Complexity: A Guided Tour (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
I actually brought this book by accident, thinking it was strictly about computation complexity theory. Instead, it turned out be about the newish science of Complexity Theory. What a happy accident - this is currently tied for most informative and interesting book I've read all year. The scope of this book is broad, and covers a plethora of topics - evolution, computational complexity, turing machines and definite procedures, molecular genetics, immunology, neurology, graph and network theory, power laws, fractal geometry, information theory and thermodynamics, to give an incomplete list, all as seen through the lens of complexity theory. If you're already familiar with most of these topics, you'll still find new information here, and some of the history given for these fields is, by itself, worth the price of purchase. If you've ever seen references to computation and information in physics and biology, but had only the vaguest notion of what they were getting at, this book will explain it for you in a clear and engaging fashion. Engaging, easy to read, and consistently mind blowing. I can honestly say I've acquired a new interest, and that I'm better informed about a number of topics than when I started, thanks to reading this book. Complexity is a very broad subject that touches upon many scientific fields that hold a prominent place in the popular imagination: chaos, information theory, molecular biology, artificial intelligence. For that very reason, it makes a great popular science book, since there are a lot of topics to jump around in. At the same time, a reader might walk away without ever truly understanding what complexity is. That's OK, since the term still lacks a rigorous definition among most scientists.Mitchell is a solid writer, and she does a good job balancing the needs of being thorough with the desire to be accessible. There is some mathematics condescension here (statements like "remember in high school"), which is unfortunate but seems inevitable given our assumptions about the book-reading public.The book can also seem a little disjointed at times, since its connecting thread seems to be "hey, this is neat!" It can also seem repetitive to those who have read a popular science book in a similar field (like Gleick's The Information).Nonetheless, if only for the amazing introduction to metabolic theory, this book is a must read. It's bristling with interesting new ideas, and it's written in a welcoming manner. People who like science, computing, mathematics or just big concepts will definitely enjoy.
What do You think about Complexity: A Guided Tour (2009)?
Amazing book describing most complex ideas and concepts in simple language.
—knixo2
good overview of interesting concepts like Genetic Algorithm, networks etc
—fdark
An excellent introduction to the subject of Chaos and Complexity.
—dulce2475
Broad review of Complexity. Good as an introduction
—gessika
