Review
"(t)his would be my nominee for book of the year, if it wasn't still only January. Who knows what may turn up in the next 12 months? Whatever it is, though, will find Fisher a hard act to follow."
--John Gribbin, BBC Focus, December 2012
`"Swarm intelligence" is nature's equivalent of that other seductive phrase "the wisdom of crowds". In the natural world, birds, bees, ants and fish often act instinctively, as a group. Fisher suggests that human beings might take useful lessons from complex systems of group activity to help us to live better lives, make better decisions, even throw better parties. Coming to trust that communal instincts are good for human beings, of course, is another matter in individualistic societies. Fisher helpfully and humorously describes the dark science of manipulating friends and influencing people.'
--The Times, Saturday 23rd January, 2010
"(b)y focusing wholly on the science of complexity without using narrative ploys to disguise it, Fisher covers a vast subject quickly in a compact book. The Perfect Swarm is a valuable contribution."
--Nature, March 4, 2010
--John Gribbin, BBC Focus, December 2012
`"Swarm intelligence" is nature's equivalent of that other seductive phrase "the wisdom of crowds". In the natural world, birds, bees, ants and fish often act instinctively, as a group. Fisher suggests that human beings might take useful lessons from complex systems of group activity to help us to live better lives, make better decisions, even throw better parties. Coming to trust that communal instincts are good for human beings, of course, is another matter in individualistic societies. Fisher helpfully and humorously describes the dark science of manipulating friends and influencing people.'
--The Times, Saturday 23rd January, 2010
"(b)y focusing wholly on the science of complexity without using narrative ploys to disguise it, Fisher covers a vast subject quickly in a compact book. The Perfect Swarm is a valuable contribution."
--Nature, March 4, 2010
Product Description
One of the greatest discoveries of recent times is that the complex patterns we find in life are often produced when all of the individuals in a group follow the same simple rule. This process of “self-organization” reveals itself in the inanimate worlds of crystals and seashells, but as Len Fisher shows, it is also evident in living organisms, from fish to ants to human beings. The coordinated movements of fish in shoals, for example, arise from the simple rule: “Follow the fish in front.” Traffic flow arises from simple rules: “Keep your distance” and “Keep to the right.”
Now, in his new book, Fisher shows how we can manage our complex social lives in an ever more chaotic world. His investigation encompasses topics ranging from “swarm intelligence” to the science of parties and the best ways to start a fad. Finally, Fisher sheds light on the beauty and utility of complexity theory. An entertaining journey into the science of everyday life, The Perfect Swarm will delight anyone who wants to understand the complex situations in which we so often find ourselves.
