Join Amazon Prime and get unlimited Free One-Day Delivery. Already a member? Sign in.

 

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
32 used & new from £3.95
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Introducing Chaos
 
 
Share your own customer images
Search inside this book

Introducing Chaos (Paperback)

by Ziauddin Sardar (Author), Iwona Abrams (Author)
2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
RRP: £9.99
Price: £6.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.00 (30%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk. Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want guaranteed delivery by Tuesday, July 14? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details
23 new from £4.05 9 used from £3.95
Other Editions: RRP: Our Price: Other Offers:
Paperback (New Ed) £6.99 £5.49 48 used & new from £1.55

Frequently Bought Together

Introducing Chaos + Introducing Quantum Theory (Introducing...) + Introducing Time (Introducing (Icon))
Price For All Three: £19.22

Show availability and shipping details

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Introducing Quantum Theory (Introducing...)

Introducing Quantum Theory (Introducing...)

by J.P. McEvoy
3.9 out of 5 stars (11)  £5.24
Introducing Time (Introducing (Icon))

Introducing Time (Introducing (Icon))

by Craig Callender
3.7 out of 5 stars (3)  £6.99
Introducing the Universe (Introducing...)

Introducing the Universe (Introducing...)

by Felix Pirani
4.0 out of 5 stars (1)  £7.49
Logic: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)

Logic: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)

by Dan Cryan
4.3 out of 5 stars (3)  £5.49
Relativity: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)

Relativity: A Graphic Guide (Introducing...)

by Bruce Bassett
3.0 out of 5 stars (5)  £5.24
› Explore similar items

Product details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Icon Books Ltd; illustrated edition edition (2 Sep 2004)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1840465816
  • ISBN-13: 978-1840465815
  • Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14 x 1.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 173,884 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #19 in  Books > Society, Politics & Philosophy > Social Sciences > Communication Studies > Information Theory
    #32 in  Books > Science & Nature > Physics > Chaos & Dynamic Systems

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

Customers Viewing This Page May Be Interested in These Sponsored Links

  (What is this?)
The Teaching Company
   www.teach12.com    The Joy of Lifelong Learning Everyday! 
  
 

Product Description

Product Description
If a butterfly flaps its wings in Brazil, does it cause a tornado in Texas? Choas, the most important advance in science since the advent of Quantum Theory, attempts to answer such baffling questions. The discovery of randomness in apparently predictable physical systems has evolved into a new science that declares the universe to be far more unpredictable than we have ever imagined. This book explains how chaos makes its presence felt in many varieties of event, from the fluctuation of animal populations to the ups and downs of the stock market. It also examines the roots of chaos in modern mathematics and physics, and explores the relationship between chaos and complexity, the new unifying theory which suggests that all complex systems evolve from a few simple rules. This is an accessible introduction to an astonishing and controversial theory that could dramatically change our view of the natural world and our place in a turbulent universe.
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
Check a corresponding box or enter your own tags in the field below
(3)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(2)
(1)
(1)
(1)
(1)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 
See most popular tags

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Introducing Chaos
49% buy the item featured on this page:
Introducing Chaos 2.4 out of 5 stars (5)
£6.99
Introducing Quantum Theory (Introducing...)
19% buy
Introducing Quantum Theory (Introducing...) 3.9 out of 5 stars (11)
£5.24
Chaos: Making a New Science
11% buy
Chaos: Making a New Science 4.5 out of 5 stars (17)
£6.49
Introducing Philosophy (Introducing...)
11% buy
Introducing Philosophy (Introducing...) 3.5 out of 5 stars (6)
£5.49
Explore similar items
 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.4 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to the world of Chaos Theory, 19 Dec 2007
By inflamm_wizard (London, UK.) - See all my reviews
There are a number of introductory books on Chaos Theory available. None of which helped me to get 'into' Chaos Theory.
I think that this book, by Ziauddin Sardar is different and probably the most useful introduction for the totally uninitiated.
The book covers the the main ideas and the key players in the development of Chaos theory. I also found the further reading section useful and purchased two books listed, and reserved a further two books via my local library.
Some words of warning: Learning Chaos theory is unlike learning other scientific theories because with other theories most people have some familiarity from school, something they may have read or via the media. Reading, even an introductory book on Chaos Theory, like this one, can be tough going and really is like learning an entirely NEW theory from scratch with new words, concepts(Strange attractors anyone?) and history. Many of the key players in the development of Chaos theory, like Benoit Mandelbrot(Fractals), l had never heard of.
Yes, this is an introductory book with those annoying drawings found in all the 'Introducing' series of books. And yes, the writing is conveniently brief at times, and inconveniently too brief at other times. But, read this book a couple of times and move on to some of the recommended text in the further reading section and you may, like me, find that you finally have an appreciation of what Chaos theory is all about.
Comment Comment (1) | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars introducing chaos, 24 Oct 2006
By Neil Murphy "billiam" (sheffieldd yorkshire) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I seriously wanted to find out more about chaos theory and this book gave no assistance. Every page has seriously silly 'cartoons' which fail utterly to help. What little text there is has not been written by anyone who has the remotest idea of how to get ideas across. I have now binned it; money wasted!
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars would you regard signifier and signified as inseparable but not united.?, 31 Jan 2008
By Dave (Holmfirth, Yorkshire United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
"Amateur Biblical scholar Immanuel Velikovsky was dismissed by astronomers as a complete crank". Then in the next frame "Now with chaos theory scientists can escape from ignorance of their ignorance"

"The cultural equivalent of attractors would be chiefs, tribes, states and what gives us identity" (accompanied by a picture of the Pope and a nice little butterfly)

"Architect Bruce Goff was amongst the first to use strange attractors to organise a force-field of movement inside some of his houses"

I love this one -"Zaha Hadid used fractal geometry to create a building that used the language of planes to enfold difference in continuity". Unfortunately this "conception was never realised" being too (wait for it) "POSTMODERN"

The most generous summing up I could give this book would be "boldly meaningless"; "wrong" would however probably be more accurate.
If you would like to read something of chaos theory without paradigm shifts, postmodernism and pictures of skinny women with cauliflowers growing out of their heads then please, please, please buy another book.
"Deep Simplicity" by John Gribbin is quite a good one.
Some of the "Introducing" series are very good. This one's a stinker.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A good introduction to chaos
My personal exploration of the ideas of improvement and change have led along a path in which quantum physics, uncertainty, chaos and complexity have almost mysteriously become... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Steven Unwin

1.0 out of 5 stars chaotic writing
I completely agree with the first reviewer. Far too much space taken up with silly pictures and no background to the idea presented is given - far too much prior physics knowledge... Read more
Published on 11 Jun 2007 by M. Hallam

Only search this product's reviews


Customer Discussions

 Beta (What's this?)
This product's forum (0 discussions)
  Discussion Replies Latest Post
  No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
  [Cancel]


Active discussions in related forums
   
Related forums

Listmania!

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

Health & Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Elemis Resurface and Renew Skin Care Gift Set of 4 Products
From soap to shavers, massagers to mascara, stock up on your daily essentials or truly pamper yourself.

›Discover Health & Beauty

  

More From Richard Appignanesi

Introducing Psychology

Introducing Psychology (Introducing...)

Full of cartoons and illustrations: a complete introduction... Read more
£6.99 £4.19

 

We've Got Converse

Converse
Stock up on your favourite styles with great deals on Converse shoes.

›Shop Converse

  

Treat Someone

Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificates--available in any amount from £5 to £500 With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

  
Ad

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History

  (What's this?)
You have no recently viewed items or searches.

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.

Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session.
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
The Girl Who Played with Fire
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson
4.5 out of 5 stars (73)£3.86
 Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)
Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) by Stephenie Meyer
4.1 out of 5 stars (462)£6.49
 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
4.1 out of 5 stars (164)£3.99
 The Host
The Host by Stephenie Meyer
4.2 out of 5 stars (80)£3.86

amazon.co.uk Amazon Home
International Sites:  United States  |  Germany  |  France  |  Japan  |  Canada  |  China
Business Programs: Sell on Amazon  |  Fulfilment by Amazon  |  Join Associates  |  Join Advantage
Customer Service  |  Help  |  View Basket  |  Your Account
About Amazon.co.uk  |  Careers at Amazon
Conditions of Use & Sale |  Privacy Notice  © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates