Exploring Top Books of Shelfari

Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software

Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software

by Steven Johnson

A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK A VOICE LITERARY SUPPLEMENT TOP 25 FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR AN ESQUIRE MAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR In the tradition of Being Digital and The Tipping Point, Steven Johnson, acclaimed as a "cultural critic with a poet's heart" (The Village Voice), takes readers on an eye-opening journey through emergence theory and its applications. Explaining why the whole is... (more)

The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution

The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution

by Stuart A. Kauffman

Stuart Kauffman here presents a brilliant new paradigm for evolutionary biology, one that extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry and mathematics. The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of... (more)

Complexity : Life at the Edge of Chaos

by Roger Lewin

"Put together one of the world's best science writers with one of the universe's most fascinating subjects and you are bound to produce a wonderful book. . . . The subject of complexity is vital and controversial. This book is important and beautifully done."—Stephen Jay Gould "<Complexity> is that curious mix of complication and organization that we find throughout the natural and human worlds: the... (more)

The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature

The Self-Made Tapestry: Pattern Formation in Nature

by Philip Ball

For centuries, scientists have struggled to understand the origins of the patterns and forms found in nature. Now, in this lucid and accessibly written book, Philip Ball applies state-of-the-art scientific understanding from the fields of biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and mathematics to these ancient mysteries, revealing how nature's seemingly complex patterns originate in simple physical laws. ... (more)

Emergence: From Chaos to Order (Helix Books)

Emergence: From Chaos to Order (Helix Books)

by John H. Holland

In this important book, John H. Holland dramatically shows us that the "emergence" of order from chaos has much to teach us about life, mind, and organizations. Creative activities in both the arts and the sciences depend upon an ability to model the world. The most creative of those models exhibits emergent properties, so that "what comes out is more than what goes in." From the ingenious checkers-playing... (more)

Signs of Emergence: A Vision for Church That Is Always Organic/Networked/Decentralized/Bottom-Up/Communal/Flexible/Always Evolving (emersion: Emergent Villages resources for communities of faith)

Signs of Emergence: A Vision for Church That Is Always Organic/Networked/Decentralized/Bottom-Up/Communal/Flexible/Always Evolving (emersion: Emergent Villages resources for communities of faith)

by Kester Brewin

Many in the church are recognizing that traditional "top-down" structures are no longer functional. The church is seen as an institution that is out of touch, ignored by the very people it seeks to serve, and unaware of the opportunities for ministry that exist as the interest in things spiritual rises. Signs of Emergence challenges the church to face its fears and take a bold step toward doing things in a... (more)

Nature's Numbers: The Unreal Reality of Mathematics (Science Masters Series)

Nature's Numbers: The Unreal Reality of Mathematics (Science Masters Series)

by Ian Stewart

"It appears to us that the universe is structured in a deeply mathematical way. Falling bodies fall with predictable accelerations. Eclipses can be accurately forecast centuries in advance. Nuclear power plants generate electricity according to well-known formulas. But those examples are the tip of the iceberg. In Nature's Numbers, Ian Stewart presents many more, each charming in its own way...Stewart admirably... (more)

At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity

At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity

by Stuart Kauffman

A major scientific revolution has begun, a new paradigm that rivals Darwin's theory in importance. At its heart is the discovery of the order that lies deep within the most complex of systems, from the origin of life, to the workings of giant corporations, to the rise and fall of great civilizations. And more than anyone else, this revolution is the work of one man, Stuart Kauffman, a MacArthur Fellow and... (more)

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Tags: self-organization