78 Best Chaos Theory Books of All Time (Updated for 2026)

1

Chaos: Making a New Science

James Gleick

5.0

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

Recommended by Adam Maloof and Pedro G Ferreira.

Adam Maloof

James Gleick is a former science writer for the New York Times and in this book Gleick describes the science of chaos, and how complex systems can also be interpreted in terms of simple rules and simple (but interacting) behaviours. [source]

Pedro G Ferreira

It turns out that even simple equations can have such complicated behaviour that, in practice, it’s impossible to predict the outcome, which is described as ‘chaotic’. [source]

2

The Feynman Lectures on Physics

Richard P. Feynman

4.9

The legendary introduction to physics from the subject's greatest teacher
"The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics

Recommended by Bill Gates and David Bainbridge.

Bill Gates

CEO/Microsoft

You don't have to take a course to learn physics. If you're hardcore, read the Feynman book and do the problems. [source]

David Bainbridge

I think that he is one of the most intelligent people to live in the 20th century. Yet at the same time, surprisingly, he is an amazingly good teacher. This is quite an unusual combination. [source]

3

Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos

M. Mitchell Waldrop

4.8

Why did the stock market crash more than 500 points on a single Monday in 1987? Why do ancient species often remain stable in the fossil record for millions of years and then suddenly disappear? In a world where nice guys often finish last, why do humans value trust and cooperation? At first glance these questions don't appear to have anything in common, but in fact every one of these statements r

Recommended by Bill Gurley, Pedro G Ferreira, and Ryan Petersen.

Bill Gurley

This is such a great point. This is the essence of Complexity Theory. With complex systems (multi-variable, nonlinear), you have no idea if the variable you are using for analysis will hold over the long term. Read this book, it changes everything - https://t.co/Z1ySFSb4pd https://t.co/rht8SzZ76l [source]

Pedro G Ferreira

Ideas of complexity have not been applied to cosmology as much as I think they should be. [source]

Ryan Petersen

@trengriffin @mjmauboussin @bgurley Which one is better? I love Waldrop, never found a better complexity book (besides Big History, great courses) [source]

4

Deep Simplicity: Bringing Order to Chaos and Complexity

John Gribbin

4.8

Over the past two decades, no field of scientific inquiry has had a more striking impact across a wide array of disciplines–from biology to physics, computing to meteorology–than that known as chaos and complexity, the study of complex systems. Now astrophysicist John Gribbin draws on his expertise to explore, in prose that communicates not only the wonder but the substance of cutting-edge science

Recommended by Charles T. Munger.

Charles T. Munger

Vice Chairman/Berkshire Hathaway

… it's pretty hard to understand everything, but if you can't understand it, you can always give it to a more intelligent friend. [source]

5

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

Leonard Mlodinow

4.8

Recommended by David Spiegelhalter and Gabriel Coarna.

David Spiegelhalter

This is a general introduction to the history of probability and the way it comes into everyday life. It intersperses the historical development with modern applications, and looks at finance, sport, gambling, lotteries and coincidences. [source]

Gabriel Coarna

Leonard Mlodinow's "The Drunkarkd's Walk" -more precisely, the section on the "Monty Hall" problem- totally changed how I look-at/think-about probabilities and choices in general; this has impacted almost every real-life choice I've made since I read this book. [source]

6

Sync: How Order Emerges from Chaos in the Universe, Nature, and Daily Life

Steven Strogatz

4.8

The tendency to synchronize may be the most mysterious and pervasive drive in all of nature. It has intrigued some of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century, including Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Norbert Wiener, Brian Josephson, and Arthur Winfree. At once elegant and riveting, Sync tells the story of the dawn of a new science. Steven Strogatz, a leading mathematician in the fields of

Recommended by Morten Kringelbach.

Morten Kringelbach

Steven Strogatz is a wonderful scientist. He is both a mathematician and a physicist. He’s done a lot of work on understanding non-linear systems. The reason I’ve chosen this book is that if we really want to understand the language of the brain we have to engage with these very powerful concepts of how it is that things are synchronised. This is a book for the general public that tries to relay some of that excitement, some of the tools that we’ve gained mathematically in order to do that. He starts with fireflies. [source]

Cover unavailable

7

Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering

Steven H. Strogatz

4.8

This textbook is aimed at newcomers to nonlinear dynamics and chaos. The presentation stresses analytical methods, concrete examples, and geometric intuition. A unique feature of the book is its emphasis on applications. These include mechanical vibrations, lasers, biological rhythms, superconducting circuits, insect outbreaks, chemical oscillators, genetic control systems, chaotic waterwheels, an

8

Jurassic Park (Jurassic Park, #1)

Michael Crichton, Scott Brick, et al

4.8

An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now humankind’s most thrilling fantasies have come true. Creatures extinct for eons roam Jurassic Park with their awesome presence and profound mystery, and all the world can visit them—for a price.

Until something goes wrong. . . .

In Jurassic Park, Michael Crichton taps all his mesmerizing talent and scientific b

Recommended by Richard Branson.

Richard Branson

Founder/Virgin Group

Today is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. [source]

9

Bellwether

Connie Willis

4.7

Pop culture, chaos theory and matters of the heart collide in this unique novella from the Hugo and Nebula winning author of Doomsday Book.

Sandra Foster studies fads and their meanings for the HiTek corporation. Bennet O'Reilly works with monkey group behavior and chaos theory for the same company. When the two are thrust together due to a misdelivered package and a run of seemingly bad luck, they

Cover unavailable

10

A New Kind of Science

Stephen Wolfram

4.7

Recommended by Steve Jurvetson and Dan Sullivan.

Steve Jurvetson

A series of epiphanies from the author and others that the world is really interesting when you look at iterative algorithms applied millions and billions of times. [source]

11

Does God Play Dice?: The New Mathematics of Chaos

Ian Stewart

4.7

The revised and updated edition includes three completely new chapters on the prediction and control of chaotic systems. It also incorporates new information regarding the solar system and an account of complexity theory. This witty, lucid and engaging book makes the complex mathematics of chaos accessible and entertaining. Presents complex mathematics in an accessible style. Includes three new ch

12

Leadership and the New Science Revised: Discover- Ing Order in a Chaotic World

Margaret J. Wheatley

4.7

In 1992, Leadership and the New Science launched a revolution by demonstrating that ideas drawn from quantum physics, chaos theory, and molecular biology could improve organizational performance. Margaret Wheatley called for free-flowing information, individual empowerment, relationship networks, and organizational change that evolves organically -- ideas that have become commonplace. This new edi

Recommended by Susan Mazza.

13

The U.S. Constitution and Fascinating Facts about It

Terry L. Jordan

4.7

14

Indra's Net: Alchemy and Chaos Theory as Models for Transformation

Robertson, Robin

4.7

In this clear, engaging book, Robin Robertson draws parallels between alchemy and chaos theory and shows how to apply them to our inner development. He is not proposing they replace traditional spiritual paths, but rather that they reflect deep structures in the psyche that any inner journey awakens. The model they provide necessarily underlies all paths of spiritual transformation and describes a

15

Transformers Volume 5: Chaos Theory

Mike Costa, E.J. Su, et al.

4.7

The fate of Rodimus and the Matrix of Leadership is finally revealed in this newest story arc of "Transformers, Chaos Theory". The situation on Earth continues to deteriorate while we shift focus to outer space where Rodimus was last seen dead! But, after crash landing on a strange planet, Rodimus struggles to find a way back to Earth and the Autobot forces...until a few familiar faces show up to

16

Handbook of Mindfulness: Theory, Research, and Practice

Kirk Warren Brown, J. David Creswell, et al.

4.7

An authoritative handbook, this volume offers both a comprehensive review of the current science of mindfulness and a guide to its ongoing evolution. Leading scholars explore mindfulness in the context of contemporary psychological theories of attention, perceptual processing, motivation, and behavior, as well as within a rich cross-disciplinary dialogue with the contemplative traditions. After su

17

Turbulent Mirror: An Illustrated Guide to Chaos Theory and the Science of Wholeness

John Briggs

4.7

Until recently, such phenomena as the volatility of weather systems, the fluctuation of the shock market, or the random firing of neurons in the brain were considered too "noisy" and complex to be probed by science. But now, with the aid of high-speed computers, scientists have been able to penetrate a reality that is changing the way we perceive the universe. Their findings -- the basis for chaos

18

Origins (Learning From Granite Mountain - Anchor Point 1)

Brad Mayhew

4.7

19

Seven Life Lessons of Chaos: Spiritual Wisdom from the Science of Change

John Briggs and F David Peat

4.7

If you have ever felt your life was out of control and headed toward chaos,science has an important message: Life is chaos, and that's a very exciting thing!

In this eye-opening book, John Briggs and F. David Peat reveal sevenenlightening lessons for embracing the chaos of daily life.

Be Creative:
engage with chaos to find imaginative new solutions and live more dynamically

Use Butterfly Power:
let cha

20

The Fractal Geometry of Nature

Benoit B. Mandelbrot

4.7

Clouds are not spheres, mountains are not cones, and lightning does not travel in a straight line. The complexity of nature's shapes differs in kind, not merely degree, from that of the shapes of ordinary geometry, the geometry of fractal shapes.

Now that the field has expanded greatly with many active researchers, Mandelbrot presents the definitive overview of the origins of his ideas and their ne

21

The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems

Fritjof Capra

4.7

22

Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means for Business, Science, and Everyday Life

Albert-Laszlo Barabasi

4.7

In the 1980's, James Gleick's Chaos introduced the world to complexity. Now, Albert-László Barabási's Linked reveals the next major scientific leap: the study of networks. We've long suspected that we live in a small world, where everything is connected to everything else. Indeed, networks are pervasive--from the human brain to the Internet to the economy to our group of friends. These linkages, it turns out, aren't random. All networks, to the great surprise of scientists, have an underlying order and follow simple laws. Understanding the structure and behavior of these networks will help us do some amazing things, from designing the optimal organization of a firm to stopping a disease outbreak before it spreads catastrophically.In Linked, Barabási, a physicist whose work has revolutionized the study of networks, traces the development of this rapidly unfolding science and introduces us to the scientists carrying out this pioneering work. These "new cartographers" are mapping networks in a wide range of scientific disciplines, proving that social networks, corporations, and cells are more similar than they are different, and providing important new insights into the interconnected world around us. This knowledge, says Barabási, can shed light on the robustness of the Internet, the spread of fads and viruses, even the future of democracy. Engaging and authoritative, Linked provides an exciting preview of the next century in science, guaranteed to be transformed by these amazing discoveries.From Linked:This book has a simple message: think networks. It is about how networks emerge, what they look like, and how they evolve. It aims to develop a web-based view of nature, society, and technology, providing a unified framework to better understand issues ranging from the vulnerability of the Internet to the spread of diseases. Networks are present everywhere. All we need is an eye for them...We will see the challenges doctors face when they attempt to cure a disease by focusing on a single molecule or gene, disregarding the complex interconnected nature of the living matter. We will see that hackers are not alone in attacking networks: we all play Goliath, firing shots at a fragile ecological network that, without further support, could soon replicate our worst nightmares by turning us into an isolated group of species...Linked is meant to be an eye-opening trip that challenges you to walk across disciplines by stepping out of the box of reductionism. It is an invitation to explore link by link the next scientific revolution: the new science of networks.

Recommended by Anne-Marie Slaughter and Bill Barhydt.

Anne-Marie Slaughter

Linked is about how to understand the world in terms of networks. To understand network science the first thing to do is to visualise the world the way you visualise the Internet or even the universe – hubs of infinitely intersecting networks. As the author says, everything can be reduced to links and nodes. This book is a very accessible introduction to the science of networks and to how to think about everything from anthills to traffic jams to complex conflict from the perspective of network science. [source]

Bill Barhydt

Written before Facebook, this book predicts what the world will look like with amazing precision. [source]

23

The Systems Thinker – Dynamical Systems: Make Better Decisions and Find Lasting Solutions Using Scientific Analysis. (The Systems Thinker Series Book 5)

Albert Rutherford

4.7

24

Complexity: A Primer

Miklos Szilagyi

4.7

25

A Guide to Temporal Networks (Series on Complexity Science)

Naoki Masuda

4.7

Network science offers a powerful language to represent and study complex systems composed of interacting elements — from the Internet to social and biological systems. In its standard formulation, this framework relies on the assumption that the underlying topology is static, or changing very slowly as compared to dynamical processes taking place on it, e.g., epidemic spreading or navigation. Fue

26

Chaos and Fractals: New Frontiers of Science

Heinz-Otto Peitgen, Hartmut Jürgens, Dietmar Saupe

4.7

Almost 12 years have passed by since we wrote Chaos and Fractals. At the time we were hoping that our approach of writing a book which would be both accessible without mathematical sophistication and portray these exiting new fields in an authentic manner would find an audience. Now we know it did. We know from many reviews and personal letters that the book is used in a wide range of ways: resear

27

Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick | Summary & Study Guide

BookRags

4.7

28

Atlas of Physarum Computing

Andrew Adamatzky

4.7

29

Teaching With the Instructional Cha-Chas: Four Steps to Make Learning Stick (Educational Neuroscience, Formative Assessment, and Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Student Success)

LeAnn Nickelsen and Melissa Dickson

4.7

30

Book of Extremes: Why the 21st Century Isn T Like the 20th Century

Ted G. G. Lewis

4.7

What makes the 21st century different from the 20th century? This century is the century of extremes -- political, economic, social, and global black-swan events happening with increasing frequency and severity. Book of Extremes is a tour of the current reality as seen through the lens of complexity theory the only theory capable of explaining why the Arab Spring happened and why it will happen ag

31

Fractal Conjugate Space & Time: Cause of Negentropy, Gravity and Perception: Conjuring Life: "The Fractal Shape of TIME" Geometric Origins of Biologic Negentropy..

Daniel Winter

4.7

32

Ages in Chaos I: From the Exodus to King Akhnaton

Immanuel Velikovsky

4.7

This is the first volume of the series Ages in Chaos, in which Immanuel Velikovsky undertakes a reconstruction of the history of antiquity. With utmost precision and the exciting style of a presentation that's typical for him he shows, beyond doubt, what nobody would consider possible: in the conventional history of Egypt - and therefore also of many neighboring cultures - a span of 600 years is d

33

Order Out of Chaos: Man's New Dialogue with Nature

Ilya Prigogine, Isabelle Stengers, Alvin Toffler

4.7

Belgian philosopher Isabelle Stengers and Ilya Prigogine, winner of the Nobel Prize in 1977 for his work on the thermodynamics of non-equilibrium systems, make their ideas accessible to a wide audience in this book, which has engendered massive debate in Europe and America. Stengers and Prigogine show how the two great themes of classic science, order and chaos, which coexisted uneasily for centur

34

Introduction to Applied Nonlinear Dynamical Systems and Chaos

Stephen Wiggins

4.7

This introduction to applied nonlinear dynamics and chaos places emphasis on teaching the techniques and ideas that will enable students to take specific dynamical systems and obtain some quantitative information about their behavior. The new edition has been updated and extended throughout, and contains a detailed glossary of terms.

From the reviews:

"Will serve as one of the most eminent introduct

35

The Systems Thinker - Mental Models: Take Control Over Your Thought Patterns. Learn Advanced Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Skills. (The Systems Thinker Series Book 3)

Albert Rutherford

4.7

36

Exploring Chaos: Theory and Experiment

Brian Davies

4.7

This book presents elements of the theory of chaos in dynamical systems in a framework of theoretical understanding coupled with numerical and graphical experimentation. The theory is developed using only elementary calculus and algebra, and includes dynamics of one-and two-dimensional maps, periodic orbits, stability and its quantification, chaotic behavior, and bifurcation theory of one-dimensio

37

Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering, Second Edition

Steven H. Strogatz

4.7

This textbook is aimed at newcomers to nonlinear dynamics and chaos, especially students taking a first course in the subject. The presentation stresses analytical methods, concrete examples, and geometric intuition. The theory is developed systematically, starting with first-order differential equations and their bifurcations, followed by phase plane analysis, limit cycles and their bifurcations,

38

A text book of Engineering Chemistry

Steven H. Strogatz

4.6

The book covers the syllabus for Engineering chemistry course offered to first year B.E/B.Tech students of various India University

39

X-23 - Volume 2: Chaos Theory

Marjorie Liu, Sana Takeda, et al.

4.6

X-23 thought she'd walked away from her past. But in the wake of her brutal discoveries in Madripoor, she realizes there are some crimes - of the heart and body - that cannot be so easily forgotten. Yet as memories begin to spin her out of control, an old mentor and an uneasy ally return to her life: Wolverine and the vampire Jubilee. COLLECTING: X-23 10-16

40

Chaos theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences

Robin Robertson

4.6

This book represents the best of the first three years of the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology conferences. While chaos theory has been a topic of considerable interest in the physical and biological sciences, its applications in psychology and related fields have been obscured until recently by its complexity. Nevertheless, a small but rapidly growing community of psychologists, neurobiolog

41

Introduction to the Modeling and Analysis of Complex Systems

Hiroki Sayama

4.6

Introduction to the Modeling and Analysis of Complex Systems introduces students to mathematical/computational modeling and analysis developed in the emerging interdisciplinary field of Complex Systems Science. Complex systems are systems made of a large number of microscopic components interacting with each other in nontrivial ways. Many real-world systems can be understood as complex systems, wh

42

The Physics of Wall Street: A Brief History of Predicting the Unpredictable

James Owen Weatherall

4.6

After the economic meltdown of 2008, Warren Buffett famously warned, “beware of geeks bearing formulas.” But as James Weatherall demonstrates, not all geeks are created equal. While many of the mathematicians and software engineers on Wall Street failed when their abstractions turned ugly in practice, a special breed of physicists has a much deeper history of revolutionizing finance. Taking us fro

43

The Essence of Chaos

Edward Lorenz

4.6

Chaos surrounds us. Seemingly random events -- the flapping of a flag, a storm-driven wave striking the shore, a pinball's path -- often appear to have no order, no rational pattern. Explicating the theory of chaos and the consequences of its principal findings -- that actual, precise rules may govern such apparently random behavior -- has been a major part of the work of Edward N. Lorenz. In The

44

Chaos and Dynamical Systems

David Feldman

4.6

Chaos and Dynamical Systems presents an accessible, clear introduction to dynamical systems and chaos theory, important and exciting areas that have shaped many scientific fields. While the rules governing dynamical systems are well-specified and simple, the behavior of many dynamical systems is remarkably complex. Of particular note, simple deterministic dynamical systems produce output that appe

45

Emergence: From Chaos To Order

John Holland

4.6

In this important book, John H. Holland dramatically shows us that the “emergence” of order from disorder 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 check

46

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

Stuart Kauffman

4.6

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 Fe

47

Common LISP Modules: Artificial Intelligence in the Era of Neural Networks and Chaos Theory

Mark Watson

4.6

While creativity plays an important role in the advancement of computer science, great ideas are built on a foundation of practical experience and knowledge. This book presents programming techniques which will be useful in both AI projects and more conventional software engineering endeavors. My primary goal is to enter- tain, to introduce new technologies and to provide reusable software modules

48

Ten Equations to Explain the Mysteries of Modern Astrophysics: From Information and Chaos Theory to Ghost Particles and Gravitational Waves

Santhosh Mathew

4.6

49

The Nonlinear Workbook: Chaos, Fractals, Cellular Automata, Genetic Algorithms, Gene Expression Programming, Support Vector Machine, Wavelets, Hidden Markov Models, Fuzzy Logic with C++, Java and SymbolicC++ Programs

Willi-Hans Steeb

4.6

50

Business Cycles

Lars Tvede

4.6

51

The Edge Of Organization: Chaos And Complexity Theories Of Formal Social Systems

Russ Marion

4.6

Russ Marion describes formal and social organizations from the perspective of chaos and complexity theories. The book is generously illustrated and includes references plus an annotated bibliography.

52

The End of Certainty

Ilya Prigogine

4.6

Time, the fundamental dimension of our existence, has fascinated artists, philosophers, and scientists of every culture and every century. All of us can remember a moment as a child when time became a personal reality, when we realized what a "year" was, or asked ourselves when "now" happened. Common sense says time moves forward, never backward, from cradle to grave. Nevertheless, Einstein said t

53

Ubiquity: Why Catastrophes Happen

Mark Buchanan

4.6

Why do catastrophes happen? What sets off earthquakes, for example? What about mass extinctions of species? The outbreak of major wars? Massive traffic jams that seem to appear out of nowhere? Why does the stock market periodically suffer dramatic crashes? Why do some forest fires become superheated infernos that rage totally out of control?

Experts have never been able to explain the causes of an

54

Student Solutions Manual for Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos, 2nd edition

Mitchal Dichter

4.6

This official Student Solutions Manual includes solutions to the odd-numbered exercises featured in the second edition of Steven Strogatz's classic text Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Engineering. The textbook and accompanying Student Solutions Manual are aimed at newcomers to nonlinear dynamics and chaos, especially students taking a first cour

55

Math Geek: From Klein Bottles to Chaos Theory, a Guide to the Nerdiest Math Facts, Theorems, and Equations

Raphael Rosen

4.6

The new "sine" of mathematical geekdom!

Do you dream about long division in your sleep? Does the thought of solving abstruse equations bring a smile to your face? Do you love celebrating pi every March? Then, Math Geek was made for you! With this guide, you'll learn even more about the power of numbers as you explore their brilliant nature in ways you've never imagined. From manhole covers to bubbl

56

Systems Thinking and Chaos: Simple Scientific Analysis on How Chaos and Unpredictability Shape Our World (And How to Find Order in It)

Albert Rutherford

4.6

57

Play Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide to Theory and Practice

David A. Crenshaw, Anne L. Stewart, et al.

4.6

This authoritative work brings together leading play therapists to describe state-of-the-art clinical approaches and applications. The book explains major theoretical frameworks and summarizes the contemporary play therapy research base, including compelling findings from neuroscience. Contributors present effective strategies for treating children struggling with such problems as trauma, maltreat

58

Fly Me to the Moon: An Insider's Guide to the New Science of Space Travel

Edward Belbruno

4.6

When a leaf falls on a windy day, it drifts and tumbles, tossed every which way on the breeze. This is chaos in action. In Fly Me to the Moon, Edward Belbruno shows how to harness the same principle for low-fuel space travel--or, as he puts it, surfing the gravitational field.

Belbruno devised one of the most exciting concepts now being used in space flight, that of swinging through the cosmos on

59

Safety-II in Practice: Developing the Resilience Potentials

Erik Hollnagel

4.6

Safety-I is defined as the freedom from unacceptable harm. The purpose of traditional safety management is therefore to find ways to ensure this 'freedom'. But as socio-technical systems steadily have become larger and less tractable, this has become harder to do. Resilience engineering pointed out from the very beginning that resilient performance - an organisation's ability to function as requir

60

A Student's Guide to Entropy

Don S. Lemons

4.6

61

Worlds Hidden in Plain Sight: The Evolving Idea of Complexity at the Santa Fe Institute, 1984–2019 (Compass)

David C. Krakauer

4.6

Over the last three decades, the Santa Fe Institute and its network of researchers have been pursuing a revolution in science.

Ignoring the boundaries of disciplines and schools and searching for novel fundamental ideas, theories, and practices, this international community integrates the full range of scientific inquiries that will help us to understand and survive on a complex planet.

This volum

62

Nonlinear Oscillations, Dynamical Systems, and Bifurcations of Vector Fields

John Guckenheimer, Philip Holmes

4.6

An application of the techniques of dynamical systems and bifurcation theories to the study of nonlinear oscillations. Taking their cue from Poincare, the authors stress the geometrical and topological properties of solutions of differential equations and iterated maps. Numerous exercises, some of which require nontrivial algebraic manipulations and computer work, convey the important analytical u

63

Think in Systems: The Art of Strategic Planning, Effective Problem Solving, And Lasting Results

Zoe McKey

4.6

64

The Elements of Thinking in Systems: Use Systems Archetypes to Understand, Manage, and Fix Complex Problems and Make Smarter Decisions

Albert Rutherford

4.6

65

Learn To Think in Systems: Use System Archetypes to Understand, Manage, and Fix Complex Problems and Make Smarter Decisions

Albert Rutherford

4.6

66

A Crude Look at the Whole: The Science of Complex Systems in Business, Life, and Society

John H. Miller

4.6

A top expert explains why a social and economic understanding of complex systems will help society to anticipate and confront our biggest challenges
Imagine trying to understand a stained glass window by breaking it into pieces and examining it one shard at a time. While you could probably learn a lot about each piece, you would have no idea about what the entire picture looks like. This is reducti

67

Complexity Theory and the Social Sciences: The State of the Art

David Byrne and Gill Callaghan

4.6

For the past two decades, complexity has informed a range of work across the social sciences. There are diverse schools of complexity thinking, and authors have used these ideas in a multiplicity of ways, from health inequalities to the organization of large scale firms. Some understand complexity as emergence from the rule-based interactions of simple agents and explore it through agent-based mod

68

Chaos Theory: Two Essays on Market Anarchy

Robert P. Murphy

4.6

Among the most advanced topics in the literature in the Austro-libertarian milieu is that which deals with the workings of the fully free society, that is, the society with no state, or anarcho-capitalism. Robert Murphy deals with this head on, and makes the first full contribution to this literature in the new century. Working within a Rothbardian framework, he takes up the challenge of Hans Hopp

69

Simply Complexity: A Clear Guide to Complexity Theory

Neil Johnson

4.6

Johnson uses real-life examples as he leads us on a fascinating and entertaining romp through cutting-edge topics like chaos, game theory, economics, and even jazz and quantum physics. He shows the surprising ways in which order eventually emerges from the interaction of all things.

70

Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems, and an Introduction to Chaos (Pure and Applied Mathematics)

Morris W. Hirsch, Stephen Smale, Robert L. Devaney

4.6

Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems, and an Introduction to Chaos, Second Edition, provides a rigorous yet accessible introduction to differential equations and dynamical systems.

The original text by three of the world's leading mathematicians has become the standard textbook for graduate courses in this area. Thirty years in the making, this Second Edition brings students to the brink of c

71

Overcomplicated: Technology at the Limits of Comprehension

Samuel Arbesman

4.6

The acclaimed author of The Half-Life of Facts explains the challenges of overly complex technology.

On July 8th, 2015, something weird happened. The NYSE computers went down and trading was suspended for several hours. The culprit wasn't hackers or a rogue algorithm. It was just... a glitch. And it's just the beginning.

Technological complexity is no trivial matter. While a few hours of suspended

72

Chaos: A Very Short Introduction

Lenny Smith

4.6

Chaos exists in systems all around us. Even the simplest system of cause and effect can be subject to chaos, denying us accurate predictions of its behaviour, and sometimes giving rise to astonishing structures of large-scale order. Our growing understanding of Chaos Theory is having fascinating applications in the real world - from technology to global warming, politics, human behaviour, and even

73

In the Wake of Chaos: Unpredictable Order in Dynamical Systems

Stephen H. Kellert

4.5

Chaos theory has captured scientific and popular attention. What began as the discovery of randomness in simple physical systems has become a widespread fascination with "chaotic" models of everything from business cycles to brainwaves to heart attacks. But what exactly does this explosion of new research into chaotic phenomena mean for our understanding of the world? In this timely book, Stephen

74

Putting A New Spin on Groups: The Science of Chaos

Bud A. McClure

4.5

Putting a New Spin on Groups: The Science of Chaos, Second Edition continues to challenge orthodoxy and static ideas about small group dynamics. A primary goal is to offer an alternative model of group development that addresses three factors:
*The model integrates old ideas from previous models of group development with new concepts from chaos theory and the work of Arthur Young.
*The book empha

75

The Systems Thinker: Essential Thinking Skills For Solving Problems, Managing Chaos, and Creating Lasting Solutions in a Complex World

Albert Rutherford

4.5

Cover unavailable

76

The Language of Birds: Some Notes on Chance and Divination

Dale Pendell

4.5

Chance, the great beloved of gamblers, lovers, generals and kings, has long held sway over mortal affairs. Whether assuming the form of the goddess Fortuna and her ever-turning Wheel, or the abstract mathematic of 'randomness', Her favor is universally sought, and Her displeasure feared. To the devotee of Chance, Divination may be regarded as Her secret liturgy, providing glimpses of the unknown t

77

The Emergence of Everything: How the World Became Complex

Harold J. Morowitz

4.5

When the whole is greater than the sum of the parts--indeed, so great that the sum far transcends the parts and represents something utterly new and different--we call that phenomenon emergence. When the chemicals diffusing in the primordial waters came together to form the first living cell, that was emergence. When the activities of the neurons in the brain result in mind, that too is emergence.

78

Do Dice Play God?: The Mathematics of Uncertainty

Ian Stewart

4.5

A celebrated mathematician explores how math helps us make sense of the unpredictable
We would like to believe we can know things for certain. We want to be able to figure out who will win an election, if the stock market will crash, or if a suspect definitely committed a crime. But the odds are not in our favor. Life is full of uncertainty --- indeed, scientific advances indicate that the universe