Book Description
The biggest fantasy from L. E. Modesitt, Jr. to date, Colors of Chaos is the story of the White Chaos wizard Cerryl: his education in life and love, and his rise to power in the magicians guild of Fairhaven. This is the direct sequel to The White Order, which told of Cerryl's boyhood and youth, and takes place at the same time as the events in Modesitt's earlier novel, The Magic Engineer. Yet it stands alone, the longest Recluce novel, a portrayal of the growth and change of character and of the strengths and weaknesses of an age-old civilization held together by the power of magic. Ceryl, now a full mage in The White Order, must prove himself indispensible to Jeslek, the High Wizard. Whether through assassination, effective gorvernance of occupied territory or the fearless and clever direction of troops in battle, Ceryl faces many harrowing obstacles, not the least of which is Anya, the plotting seductress who's the real power behind the scenes of the white wizards. With his wits, his integrity, and the support of his love, the Black healer Leyladin, he must survive long enough to claim his rightful spot within the ruling heirarchy of the White Order. This is a must-read for followers of the Saga of Recluce, offering a unique, sympathetic point of view of the White Chaos wizards-the forces that throughout history have opposed the magicians of Recluce.Colors of Chaos is the ninth book in the saga of Recluce. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Not Free SF Reader
Cerryl, from The White Order, is all grown up here and in a position of power.In this book, we see a lot of the same important events of The Magic Engineer, but from the Chaos Side.

It seems that diplomacy is something that will be important in his future.Politics and taxes, all that sort of thing.

What is interesting is that despite the Black and White names, it is all just grey, depending on whose viewpoint is shown at the time.

Excellent
I've always been a fan of this series, but this may well be my favorite to date. The tie-in from the "other side of the fence" is very enlightening, and nicely written.

I found myself thinking, "Why don't Cerryl and Dorrin just get together and talk? They want the same thing...", as if these were two real people.

Any book that can make me forget I'm reading a book, is an excellent book indeed.

A Great Read
I just finished a re-read of this book (along with its immediate predecessor The White Order), and I now remember why these two are probably my favorites out of the entire Recluce series. Modesitt is in top form here -- the characters are real people making hard decisions as well as they can (not always perfectly), and you truly feel for them, even as you see their weaknesses. The main character (Cerryl the mage) is especially memorable.

Another nice aspect of this book is the parallel with The Magic Engineer. Though I did not enjoy that book as much as this one, seeing the "other side of the story" was quite interesting, as it sheds light on the fact that the characters in both are simply doing the best they can in their respective situations. There are some "better" and "worse" characters, but they show up in all the various countries, trades, and magical abilities, and no character is simply good or evil.

If you are interested in this book, be sure to read The White Order first, as Colors finishes the story that it begins. No other knowledge of Modesitt's Recluce series is necessary, though a read through The Magic Engineer in advance is illuminating. These books will stretch your imagination, make you think, and (best of all) make you glad that you read them.

Probably the best of the series so far.
This book along with the previous book, The White Order, make up a really great story about the white mage Cerryl.While every other book in the series is written from the perspective of the Blacks and portrays all chaos wizards to be totally evil (which most of them seem to be), these books provide a look into the workings of the Whites.It turns out that not all whites are truly evil and in fact many have very honorable ambitions to help the world rather than take it over.The Colors of Chaos was especially interesting because it told the same story as The Magic Engineer (with Dorrin the smith) exept from the perspective of Cerryl.It shows how there are two sides to every coin and that peole from both sides (except a few such as Jeslek & Anya) actually believe that they are on the side of good.In this story, told from the perspective of the Whites, Dorrin the smith and Recluce seem to be the bad guys because of their support of rulers who refuse to pay the road tariffs (to the detriment of all of Candar).

Also, Modesitt's writing style has come a long way from his earlier novels and this book was much more interesting and gripping than its predecessors...I strongly reccomend this book for any Modesitt fans or fans of fantasy in general (although I believe that you'll have a much better appreciation of this one if you read the others in the series first).This book does much to patch up the complex story of the Recluce Saga.

Another Great Read from Modesitt
This book is absolutely thrilling. It has great political and economical intrigue. It is made great by the qualities and the diversity of the main character, Cerryl. He is a young white mage in the city of Fairhaven. He was a Patrol Mage, an assassin, and a temporary governor of a recently captured city.

The strengths and weaknesses of Cerryl made the book good but how money and economics influenced the course of action made this very realistic. The political backstabbing made the book very interesting.
Also another book written by the same author blended into this story but was told by the good side. This book was written from the evil side.
Coming to a conclusion this book is a great read. It is not very easy to follow but is still great. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

wonderful book
As a physicist I rely on this book a great deal. It is written in an accessible informal style without sacrificing rigor. Many ideas are motivated and first developed using cute example systems, before the more general result is stated. Strogatz's deep familiarity with applications within physics, chemistry and biology is a real plus. Most of all, the book is fun to read and the author conveys a sense of enthusiasm for the subject.

Superb book.
This book provides an exceptional introduction to nonlinear dynamics. Math books are often trapped in equating rigor with formalisms and in compromising intuition to generalities. Strogatz book providesan exemplary guideline how both intuition and rigor may be served to transform a difficult topic into fun reading and highly applicable set of ideas.Here are the key elements of what you will find in this book.

A. The book builds up intuitive understanding of the key ideas of the field
from simple one dimensional dynamics to complex multi-dimensional behaviors.
B. Each chapter contains fascinating applications -- from fireflies synchronization and josephson junction to population dynamics and chaotic laser behaviors-- which are
fun to read and useful if you need to apply dynamics to solve research problems.
C. There are ample exercises and solutions to render this ideal book forself-learners. It provides a relatively broad coverage of the key ideas of the field, without taxing the reader with far corners of little interest.

Great book for beginners
Nonlinear dynamics and chaos is an excellent introductory book. It explains this complex looking subject in very simple and intuitive fashion. I recommend this book anyone who are interested in chaos/nonlinear dynamics. It even doubles as a fun book!

Great for an introduction but not for digging in for details
I think this is one of the best books for understanding the Phase Spaces and Bifurcations. It is really easy to follow and understand, even for people without background on nonlinear subjects. Yet, it is not the right book for engineers to read and start to solve their own detailed problems. People who seeks for a book to get into the subject or who wants to have a nice reference; BUY THIS BOOK. By the way, its price is reasonable.

Shockingly Readable
I bought this book as a textbook for a class, and I have to say that it is a surprisingly readable math book. The class only used the first few chapters, but I find myself flipping through the rest of the book and trying to understand more advanced material. This is a good book for a scientist who needs to learn linear and nonlinear dynamics but is a little intimidated.

Keep in mind, this is a math book, and no writer can turn math into something it isn't. Still, the writer gives lots of relevant examples (especially in the problems--the only complaint I have is that the solutions in the back don't give any explanation, and these solutions are a bit sparse), and milks as much storytelling out of the subject matter as is possible. I thoroughly recommend it--it brings out the closet math geek in everyone! ... Read more

Book Description
The Six Steps to Organizational Freedom

Do you:
*Miss important deadlines at work?
*Forget to return urgent phone calls?
*Lose papers that were “just here a minute ago”?
*Have multiple layers of sticky notes on your computer?
*Leave projects unfinished for days, weeks, or even months at a time?

If any of these sound familiar, then you are among the ranks of the disorganized—whether mildly or completely—and Liz Davenport has written this book just for you. Order from Chaos is the organizing book for disorganized people. In six easy steps she offers a system that will help you clean up your act. She demonstrates how to clear your desk by teaching you what's trash and why, reveals what a calendar is really meant to be, and provides a no-fail system for prioritization. At the end of the day, your desk will be clear and your mind will be free to relax.

Rather than offering overcomplicated instructions for filing systems and time management plans, Order from Chaos focuses on ease of use. There is not one person—from office assistant to CEO—who will not benefit from this straightforward, easy-to-maintain plan.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Best organizing book I have read
I own and have read many organizing books.I'm actually fairly organized and am always looking for tips to be even more organized.This book had the most immediate and lasting impact of any organization book I have read.I read it all in one sitting the night I got it because I found it so helpful.Many items, I thought to myself "yes, I already do that and it works" and many other items, I thought, "wow, that would make a difference."I HIGHLY recommend this book.

Tackling The Chaos
This is Author Liz Davenport common-sense approach on organization by utilizing a 6 step method. It's an easy to read, easy to follow guide. I looked at several books on this subject in a bookstore before I chose this one for its straightforwardness and ease of reading.
The information is presented in an easy to comprehend way.
If you never have time to keep track of where things are in your house this book can help you to start tackling the chaos.

Good, but slightly silly
The book was very well organized and offered a great soulution. But more then anything else it made you realize just about how much "stuff" comes your way on a daily basis. To have a system that acknowleges such a large amount of "stuff" is important for your sanity. She also helps you realize that although we have a list of "to-do" items- they are usually things that must be done with no larger purpose. She suggests to incorporate in a heart-line or a single task a day that will help you move towards a much larger personal goal.
I would recommend it as a read- but take her advice with a grain of salt. As it can be very time consumming to stay "organized". And plus, there is all that surfacing information lately about how the chaos thoery ( or lack of any organization) is a more effective means at maintaining order.

instantly changes your life
I'm a pretty organized person who does not hesitate to go paperless, but running a creative business I knew I could be working more efficiently. I'm only about 70 pages into this book and already it's changed my office, as well as my general attitude toward accomplishing tasks of any kind. Refreshing and enlightening! Even if you don't use all the advice in this book, the ones you do use make it worth it.

Everyone can benefit & an entertaining read
The practical steps this book details can help anyone - including those who are organized and those that are not.It's easy to read, entertaining even, and everso practical.The principles can be applied to any size business, home management and personal lifestyle.I read many such books for my business and still managed to come away with a stack full of ideas to implement.Kudoos to Liz Davenport for this excellent guide! ... Read more

Book Description
John C. Wrights last work was the ambitious fantasy sequence, The Last Guardians of Everness: Already regarded as one of the best science fiction writers of the last decade for his stirring Golden Age trilogy, John C. Wright proves he has the right stuff to write exciting modern day epic fantasy, said The Midwest Book Review. Wrights new fantasy is about five orphans, raised in a strict British boarding school, who discover they are not ordinary human beings. The students at the school do not age, while the world outside does. The teenagers begin to make sinister discoveries about themselves. Amelia is apparently a fourth-dimensional being; Victor can control the molecular arrangement of matter around him; Vanity can find secret passageways through solid walls where none had previously been; Colin is a psychic; Quentin is a warlock. Each power comes from a different paradigm or view of the inexplicable universeand they should not be able to co-exist. The orphans have been kidnapped from their true parents, robbed of their powers and memories, and raised in ignorance by super-beings: pagan gods or fairy-queens, Cyclops, sea- monsters, witches, or things even stranger than this. The children must experiment with, and learn to control, their strange abilities in order to escape their captors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Not as good as it could have been imho.
I was very disappointed with this book. In the beginning, I was caught by how it describes the lives of the 5 students from the viewpoint of one of them.

But soon it degenerates into sexual fantasy and bondage. I'm really tired of how so many supernatural books do this, and it's just not necessary! Laurell Hamilton is the worst offender, but Mr Wright didnt need to follow suit. The characters have so many powers, and the worlds beyond Earth have so much potential.

Most people will disagree, but this is a personal review, not a "me too" popularity contest for votes.

An excellent introduction to a remarkable fantasy
While I admit I had some trouble understanding some of the concepts introduced in this book (sometimes the philosophic/technical monologues of each of the characters, as well as their confusing name changes become rather hard to follow), once I got into it, I couldn't put it down. John C Wright is an extraordinary writer, it's been a long time since I've enjoyed a series this much. I really cared for each of the main characters (despite their flaws), and my appreciation for them and their radically different personalities and quirks only grew in the following books, which are even better than the first one... I strongly suggest giving these series a chance, it only gets better and better.

The first book of this trilogy introduces us to 5 special teens, who are held prisoners in a severe British institution/orphanage for reasons that aren't entirely clear to them at first, but that they slowly begin to understand as the special powers each of them posess start to appear, and they find out clues of what their true identities are. Having at least a basic knowledge of Roman and Greek mythology helps a great deal in getting the most enjoyment out of the series, but it's not absolutely required either. Wonderful series overall, my only complaint was that I was sad to see it end!

Harry Potter for adults? Not quite...
Orphans of Chaos was described to me as Harry Potter for adults. Students have magical powers, but as a slant, the teachers are actually their enemies. I don't think this comparison does an accurate job of portraying the mood of the book, but it comes close.

Orphans of Chaos - the first of a trilogy of fantasy books by John Charles Wright - takes place in an ambiguously old-fashioned boarding school in the UK, where five teenage students with no memory of their past start to realize their school is a jail, and their teachers are captors. The children stop taking their daily medicines, which awakens their dormant magical powers: each from a different and equally powerful paradigm. They slowly learn that they are hostages in a classic power play. All involved, including their teachers, are gods or servants of heaven. Narrated by one of the children - Amelia Windrose - they embark on a series of adventures to regain their memories, their powers, and escape their fate as political pawns.

The book is written in a somewhat florid style. I enjoyed the pace, which alternates between dialog and adventure. The language and plot elements are evocative of a pseudo-Victorian setting, though we later learn that the book takes place around modern day. All of the adventures and magic are entertaining. Though there may be an overload on the number of minor characters involved, all of the people (gods?) have intriguing backgrounds.

There are a few places where the book falls short. There's not a great continuity on which of the five children are involved in adventures or conversations. The children that are part of the action seem to be selected arbitrarily. Some of the descriptions of magic start out as plausible and easy to follow, and morph into the ridiculous by the end of the paragraph - I think this is done on purpose for comic effect, but I didn't find it very amusing, just annoying. In some places, we're given exposition in a very dense and unlikely format.

But perhaps most of all, I felt the light sexuality too overt and a little disturbing. This may be a credit for some of my readers, but I'm violently opposed to any glorifications of pedophiles in books. We never learn the girls' ages, but we know for sure that they're not women, even if they have the necessary features. And yet, the girls are constantly seducing or are seduced by their teachers. I can handle overtones, but the scenarios - especially towards the end of the book - were constant and served little or no purpose for the story.

I think I will read the rest of the trilogy, just to see how the adventure proceeds. And there's hope for the "bad guys" yet. I can't put a book down until I know for sure whether or not the characters are dynamic. There's a definite attachment for Amelia built up, and though the rest of the children sort of disappear towards the end of the book, I'd like to be reunited with them. The occasional flaws and annoyances are minor enough, and the concept entertaining enough that I'll continue reading. I recommend this book to any fans of young adult fantasy who aren't put off by wordy, moderately-paced stories.

It's Hard-Fantasy
When I got this book it jumped ahead of my big backlog of 'to be read' books cause I was intrigued to find out about these children who had special abilities yet were 'imprisoned' in a special school designed especially for them.

I found the book interesting up until the point they 'discovered' their origins and then the book became very hard reading. Once they discovered who they were the development of the characters felt a distant third to the overwhelming greek mythology element introduced and the constant barrage of the other characters questionable morals & ethics.

If when you read a book you need to like the characters in it I would recommend to avoid this book, it is not for you. When I describe the genre of this book to people I would call it Hard Fantasy, so if you enjoy Hard SF you may find it interesting (so long as you have an ok knowledge of greek mythology).

Super Reader
Zeus is gone, and the power struggle between Hephaestus and Mars is ongoing, and threatens to breakout into war.

The previous rulers, Uranus, Saturn and their ilk, are not gone for good. This is particularly the case for some of their descendants.

Five children of this earlier time of Chaos are being held at a boarding school in an unassuming part of England by an assortment of forced servants and minor deities. They are drugged and otherwise kept oblivious, but as they get older, they beging to discover their powers and legacy.

An escape attempt is averted, as they really don't know what they are doing, and their captors have long been ready for them.

As Amelia, the master of space and time is told : "You are a dangerous and super-human being, child, and we must take what steps we can."

Not often you get this sort of thing talking about conic sections and the integrations of hypercubes, that is for sure. ... Read more

Book Description

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 chaos grow local efforts into global results

Go With the Flow:
use chaos to work collectively with others

Explore What's Between:
discover life's rich subtleties and avoid the traps of stereotypes

See the Art of the World:
appreciate the beauty of life's chaos

Live Within Time:
utilize time's hidden depths

Rejoin the Whole:
realize our fractal connectedness to each other and the world

Life is impossible to control--instead of fighting this truth, Seven Life Lessons of Chaos shows you how to accept, celebrate, and use it to live life to its fullest.

Customer Reviews (12)

fascinating
Chaos theory is fascinating, greatly fascinating, and this is a fascinating book about it.It's just beautiful.

Enlightening
I purchased this book for a class and told all of my friends about it. It is a perfect explanation of the theory. Real world examples - easy to understand. READ IT!

Delightful reading
It is precious stone plenty of wisdom that invites you to see the world and the life from an holistic perspective.
I have enjoyed each paragraph bringing each message or concept to my own daily experience.
I strongly recommend it.

Excellent, life changing book
I absolutely enjoyed this book and found it completely relevant to my life. I have been quoting it since I read it!

Not for Control Freaks
Seven Life Lessons shows us that the control we humans think we have on everything is mostly an illusion.The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.To me this spontenaeity is a wonderful thing.I love the fact that it sometimes rains when the weather bureau has predicted sunny skies--or vice versa.It makes me understand that the universe is magnificent and is beyond control of any kind.I believe there is a line in E. M. Forster's Passage to India when the character Mrs. Moore says about Ganges River:"What a beautiful river! What a terrible river!"She makes this observation right after the calm beauty of the river has exploded with the sudden splash of a crocodile in the middle of the river.What a boring world if everything were predictable and controllable.This book does indeed offer some suggestions on how to use the scientific discoveries about chaos to enrich our lives and to appreciate the complexity and beauty of the planet Earth.I return to it again and again when I'm feeling barren and dry. ... Read more

Book Description
This comprehensive, practical guide identifies the telltale signs of addiction, offers suggestions for living alcohol- or drug-free, and teaches the skills necessary for healthy thinking and living. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Preachy Repackaging of 12 Step Recovery
As a director of an outpatient chemical dependency program, I came across this book in my professional life. While the book is well intentioned and covers a wide range of topics about addiction and recovery, I was ultimately quite disappointed in it's presentation. The content is clearly a repackaging of 12 Step (e.g.: Alcoholics Anonyomous) concepts such as acceptance of powerlessness, etc. While this is not by itself a bad thing, the author incessantly uses commanding language beginning with "We need to ..."that many readers, I anticipate, will experience as preaching and condescending. (Implicitly telling the reader: "You need to!") The author places a heavy emphasis on labeling ("alcoholic", "addict") and de-emphasizes a person's ability to be their own agent of change; both contrary to scientific principles about what is effectively in achieving change. Some chapters contain exercises that invite reader participation but the exercises are not well developed and seem secondary to the overall lecturing tone of the material. Those interested in 12 Step recovery might do better to go to the primary sources (AA, NA). Others might seek out material from sources such as Smart Recovery.

A must read for anyone who wants to stop using!
A great book for anyone who is struggling to stop using alcohol and/or drugs.If you want to stop and keep failing, read this book.It will give you the information you need to be successful.It hasthe answers to yourquestions.As someone who works with people who are early in recovery, Isee them struggle with the basics.This book gives you information youwon't get in a treatment center.I highly recommend it! ... Read more

Book Description
The saga of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt, Jr., has become one of the standard works of fantasy in the 1990s. VOYA says, "Modesitt's logical structure of the interrelationship of order and chaos, magic and technology, is one of the most through in modern fantasy. The personal growth of his characters and the depiction of their world, it well-written and credible - and involves the reader.... The serious fantasy reader will revel in Modesitt's work." Launched with The Magic of Recluce, the novels of Recluce have gone on to sell over a million copies in paperback.The most recent of the Recluce novels, Fall of Angels, introduced the engineer/smith Nylan, the only man among the leadership of the company of "angels" marooned on a high plateau in the west of Candar, and perhaps the one person most responsible for their survival. But the angels are a matriarchal band, and so Nylan must leave his companions and seek a life elsewhere. He travels down from the plateau into the world of warring kingdoms and strange magics with his companion, Ayrlyn, the healer, and his infant son. They are in search of a place to lead a peaceful life, but they look different from the locals, and their talents are most valued in battle - and so the war between chaos and order begins again.The Chaos Balance is the seventh book of the saga of Recluce. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

A niceread
IfoundtheChaos Balance (SagaofRecluce ) apleasentweekendread , itisreminessentoftheorderenginearbookinthesameseries.

Asliceoflifestory , aboutapractable persontryingtodotherightthing , andhavingtoshiftaboutbecousehislocalworldofpeople , willnotaccepthimorhisideas .

Ahappyendingasusual , withaslitetwistthatmadeitnotpredictable.

Not Free SF Reader
Nylan the spaceship engineer and now order master has had enough of annoying matriarchy, and leaves with his wife and child to go into the outside world.

With his power and talents, he ends up being a key player in events, and in a battle against the Chaos Wizards.

A good story, but very similar to others in the series.
This books chronicles the fall of Cyador and the rise of Naclos.Even though the history and information about chaos/order relationships contained in this one are important for a reader wanting to understand the world of Recluce, I was somewhat disapointed by the fact that this book reads almost exactly like the others in the series.Basically, Nylan, your typical smith/order-mage, spends most of the book struggling to understand and master his powers.The book ends in the same way most of the others have- Nylan destroying a huge White army at the last possible second and being punished for it just like all the other heroes have been, by going blind and aging.I did like the characters in this one, good and bad, but I felt like I knew what was going to happen the entire time (which it turns out I did) so I didn't really get caught up in the suspense very much, just tried to get through it in a hurry to more on to the next one, which doesn't make for enjoyable reading.Hopefully in future books, Modesitt will change up the general story outline, maybe detailing the colonization of the planet by the Rats.

more of the same
This was first Modesitt book in which i was bored from start to finish.seemed to be mainly a repeat of hi sother works, mainly "The MAgic Engineer" using the charactors from "Fall of Angels".Even the ending comes as completely predictable to anyone who has read the rest of the series.Unrecommended. Try his first in the series, best in the series, "The magic of Recluse" instead.

Understanding & Enjoying the World of Recluse
L.E. Modesitt jr's Recluse series is a world of magic and balance. a world that will grab you and make you loss track of time as you are unable to put his Recluse books down.The author, recommends that you read his book in the order of they were published. If you are the person who likes to read the last 50 pages of a book first, and then skip around to different areas of the book as you read it through, then by all means, read the Recluse series in the order of publish.WAIT!..... If you are a reader who truly enjoys finding yourself part of the on going story, as read a series from the start of he story to its end. Then the Recluse series will grab you and not let you go until the conclusion of the series. L.E. Modesitt, jr. has written an 11 books series of the Recluse world so far.This author wrote the Magic of Recluse first. As be has published books, he has jumped around throughout the story time line of the world of Recluse, and put together books of set, and other single books, which he may add another book to that part of the story in a future published book.This author has written the story in books of set, that is the first three book of story: 1st book) "Fall of Angels", 2rd) "The Chaos Balance" & 3rd) "The Tower of the Sunset". Tells the birth and the destruction of kingdom of highly skilled warriors, with the third book leading into the creation of a new kingdom, (Recluse).Then the next book is, 4th book of the World of Recluse) "The Magic Engineer".Then Modesitt, jr. switches to the side of Chaos, and tells a story where the character's of Chaos will became heroes in your eyes too. So with time, you will gain a better understanding of the World of Recluse through the following books: 5th book) "The White Order", & 6th book) "the Color of Chaos".The next set of books that go together in the World of Recluse, are: 7th book) "The Order War", 8th book) "The Magic of Recluse", & the 9th book) "The Death of Chaos". As for the last two book that the author has written, he has drifted into the life of some of the troops found in the World of Recluse. My $0.02 worth. ... Read more

Book Description

In this incisive and insightful book, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano peels back the legal veneer and shows how politicians, judges, prosecutors, and bureaucrats are trampling the U.S. Constitution in the name of law and order and fighting terrorism. Napolitano reveals how they:

 

• silence the First Amendment
• shoot holes in the Second
• break some laws to enforce others
• entrap citizens
• steal private property
• seize evidence without warrant
• imprison without charge
• kill without cause

 

Pundits on the right, left, and center have praised Constitutional Chaos for its penetrating examination of our rights and liberties in the post-9/11 world.

 

"Has the war on terrorism taken away some of your rights? In a non-ideological way, Judge Andrew P. Napolitano answers that crucial question. This book will open your eyes."-Bill O'Reilly

 

"This book is a wake-up call for all who value personal freedom and limited government."-Rush Limbaugh

 

"In all of the American media, Judge Napolitano is the most persistent, uncompromising guardian of both the letter and the spirit of the Constitution. . ."-Nat Hentoff

 

Judge Andrew P. Napolitano is Fox News Channel's senior judicial analyst, seen by millions on The Big Story with John Gibson, The O'Reilly Factor, Fox and Friends, and other shows. His articles and commentaries have been published in the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Newark Star Ledger, and other national publications.

Customer Reviews (53)

ExcellentBook!
Judge Napolitano knows how to take difficult judicial concepts and make them accessible to the lay person without insulting the reader's inteligence. It really helped me to understand the history behind the state our government is in and where, why, and how the Supreme Court dropped the ball.

Eye Opening
Now I've always been skeptical of the government to say the least.I love this country and I am continually in awe of the Constitution and its framers.I mean really; what an extraordinay document, parralelled by nothing!God Bless America.This book only furthered my belief that the government is clearing straying from our beloved Constitution, and provides plenty of examples to bring one to that conclusion.

One of the things I loved about this book was that it does not explicitly align itself with any political party.I mean it is clearing conservatively toned, but it doesn't just rip on libs for being libs, and I believe the author would have no problem pointing out mistakes by Republicans (as he does with his criticism of things like the Patriot Act).And while the author holds dearly to conservative views (like a strict interpretation of the Constitution) he stears away form political parties.

It seems that both libs and conservatives complain about Constitutional woes: libs with their gay marraige and conservatives with their right to bear arms, to name a couple.The problem is both parties pick and choose when they want to follow the Constitution.If there's one thing that I walk away with after reading this book its that everyone has to follow the Constitution.No man is above it, rich or poor, and the government cannot hold itself above it either.Democracy and liberty depend on it!

The book reveals bad law and court tactics
Liberals are generally focused on the Patriot Act.Oh they say, we are going to loose our liberties as a result.But Constitutional Chaos reveals cases which were not under the Patriot Act were obtained and people were convicted illegally.How things changed since the Supreme court decision of 1892, where the accused confession under distress or lying or false promises cannot be used in court.Yet, we see cases were enforcement lies to the suspect in order to get a confession out of him...The modern courts turn a blind eye, and allow the evidence to be used in court even though it was obtained illegally.Now there are somethings I disagree in the book...Such as obtaining permission from another country to capture and bring a suspect back to the US for trial...

Even though there are treaties that say otherwise, if the other country gives their permission than I see no problem with capture, transfer, andbring to trial.However, I do agree if the country doesn't give their permission, the US has no right to use the tactic anyway.The book reveals such cases...

The book is worth getting, because you understand more about how the government works.That's not to say the government breaks it's own laws all the time, but it doesn't mean they are all little angels either.

Must Reading
Our country is in danger. Our children may not know freedom in their adult lives. When you ignore the Constitution or interpret it dishonestly you are then at the whim of every left and right winger who want to use government to suit their cause. Many progressives (actually socialists) just won't get honest enough to say they want to throw away the constitution. They're at the pre-stage of that where they put down the people who wrote it. Thankfully Judge Napolitano gives us a great history of crucial times and cases that started leading us away from the intent of the constitution. He gives us backround to what the founders intended, and lots of good examples from the current day which herald the demise of our freedom with the exile of the constitution. He also includes the actual Constitution in its entirety and some suggestions as to how we can fight to stay a free nation. It's well written, an enjoyable read, and since they evidently don't teach this in school anymore it should be passed around for everyone to read. It will help define who we are and give ammuniton against the collective beehive globalists that want to lead us into their visionary utopia, which will actuate as fascism. The constitution was written to protect the people from big government. Now we have people who want government to do everything for us even at the loss of individual freedom. Educate yourself to stay free, please read this book.

A MUST READ!
Heads up to all Americans. Judge Napolitano lays it out clearly and precisely how we need to protect our individual freedoms.For those of you who have not had to deal with your rights being violated, it is a harsh reality when you realize the truths of this book.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description
This empowering guide is an inspirational roadmap for the millions of men and women navigating a rocky relationship with a former spouse-while trying to maintain a healthy atmosphere for their child. Topics include:

* The 7 strategies for peace when an ex refuses to change
* Skills for taming former in-laws
* Ways to help children cope with a difficult parent
* Strategies and alternatives for focusing anger
* How to avoid hot-button issues
* How to nudge an ex to change for the better
* Ways to deal with children's questions and confusion
* The new partner's role in the old partner's shadow

This is the book for every frustrated parent coming out of a divorce who needs support in setting things right-the healthy, sensible, and sane way. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Great Book with Practical Applications
First of all, I love the title.It certainly describes my situation perfectly and Im sure many readers relate.This book is well written and contains an enormous amount of practical information that I have been able to apply in my life.After all, books are worthless unless I can apply the information I learn from them in my life.Thus, this title is well worth the time.Highly recommended and remember always to put your children as the # 1 priority in your situation.

The only book you need...
If you are navigating the gut-wrenching terrain of shared custody with a difficult ex-spouse, this is the only book you will need.A truly life-changing and empowering read--and a welcome reminder that while we may not be able to change other people, we can always work on ourselves.Filled with beneficial exercises and practical solutions to common problems, this book IMMEDIATELY improved my attitude with regard to my ex-spouse, and while we still have a ways to go at acheiving peace, this book gave me the tools I need to be part of the solution, rather than part of the problem.Highly recommended.

custody chaos, PERSONAL PEACE
I teach a coparenting through and after divorce class so I have purchase several books on coparenting and been disappointed by the same information regurgitated by different authors. This book, while it offers the same basic skills as others, provides a unique perspective that if utilized can lead to personal peace. I imagine it can be difficult for some to read because there is a heavy focus on accepting responsibility for your own thoughts, feelings, and actions and changing your own outlook and behavior to obtain personal peace,(which in turn leads to a more peaceful relationship with your coparent.) The book also asks that you learn to view your coparent differently, as a human being who makes mistakes, but is probably doing the best they can, even providing exercises on forgiveness which could be hard to handle if you have not let go of anger.The book is easy to read, provides real life examples, and summarizes the points to remember at the end of each chapter. Overall, it is a great book I recommend to everybody who attends my classes.

Change your ex!
Well you may not be able to change them but...This practical, common sense guide offers communication techniques that will not only help you deal with a difficult ex-husband or ex wife, but also teaches you how to examine your own role in these sticky situations. This book offered useful advice on how to be civil when the other party is not. This book helps you communicate effectively and stay in control of yourself and your situation. If for no other reason you can learn how to minimize the conflicts between you and your ex that affect your children. This book allows you to put your children's needs first.

An excellent tool for divorced and divorcing parents
I have made this book required reading for my divorce and mediation clients.Dr. Wittmann provides simple, direct strategies which allow struggling parents to focus on what is truly important....raising healthy, well adjusted children. Mediators and divorce attorneys would be doing thier clients a great service by recommending this book! ... Read more

Book Description
Helps you understand the basic concepts of this relatively new arm ofscience. Drawing from mathematics, physics and statistics, this bookprovides a toolkit for readers, including, vectors, phase space, Fourieranalysis, timeseries analysis, and autocorrection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Brilliant
Garnett Williams is my hero.He takes what seems like a complicated topic and makes it seem simple.Williams never assumes anything about the reader's prior understanding of any topic - he patiently and carefully explains what you need to know to understand his point.He reiterates, summarizes and gives examples so that even when you are occaisionally feeling like you might get lost, he reels you right back in.

He includes a glossary and chapter summaries which are very helpful.He also does a great job of refreshing important concepts from prior chapters as they again become relevant.

The layman's challenge in understanding scientific literature, even books written for lay audiences, often results from a minor oversight or assumption on the author's part.One little detail that, upon omission, makes the picture unclear.Williams covers every detail; he was thorough and consistent throughout.

I'd highly recommend this book for anyone trying to understand Chaos Theory or build a better foundation for the understanding of Complexity and other related sciences.

for science or engineering readers
With all the noise about chaos and chaotic phenomena, Williams sets out to dispel the confusion. Powerful maths ideas are explained with enough rigour to satisfy most readers. But this is primarily not a maths text. I started reading it thinking it was, and then realised otherwise.

The ideas are not developed in a traditional maths way, with scads of theorems, lemmas and corrolaries. The exposition deliberately mimics what you are likely to see in a physics or engineering book. With a level of detail sufficient for that readership.

The main ideas covered involve fractals. How to define and measure such things as the fractal dimension of a curve or surface. Which leads into attractors and basins of attraction. Finally, the book ties chaos into related ideas from information theory; enriching an understanding of both fields.

Excellent:-- clear explantions
This is an extremely well-written book. It is not a "popular science" book, but if you have a few semesters of undergraduate math, you'll be fine.

The author presents the material very clearly and cleanly, with easy examples and useful intuitive metaphors.

I wish all math and science texts were this well-written.

Excellent introducion to chaos theory!
I am very happy having chance to read this book. Actually after theGleicks Chaos I've tried to read "Understanding nonlinear dynamics" but some chapters were too hard to understand for me. After reading "Chaos theory tamed" the previous book was overcame in a meantime cause Williams book builds up a very strong background and is excellent step for further exploration for a non-mathematician.

thanks to gnutella network:)

beginner's choice
Very easy to read. It is an excellent tool to readers that want a first contact with chaos theory. The math is very simple and evenif you are rusty or need some basic theory the book has 7 chapters to reinforced you. If by chance you don't understand this tools then probably chaos theory is not for you. ... Read more

Book Description

In this book, Olivier Roy, Europe's leading scholar of political Islam, argues that the consequences of the "war on terror" have artificially conflated conflicts in the Middle East in such a way that they appear to be the expression of a widespread "Muslim anger" against the West. But in reality, there are nous andthem. Instead, the West faces an array of "reverse alliances" that operate according to their own logic and dynamics.

The West supports General Musharraf in Pakistan, yet his military intelligence services are in league with the Taliban; in Iraq, the United States shores up a government that is closely linked to its archenemy, Iran; Iraqi Kurds, allies of the Americans, give sanctuary to the PKK, an adversary of a fellow NATO member, Turkey; while the Saudis support the Iraqi Sunnis who are, in turn, fighting Coalition forces. As if these issues were not complicated enough, the ever-worsening Shia-Sunni divide now threatens to disrupt any future strategic planning the West might attempt in the Middle East.

Roy unravels the complexity of these conflicts in order to better understand the political discontent that sustains them. He also emphasizes that the war on terror should not be regarded merely as a geopolitical blunder committed by a fringe group of neoconservatives. It is instead a problematic outgrowth of our deeply rooted Western perceptions of the Middle East, including the belief that Islam, rather than politics, is the overarching factor in these conflicts, thus explaining the West's support for either would-be secular democrats or (more or less) benign dictators. Roy's conclusion argues that the West has no alternative but to engage in a dialogue with the political forces that truly matter-namely the Islamo-nationalists of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.

Book Description
Merciless attacks by an invincible alien force have left the New Republic reeling. Dozens of worlds have succumbed to occupation or annihilation, and even the Jedi Knights have tasted defeat. In these darkest of times, the noble Chewbacca is laid to rest, having died as heroically as he lived--and a grief-stricken Han Solo is left to fit the pieces of his shattered soul back together before he loses everything: friends, family, and faith.

Refusing help from Leia or Luke, Han becomes the loner he once was, seeking to escape the pain of his partner's death in adventure . . . and revenge. When he learns that an old friend from his smuggling days is operating as a mercenary for the enemy, he sets out to expose the traitor. But Han's investigation uncovers an even greater evil: a sinister conspiracy aimed at the very heart of the New Republic's will and ability to fight--the Jedi.

Now Han must face down his inner demons and, with the help of a new and unexpected ally, honor Chewbacca's sacrifice in the only way that matters--by being worthy of it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (98)

Han Solo is Back!
James Luceno is only getting his feet wet in the Star Wars universe, but the Robotech veteran gets things steaming right along after a slow first quarter.The dialogue at first is a little ponderous, with drawn-out statements that seem a little wrong, but it gets better.

The character of Han Solo is the key point of the book, which was great to see since he seemed to take a back seat to everyone else.Between the time that Chewie dies on Sernpidal (SPOILER!) and the end of this book, the reconciliation between Han and his son Anakin really hits a father.

I like the new copilot character that they've given to Han.He's a bit like Han with his sense of humor, and also a little like Lando, but with less of the smooth pretense.I hope he sticks around a while.

Luceno really gets down to the guts of Han Solo, and it is his insight which saves the Jedi from certain doom at the hands of an assassin.It's Han Solo at his gut-feeling best, and I couldn't reccomend this book more.

QUALITY PAPERBACKS
The seller of these Star Wars books was quick, reliable and sent out products of superior quality.

Like the series, don't like this author
The first three books in this series were compelling and well written.They introduced characters well and like any good space opera, was liberal with the action.

This book however fails to live up to that standard in my opinion.Firstly, it's focussing almost entirely on Han Solo, who I'm bored of.His constant winging about Chewbacca dying is tiresome and annoying and by the time you reach the end of the book you're not brimming over with sympathy but bubbling with frustration.Whoever said "older and wiser" never meant this to be applied to Han Solo obviously.He's written like he's still unmarried and in his 30's.It's unbelievable and insulting.

The writing style also annoys me.It's hard to get into the story because it's very disjointed and not written in a way that ties things together neatly.You're left with a feeling of "what?" whenever a new chapter begins.

I'm reading this only because I want to get past it to a book written by a better storyteller.It disheartens me that he has written The Unifying Force because as the last book in this series, I was hoping it would be good.Here's hoping he writes Jedi better than he does old smugglers.

Great Solo Adventure
While Hero's Trial, the fourth book in the massive New Jedi Order series and the first in author James Luceno's Agents of Chaos duology doesn't have quite the same epic scope as previous NJO volumes (no planets die in this one), it is still a crucial volume in the series.

Essentially, Hero's Trial is a Han Solo adventure, which is fine considering that Han has been more or less MIA during the previous two NJO books, drowning his sorrows after the loss of Chewbacca in Vector Prime (Star Wars: The New Jedi Order, Book 1). It's good to see Solo back in action, and the mission he takes on - hunting down the Yuuzhan Vong's Peace Brigade agents - gives him the sense of purpose (not to mention vengeance) that he needs to get on with his life.

The book's other key development is the introduction of Yuuzhan Vong double agent Elan and her familiar Vergere, who will go on to be one of the most interesting, compelling, and yes disturbing characters the Star Wars Universe has ever seen. You'd never know it from this book, but the diminutive alien will set in motion events that will shape the galaxy for years to come.

Luceno does a great job with this book. It's exactly the kind of rollicking adventure you expect from a Han Solo tale, though the ever-present Yuuzhan Vong threat keeps the book from getting to lighthearted. Luceno has obviously done his homework, as events and characters from both Brian Daley and A. C. Crispin's previous Han Solo novels are referenced extensively in Hero's Trial. It's a bit light on Jedi action, but it does show that the events in the NJO series impact everyone - not just the Jedi.

If you've enjoyed the previous NJO books, this will be no exception. The best part is that the story is just getting warmed up!

Very average book in an otherwise good series
Hero's Trial is a mediocre book in what has otherwise been a decent series to date.The first three books (written by R.A. Salvatore and Michael Stackpole) were quite decent, which makes the shortcomings in Hero's Trial even more disappointing.

The book isn't horrible; it's just not fun to read.With the exception of Droma, a new buddy Luceno introduces for Han, nearly every character in the book is painfully boring.The Yuuzhan Vong, who were engaging in the first three books, became nothing more than the obligatory bad guys.Description of their biological technology became long passages of text which the reader couldn't care less about.This is quite different from the first three books, where the novel and menacing threat introduced by the Yuuzhan Vong is really what made the story work.

Following the same trend, Luceno's space battles are very dry.There is nothing in the way of tactics, skill, or strategy conveyed to the reader.There are lots of action words and quite a few adjectives, but in the end they add up to nothing.You could skip over the entire battle and not be worse off for it.

Lastly, Han was given a new sidekick to replace Chewbacca.Luceno tries to write some witty dialog between the two, attempting to deliver on some of the charm Han Solo displayed in the movies.Unfortunately, this too falls rather flat - and at times seems much more slapstick than it should.

As a stand alone book, it really isn't worth reading.As part of a larger storyline which to date has been good, it is tolerable. ... Read more

Amazon.com
What do the Atlanta Braves, Microsoft, 3M, Nike, and Intel all have in common? According to Shona Brown and Kathleen Eisenhardt, authors of Competing on the Edge: Strategy as Structured Chaos, each of these organizations are predictably unpredictable. They're leaders not because of their ability to predict the course of their markets; rather, these companies have learned to embrace the notion of change. They're successful because they've learned to find that edge between structure and chaos that allows them to be innovative and creative, while maintaining just enough discipline to focus on executing a plan.

The authors contend that competing on the edge is not an efficient or predictable way to do business. Instead, it's learning how to adapt and lead in a business environment that's in a constant state of flux. "The underlying insight behind competing on the edge is that strategy is the result of a firm's organizing to change constantly and letting a semicoherent strategic direction emerge from that organization. In other words, it is about combining the two parts of strategy by simultaneously addressing where you want to go and how you are going to get there."

Brown and Eisenhardt offer dozens of examples of companies that are successfully and not so successfully finding that balance between anarchy and order. If, on the one hand, you feel like your company is bogged down by rules and bureaucracy or if,on the other, it seems like no one in your company knows exactly what they're doing, you'll find that Competing on the Edge is a valuable handbook for change. The book is clearly written, full of insight, and belongs on every manager's bookshelf. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards Book Description
Unstable markets, fierce competition, and relentless change are the only certainties in today's chaotic business world.In their startling new book, authors Brown and Eisenhardt contend that to prosper in such volatile conditions, standard survival strategies must be tossed aside in favor of a revolutionary new paradigm--competing on the edge.To compete on the edge is to relentlessly reinvent, and it's the only way to navigate the treacherous waters of tumultuous markets.

Competing on the edge is an unpredictable, sometimes even inefficient strategy, yet a singularly effective one in an era driven by change.It requires charting a course along the edge of chaos, where a delicate compromise is struck between anarchy and order, to the edge of time, where current business is the primary focus, but actions are shaped by past legacies and future opportunities.By adroitly maneuvering through chaos and time, managers can avoid constantly reacting to nonstop change and instead set a rhythmic pace that others must follow, thereby shaping the competitive landscape--and their own destiny.

In the first book to translate leading edge concepts from complexity theory into management practice, each chapter focuses on a specific management dilemma and illustrates a solution.Linking where do you want to go? with how will you get there? here's a bold and surprising strategy that works--when the name of the game is change. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

Predicting the Future is Easy, Being Right is Hard
One of the things I found most objectionable back in MBA school or today in reading/writing business plans is the orientation towards thinking that all those beautiful numbers predicting the future had any meaning whatsoever.

If you think fancy long range planning makes sense, just go ask the American auto manufacturers what went wrong. We've known that oil is getting in short supply, that its source of supply is in an unstable part of the world and that something drastic will have to be done. So what do they do - build more factories to build pickups and SUV's.

Where are the fuel efficient diesel engines? (My daughters Volkswagon diesel from 20 years ago got 42 miles per gallon.) Where are the hybrids? (Oh, they are manufactured in Japan.)

The computer industry learned to think in terms of rapid change a long time ago. (Those companies like DEC. Honeywell, RCA, GE and many, many more are defunct or out of business.) You would think that a book like this one would concentrate on the computer business. To some extent it does, but it also talks about companies like 3M, Nike, the San Francisco Symphony, the airline industry. It also talks about companies like Sears.

This book cannot give you specific advice about what the future holds, but you can make some guesses - energy costs are going to go up, global warming is going to cause water levels to rise (a bunch), overseas competition is going to go up, we may see a major religious war. How will your company react?

A must read
If you are managing a business today, I suggest you read this.Learn the lessons from this Google Manager.It stresses speed, quality to the customer, innovation, leading and staying ahead of the competition.

Fresh View of Strategy
As a business school student I have covered a plethora of theories and frameworks regarding strategic analysis, planning, and development. Brown & Eisenhardt provide a fresh look at strategy. Competing on the Edge provides the latest thinking on emergent strategy and succeeding within high-velocity industries. Regardless if you are in industry or the classroom, this book is a must if you ever plan to drive strategy at the business level-no matter what the pace of change is in your industry. This book will teach you to think in new ways about how you create, manage and defend competitive advantage. This read will take you far beyond Porter, Mintzberg, and Barney.

A great leeson in creating a flow of competitive advantages
As a business school student I have covered a plethora of theories and frameworks regarding strategic analysis, planning, and development. Brown & Eisenhardt provide a fresh look at strategy. Competing on the Edge provides the latest thinking on emergent strategy and succeeding within high-velocity industries. Regardless if you are in industry or the classroom, this book is a must if you ever plan to drive strategy at the business level-no matter what the pace of change is in your industry. This book will teach you to think in new ways about how you create, manage and defend competitive advantage. This read will take you far beyond Porter, Mintzberg, and Barney.

Ten rules of competing on the edge
Shona L.Brown and Kathleen M.Eisenhardt's book is dynamic and major break from traditional static approaches. "Competing on the edge contrasts with other approaches to strategy that assume clear industry boundaries, predictable competition, or a knowable future...The underlying insight behind competing on the edge is that strategy is the result of a firm's organizing to change constantly and letting a semicoherent strategic direction emerge from that organization...A semicoherent strategic direction is fundamentally different from what is traditionally called strategy" (p.7). Here, they ask, "What is unique and even provocative about it?":

* It is unpredictable. Competing on the edge is about surprise.

* It is uncontrolled. It is not about command and precision planning by senior executives.

* It is inefficient. Competing on the edge is not necessarily efficient in the short term.

* It is proactive. Competing on the edge is not about passively watching for the occasional discontinuity or waiting for other firms to move before taking action.

* It is continuous. It is about a rhythm of moves over time; not a set of disjointed actions.

* It is diverse. Competing on the edge is about making a variety of moves with varying scale and risk.

In this context, they write that "the premise of this book is that change is pervasive. The implcation is that the key strategic challenge facing managers in many contemporary businesses is managing this change. The challenge is to react quickly, anticipate when possible, and lead change where appropriate. A manager's dilemma is how to do this, not just once or every now and then, but consistently. Our book has argued that competing on the edge is the unpredictable, often uncontrolled, and even inefficient strategy that nonetheless defines best practice when change is pervasive." And,then, they list ten rules of competing on the edge that articulate the key assumptions and best practices about strategy, organization, and leadership that they have found to characterize firms that compete on the edge:

I- Strategy

Rule 1. Advantage is temporary.

Rule 2. Strategy is diverse, emergent, and complicated.

Rule 3. Reinvention is the goal.

II- Organization

Rule 4. Live in the present.

Rule 5. Stretch out the past.

Rule 6. Reach into the future.

Rule 7. Time pace change.

III- Leadership

Rule 8. Grow the strategy.

Rule 9. Drive strategy from the business level.

Rule 10. Repatch businesses to markets and articulate the whole.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description
The Creation of Flowing Forms in Water and Air

Theodor Schwenk

Translated by Olive Whicher & Johanna Weigley

More than ever before, today we need "water consciousness" and we can begin with this essential and classic book on water as the universal bearer of living, formative processes.

Beginning with simple flowing phenomena of water and air, Schwenk gradually builds up, with the help of marvelous photographs and drawings, the "letters" of an alphabet that will allow us to "read" the living meaning of water.

The spiritual, formative processes are gradually brought to light, and we come to recognize the Creative Word in the universe.

Fully illustrated. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

neither science nor art
I've got to say, I was pretty darn dissapointed with this book. I looked forward to seeing this book for a long time so it hurt especially bad when I saw that it was full of quasi-religious new-agey worthlessness and conpletely devoid of any interesting commentary of the intersections of artistic and scientific inquiry.

Water, Water, Everywhere
It's out-of-print. No one you know has ever heard of this book. No matter: the trouble you may have in finding a copy of Sensitive Chaos will be worth it. The images will remain with you. The text will teach the old dog (you)new tricks. And years and years from now you will still recognize thespiral of water in the things you see, and you'll even feel a little moreconnected to the world. Beautiful book.

A beautiful and poetic view of science
This beautiful book remains scientifically accurate while describing in poetic and spiritual style the flowing of fluids in nature. A beautiful collection of pictures illustrates how even living things follow the rulesof fluid flow as new cells flow forth in the growth process. ... Read more

Book Description
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 refers to a complex system. The science of complexity studies how single elements, such as a species or a stock, spontaneously organize into complicated structures like ecosystems and economies; stars become galaxies, and snowflakes avalanches almost as if these systems were obeying a hidden yearning for order.

Drawing from diverse fields, scientific luminaries such as Nobel Laureates Murray Gell-Mann and Kenneth Arrow are studying complexity at a think tank called The Santa Fe Institute. The revolutionary new discoveries researchers have made there could change the face of every science from biology to cosmology to economics. M. Mitchell Waldrop's groundbreaking bestseller takes readers into the hearts and minds of these scientists to tell the story behind this scientific revolution as it unfolds.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

PR flak for Calif.
Very disappointed in it.More form than substance.Author was too intent on patting CA schools on the back.

Look in the index and start at the 1st page mentioning Godel
If you want to focus on complexity...then go to this book's index and start reading at the first page which mentions Kurt Godel.

As you proceed forward you will then find that this book spends progressively more time actually discussing the mathematical concepts underlying complexity or edge of chaos analysis and less time giving war stories about the founders of the Sante Fe Institute...which studied complexity.

Using this method you will learn about complexity theory which posits that simple algorithms can give rise to complicated outcomes.

Like a program to simulate a flock of birds in flight:

This book says that their flight can be similuated by the application of three simple coeffecients relating to maximum distance between birds, their common rate and distance of movement and finally a coeffecient directed to all birds to encourage them forward to being the center bird and leading the pack.

It doesn't take much creative thought to realize that the rules governing birds in flight must be similar to those governing genetic diversity and ultimately molecular diversity and creation itself.

In this way, ideas "merely" having to do with economics become VERY BIG indeed.

It's not surprising that this book was recommended by Richard Hofstadter (author of Godel Escher Bach) and likened to the (much better) Choas by James Glieck.The point is that the characters that this book introduces are very relevant to the discussions started by Hofstadter and so ably advanced by Glieck.

Read the book...or at least those pages following the first mention of Kurt Godel...and you'll see why.

Meh...
I found the book disappointing.This is definitely NOT in the league of Chaos.

In particular, the coverage of the material of the subject, complexity, was very thin.Waldrop would bring up a subject, address it with some metaphor, and then move on without providing any details.The vast majority of the book is a series of stories about scientists at the Santa Fe Institute who had their inner-child hurt on their journey to discovering complexity.A better title for the book would have been "The Road to Santa Fe: A Tail of Grief."

The book had two redeeming features, the breadth of the material covered and the bibliography; both provide direction for more fruitful reading.Really, getting the feel for most of the subjects covered in this book could be found by putting 'complexity' into wikipedia and reading for a day, though.

Since it was not a complete waist of my time, I gave it 2 stars.

Interesting story
The main thread of the book is the Santa Fe Institute, a multidisciplinary research and education center founded in 1984 in the US. The institute deals with complex adaptive systems from physical, biological, computational, and social point of view. Complexity can be found in for instance environmental, technological, biological, economic, and political systems. Hence, this research area is highly relevant.

The story was interesting to read. However, being an engineer, I prefer a shorter and more concise style of writing. A deeper mathematical discussion about complexity would also have been appreciated. The book tells an exiting scientific story, but it is more of a well written novel than a technical textbook.

A tour through the complex realm of complexity
Explain many of the phenomenons that occur in nature, economics, and societies that have no current formulas (or the formula cannot be computed by humans). The book stresses that computer simulations could help us decipher the fields of chaos, complexity, and order. You will be surprised how many people think that the whole idea of understanding the universe by using reduction is total nonsense in some contexts.

One downside (or for some people a plus) is that the book goes to a great length to describe the complexity for an economist's point of view, while not spending that much time on complexity from a sociologist, anthropologist, or psychologist's point of view. ... Read more