out of Ball's books you must be prepared to think hard, concentrate a little and then the rewards will come. In this book, Ball discusses the startling results that physicists have had when applying physics to social phenomena - war, business, traffic. People are particles is a common theme. Obviously classical physics or even quantum phenomena are not going to predict a single persons actions, but what about a million? As it turns out there are parallels which we run in to again and again. One fascinating analogy - and it is more than just analogy really, thats the whole point - is how traffic slowing to a jam is much like water freezing. Phase changes and critical points come up repeatedly. Reading this book was absolutely fascinating. I looked forward to my bus rides to work so I'd have another chance to read some more.
The diagrams ease comprehension and the writing is lucid and entertaining throughout. There is even some dry humour which I found refreshing. I'm not sure I can praise this book highly enough, I've read popular science, and many academic titles and this is probably the one I've enjoyed most - it is one of those books that will make you look at everything differently.
Five stars without a doubt. A stimulating, exciting, fascinating read. 1st rate popular science, 1st rate writing.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Why do we decide individually or so we think but end up acting collectively? This is the central theme explored in this marvelous book that runs the gamut from traffic systems to network topology to urban planning. I love the multi-dimensionality this book displays which enriches the mind and gets one thinking about old problems in new ways. Surely in such a troublesome world such as ours with 7 billion-ish people and problems ad infinitum, solving problems must be one of the most valuable skills that can be taught. This is (sort of) what "Critical Mass" delivers.
There are a few fault lines where Ball employs novelistic stunts. I'll give two. First is his indiscriminate use of the so called "power law" discovered in many studies to describe collective behaviour. This law turns out to be nothing but an inverse relationship between two variables but "power" and "law" together sound sexier and so much more authoritative. Pah! The second is where he's talking about Dostoyevsky's Raskolnikov (Crime and Punishment) and Ball casually refers to D as a criminal to prove a point. Well, yes kind of, but Dostoyevsky was condemmed for associating with radicals who wanted to free serfs/slaves. It wasn't like he was a murderer. Rant over. Read the book.
There are a few fault lines where Ball employs novelistic stunts. I'll give two. First is his indiscriminate use of the so called "power law" discovered in many studies to describe collective behaviour. This law turns out to be nothing but an inverse relationship between two variables but "power" and "law" together sound sexier and so much more authoritative. Pah! The second is where he's talking about Dostoyevsky's Raskolnikov (Crime and Punishment) and Ball casually refers to D as a criminal to prove a point. Well, yes kind of, but Dostoyevsky was condemmed for associating with radicals who wanted to free serfs/slaves. It wasn't like he was a murderer. Rant over. Read the book.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I found this book incredibly thought provoking. It would have been much quicker to read in fact if I hadn't been constantly writing down ideas that occured to me as I delved into its chapters.
It covers an enormous amount of ground and is, mostly, very readable despite sometimes covering a whirlwind of several hundred years of theory.
The main gist of the book is applying physics theories to human social interaction (be it in crowds, queues, crime, traffic, war, politics, markets, towns, businesses etc). It highlights how certain signature patterns seem to turn up time and time again in all these disparate theatres of human life.
It covers the familiar "bell curves" of probability theory but it was most interesting (to me) when discussing phase changes - for example how a liquid line of traffic suddenly morphs into a solid because one car (particle) brakes too fast and the knock on effects this has.
I'd strongly recommend this book as I think it's given me a better understanding of how certain types of change happen. Now I know why you wait ages for a bus and then three turn up at once.
It covers an enormous amount of ground and is, mostly, very readable despite sometimes covering a whirlwind of several hundred years of theory.
The main gist of the book is applying physics theories to human social interaction (be it in crowds, queues, crime, traffic, war, politics, markets, towns, businesses etc). It highlights how certain signature patterns seem to turn up time and time again in all these disparate theatres of human life.
It covers the familiar "bell curves" of probability theory but it was most interesting (to me) when discussing phase changes - for example how a liquid line of traffic suddenly morphs into a solid because one car (particle) brakes too fast and the knock on effects this has.
I'd strongly recommend this book as I think it's given me a better understanding of how certain types of change happen. Now I know why you wait ages for a bus and then three turn up at once.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Efficient popular science
This was well written and interesting throughout. The subject matter is often quite familiar now but he presents it well and generally makes convincing arguments.
Published 18 months ago by The Emperor
Science trivia and name dropping
The subject does sound interesting, but the book avoids making any conclusion. This is a book of five hundred pages of very well edited science trivia and name dropping. Read more
Published on 10 May 2009 by Kerola Sami
A very interesting book.
Critical Mass provides an overview and investigation into the study of human society and interactions using physics-based models. Read more
Published on 25 Aug 2008 by Stucumber
Fun to read - Changes your perspective!
I really enjoyed this book, I just grabbed it at the airport because I needed something to read.
It must be hard, covering so many topics. Read more
It must be hard, covering so many topics. Read more
Published on 18 Sep 2007 by R. A. Gremmen
Hard Work, but worth making the effort
Like other reviewers, at times I found this really hard work to read - coming as I did from a non-science background. Read more
Published on 22 Aug 2007 by R. Chant
Some interesting stuff but almost obscured
There are some interesting chapters in this book, if nothing particularly groundbreaking, but it is almost spoilt by the first 2 or 3 which are excessively long and dull. Read more
Published on 12 Jun 2007 by N. Lott
Hard work for no reward....
I agree with a lot of the comments... this book is very hard work, boring and rather tedious to read, very little original thinking and ultimately a bit of a waste of time. Read more
Published on 1 Mar 2007 by N. Dale
Science plus politics equals dullsville
This is a rare, book indeed - one that I couldn't finish! In the last thirty years, I have failed with only perhaps ten books, and this is one of them. Read more
Published on 18 April 2006 by Avidreader
The Will to Power (Law)
This is a super book.
Philip Ball, a self-confessed liberal - more on that later - is first and foremost a scientist (a former staffer on Nature magazine), and his brief here is... Read more
Published on 1 April 2006 by O. Buxton
No big idea here
This is a book by someone who's read an awful lot and more or less understood it all, but has no big ideas of his own. Read more
Published on 23 Aug 2005 by J. P. R. Palfrey
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