2015 Complexity Theory A CRUDE LOOK AT THE WHOLE John Miller CELLULAR AUTOMATA

Description: Author: John H. Miller Title: A Crude Look at the Whole: The Science of Complex Systems in Business, Life, and Society Binding: hardcover with jacket Size: octavo; about 5" x 8" Pagination: 245pp plus endmatter Published: Basic Books, 2015; first printing Condition: Acceptable reading copy; very good, except somebody made inked underlines and marginal notes in the first couple of chapters; some slight rumpling at top of jacket on front cover ISBN: 9780465055692 [OCR is approximate, as always] 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 reductionism-the idea that to understand the world we only need to study its pieces-and it is how most social scientists approach their work. In A Crude Look at the Whole, social scientist and economist John H. Miller shows why we need to start looking at whole pictures. Whether we are talking about stock markets, computer networks, or biological organisms, individual parts only make sense when we remember that they are part of larger wholes. More importantly, those wholes can take on behaviors that are strikingly different from that of their pieces. Miller, a leading expert in the computational study of complex adaptive systems, reveals astounding global patterns linking the organization of otherwise radically different structures. It might seem crude, but a beehives temperature control system can help predict market fluctuations and a mammals heartbeat can help us understand the "heartbeat" of a city and adapt urban planning accordingly. From enduring racial segregation to sudden stock market disasters, once we start drawing links between complex systems, we can start solving what appear to be intractable problems. Thanks to this revolutionary perspective, we can finally transcend the limits of reductionism and discover crucial new ideas. Scientifically founded and beautifully written, A Crude Look at the Whole is a powerful exploration of the challenges that we face as a society, As it reveals, taking the crude look might be the only way to truly see. Take a close look at the auction images for details of contents and condition. If you have any questions at all please send a message through eBay before bidding. NOTE: There may be more images in this listing than eBay shows in the top "gallery". Be sure to scroll down to view the full set, if so. Be sure to check our eBay Store for thousands of other listings like this one. Orders will be sent out within three business days of receipt of payment. If youre in a hurry and would like expedited shipping (Priority or Express shipping), please let us know before paying so we can adjust your invoice. Books are sent Media Rate within the US, and other small items are sent Parcel by default. If you would like combined shipping, please (1) contact us to let us know, and then (2) wait to pay until youre finished shopping (but try to keep it within a 4 day period, please). Just leave the items in your eBay Cart and then request an updated invoice after youre done. If you pay for an item, we are obliged to ship it to you, and cannot combine it with subsequent purchases. If youre waiting for a separate auction item to finish, please contact us to let us know. _gsrx_vers_1680 (GS 9.8.3 (1680))

Price: 8.22 USD

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

End Time: 2024-11-12T00:20:50.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.96 USD