Product Description
In this important book, John H. Holland dramatically shows us that the "emergence" of order from chaos has much to teach us about life, mind, and organizations. Creative activities in both the arts and the sciences depend upon an ability to model the world. The most creative of those models exhibits emergent properties, so that "what comes out is more than what goes in." From the ingenious checkers-playing computer that started beating its creator in game after game, to the emotive creations of the poet, Emergence shows that Holland's theory successfully predicts many complex behaviors in art and science.Amazon.com Review
"Emergence" is the notion that the whole is morethan the sum of its parts. John Holland, a MacArthur Fellow known asthe "father of genetic algorithms," says this seeminglysimple notion will be at the heart of the development of machines thatcan think for themselves. And while he claims that he'd rather doscience than write about it, this is his second scientific philosophybook intended to increase public understanding of difficult concepts(his first was HiddenOrder: How Adaptation Builds Complexity). One of the questionsthat Holland says emergence theory can help answer is: can we buildsystems from which more comes out than was put in? Think of the foodreplicators in the imaginary future of Star Trek--with somebasic chemical building blocks and simple rules, those machines canproduce everything from Klingon delicacies to Earl Grey tea. Ifscientists can understand and apply the knowledge they gather fromstudying emergent systems, we may soon witness the development ofartificial intelligence, nanotech, biological machines, and othercreations heretofore confined to science fiction. Using games,molecules, maps, and scientific theories as examples, Holland outlineshow emergence works, emphasizing the interrelationships of simplerules and parts in generating a complex whole. Because of thetheoretical depth, this book probably won't appeal to the casualreader of popular science, but those interested in delving a littledeeper into the future of science and engineering will befascinated. Holland's writing, while sometimes self-consciouslyprecise, is clear, and he links his theoretical arguments to examplesin the real world whenever possible. Emergence offers insight notjust to scientific advancement, but across many areas of humanendeavor--business, the arts, even the evolution of society and thegeneration of new ideas. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Great concepts, but a little repetitive at times
Having done some work with genetic algorithms, I was very excited to read a book by John Holland.I was hoping to learn more about how to create models of complex systems and how new behavior can be exhibited by computer programs that were not inherent in the programmer's intent or design.

I certainly came away with knowledge of how to create models because that seemed to be the main point that Professor Holland made throughout the book.Don't get me wrong.Modeling is critically important to understanding the world we live in and the phenomena we observe in the world.I just had no idea from the title or the blurbs that modeling would be such a central theme.In a way it is reassuring since modeling is something that I am very comfortable with, and to me, relatively straight forward.

The book covers such novel concepts as cell assemblies, anticipation, signaling, and indefinite memory in relatively easy to understand language.There is a fair amount of dense mathematical notation that adds a bit of depth if you are comfortable with the subject matter, but can be skipped by the casual reader.I also like the point Professor Holland made about macrolaws and microlaws - that once basic structures and patterns are in place (microlaws), emergent, higher level structures and patterns emerge (macrolaws) that can be explained without reverting back to a knowledge of the microlaws.This provides a road map to understanding more about emergent behavior as we better develop and understand the microlaws describing emergent behavior.

I do think that some of the material was repetitive.Although many reviewers liked the last chapter or two, the end of the book seemed to drag on for me.It was a combination of recap (which is fine), and a philosophical discourse on innovation and creativity.The material was fine, but it seemed just tacked on at the end, and was less interesting to me than the rest of the book.

I have not yet read "Hidden Order", so I cannot compare the two books.Overall, I am very glad I read the book.I learned many new concepts regarding emergent behavior, and reinforced my prior knowledge about things like neural nets, genetic algorithms, and game trees.

Another great book by Holland
Expands on Holland's previous book Hidden Order. It presents an interesting method for understanding complexity and emergence. Highly recommended for those attempting to understand complex adaptive systems.

First steps towards a future theory of emergence
I just read Emergence in preperation for my oral qualifying exams for a Ph.D. in computer science and cognitive science. I disagree with many of the negative reviewers -- this book is well-worth the read. I share some frustration over this book due to the way it seems to scratch the surface. The book's strength seems to be in asking the right questions and pointing the way towards some future science of emergent behavior.

The book is too short for my taste -- in many of the later chapters Holland makes thought-provoking, deep remarks, without the follow-up and commentary that they leave me hoping for. But again, his main purpose seems to be in making people think about the issues. And he provides some formalisms that might be part of some future theory -- his constrained generating procedures (CGPs) and the variable "CGP-v" recall constructs such as the Turing machine for studying computability.

The strengths of the book lie in:

1) Discussion of the nature of modeling in science, and computer modeling in particular. This is discussed with clarity and pragmatism.

2) The beginnings of a framework in which to study emergence in multi-agent systems.

3) Discussion of the importance of metaphor/analogy in the creative scientific process. I didn't expect this to appear in the book but it was very welcome, and especially appropriate due to the role played by Mitchell's and Hofstadter's "Copycat" model (of analog-making itself) as it motivates the expansion of CGPs to CGP-v's as the book progresses.

Overall, I recommend this book highly to readers interested in the beginnings of this exciting new science, that really is in its infancy. I gave it 4 stars just because I felt like Holland had a lot more to say in the later chapters and left too much "as an exercise for the reader." I hope he does follow-on work that clarifies his vision for a future science of emergence!

an undispensable completion of "hidden order"
After 7 years from its publication it still gives a valid and fundamental approach to the conceptsof emergence and its meaning

Toss Up
Parts of this book were interesting, but overall it was much ado about not much, and what was done was often overdone (I agree with another reviewer on this point). I see that Amazon has coupled this book with Hidden Order. I can't see why. It would be like buying the same book twice. Anyway, so much of this has been warmed over so many times now that it's frankly a bit dry. I'd like to see a book that really breaks new ground in complexity without overusing buzz words or talking down to me, holding my hand through simple things. Here, the topic is more attractive than the content I'm afraid. Anyone really interested in complexity and emergence will need to go into technical details well beyond this book. Others, like me, will likely find the details that are here to be a bit tedious. ... Read more

Product Description
Prime Chaos presents an overview of the fastest-growing school of modern occultism --- Chaos Magic. The author of Condensed Chaos presents simple, yet effective techniques for becoming proficient in practical magic, including an exhaustive breakdown of the possibilities offered by ritual magic, sorcery, invocation, possession and evocation. The resurgence of interest in magic has led to a new interest in magical groups, and Phil Hine brings a wealth of experience in groups to an exploration of the advantages --- and disadvantages --- of working magic with other people. Prime Chaos also explores some of the lighter --- and darker --- aspects of modern occultism, and presents new ideas for developing magical techniques for the 21st Century.

In addition, you have on this book a unique piece of history: a cover by William S. Burroughs, author of Naked Lunch and many other famous works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Excellent book on Chaos magick
I was surprised to see this book got mixed reviews. I wonder if those people understood the concepts presented in this book. For me personally, Phil Hine put into words everything I could not articulate about the psychological aspects of magick and really got me moving down the chaos mage path. It's certainly not a beginner's guide or magick-101 book. This delves into the very essence of what magick is, and the mindset needed to be an effective mage. This book won't teach you spells, but it will give you an essential framework for creating your own rituals. This is one of the most important books I've ever read on magick, and will help develop the greatest magickal tool in one's arsenal. The mind.

Vague Beyond Belief
I really regreted buying this book.While I'm sure the author knows something a little more than the average joe about chaos magic, he is incredibly vague.He rambles on and on with out making a point.From reading the book, the only thing that seems clear about chaos magic is that it is whatever you make it to be.If that is truly his point, he could have shortened his book by more than 50%.

good but vague
Phil Hine's second book on Chaos magic, Prime Chaos offers a somewhat vague and rotoscopic view on progressive occult practices. It's almost too vague, and offers little in the way of theoretical foundations for Chaos Magic, other than the requisite "Nothing is true, everything is permitted." Hine ends each ideological explanation for a belief system or ritual with "but that's just what some people believe, you can do it differently." while this does offer a warm and openminded aproach to chaos magic, it underscores one of its frustrating aspects: its hard for newcomers to get a feeling for chaos magic's theoretical foundations and thereby begin the thought process neccesary to branch out and form your own belief system. The book also spends alot of time on technicalities of practice, particulary minor social disparagements that might occur in group practice. So, add another star if you have group experience and would like some warm, experienced advice from Phil(he focuses alot of the book on group practice.) Phil writes in an easy to understand way, with a warmth and understanding that some other Chaos Magicians who are too wrapped up in being snotty and cynical lack. However, this might not be the best introduction to newcomers of chaos magic, particularly occultists who have dabbled in wicca or other contemporary occult practices and have seen most of this stuff before.

Group Chaos
Prime Chaos is the first book I ever read about chaos magic.It serves as a great way to introduce a reader to the ideas and concepts of chaos magic.Despite its relatively small size it contains and highlights all the ideas a chaos mage can play with.

This book is geared towards group work and a large section is dedicated to it.As a lone wolf mage you might not find it satisfying and I would suggest "Condensed Chaos" by the same author, Phil Hine.However if you are interested in learning and experiencing magic as a group Prime Chaos will definately be a very valuable assistant with its approach and ideas.

decent read
I've read through this book, not through and through mind you but good enough to get a good general idea about it. Now I have a friend that practices 'chaos magic' and I agree with some of his theorys and find it a fascinating system. The thing that turned me off about this book is Cthulhu, this god was indeed strictly created by H.P. Lovecraft. My friend who happens to believe in Cthulhu is always trying to state that Cthulhu was actually a Sumarian diety but the thing is that; like most Cthulhu fans lacks any substantial research. I've mentioned other Sumarian gods past H.P. Lovecrafts work (such as Sinn) and he doesn't even know what they are.

From what I've seen of most chaos magick books is that they try to be anti-dogma yet their beliefs as a whole embraces dogma, like Peter Carol. For instance his belief that everything has an oppisite, this is in essence dogma.

If this sounds like I am totaly tearing down the chaos beliefs I appologize... I just question the validity of it's sources. ... Read more

Product Description
Surfing the Edge of Chaos is a brilliant, powerful, and practical book about the parallels between business and nature—two fields that feature nonstop battles between the forces of tradition and the forces of transformation. It offers a bold new way of thinking about and responding to the personal and strategic challenges everyone in business faces these days. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Chaos theory for business (and otehr leaders)
Richard T Pascale, Mark Millenan and Linda Gioja, Surfing at the Edge of Chaos: The Laws of Nature and the Laws of Business (New York: Crown, 2000)

New science that explores the mysteries of life and its complexity is revolutionizing business and leadership. The radical basis is that chaos can be creative and positive in any living system including organisations. Wise leaders will thus revitalize their systems by following the laws of living systems:

* Foster disequilibrium (because equilibrium is unresponsive to change)
* Surf the edge of chaos (where mutation and experimentation will be fruitful)
* Unleash self-organisation and cultivate emergence
* Artfully disturb (don't direct) a living system.

The authors include a number of thoughtful case studies from business and non-profit organizations showing complexity revitalizing organizations, adaptive leaders unleashing the distributed intelligence of their teams, and organizations witnessing the emergence of undreamed of paths and unimagined places `whose time has come'.

Originally reviewed for D Cronshaw "The Emerging Church: Pioneering Leadership and Innovation Reading Guide", Zadok Paper (Forthcoming 2010).

Great introduction to a fascinating new field
Chaos WILL BE the next big thing.I found this book fascinating and I truly believe the ideas suggested will have an influence upon business in the years to come.Thinking of the world and business in neo-classical equations is just plain wrong and the quicker we can embrace systemic complexity the better.My only qualm is that as the book wears on the same ideas get a little beaten over the head, but this is MINOR and I still think the book is a must read for anyone interested in this emerging field.

Chaos and order are at the edge
I read this book two years ago after being fascinated by the Chaos Theory and the butterfly effect on nature and mathematics. It gave me good insight on how the Chaos Theory is related to management studies. The topic came back to me when I saw recently a summary at Book Summaries Online of the CSTDI Cyber Learning Centre. The 10-page summary is quite comprehensive and gives a very good description of the main points of the book.

The scene is organizations being regarded as living organisms instead of machines. Thus four laws of nature from Chaos Theory are applied:

1. Equilibrium is death -When a living system is in a state of equilibrium, it is less responsive to changes occurring around it. This places it at maximum risk. There is also a well proven law of cybernetics - Requisite Variety - which states that when a system fails to cultivate (not just tolerate) variety in its internal operations, it will fail to deal with variety that challenges it externally.

2. Innovation takes place at the edge of chaos -In the face of threat, or when galvanized by a compelling opportunity, living things move toward the edge of chaos. This condition evokes higher levels of mutation and experimentation. The result is that fresh new solutions are more likely to be found.

3. Self organization and emergence occur naturally -When the right kind of excitation takes place, independent agents move toward what has been popularized as the "tipping point." New forms and repertoires emerge from the turmoil.

4. Organization can only be disturbed, not directed -Living systems cannot be directed along a linear path. Unforeseen consequences are inevitable. The challenge is to disturb them in a manner that moves directionally toward the desired state, then course-correct as the outcome unfolds.

The authors draw reference to Darwin. They go further to propose that the natural selection process come from selection pressure, that species do not evolve of their own accord. Rather, they change because of the forces, indeed threats, imposed on them from the environment. Such selection pressures intensify during periods of radical upheaval. The bottom line is that nature is more dedicated to proliferating life in general than to the perpetuation of any particular species. In a fair competitive environment, no organization has the ability to stay in a equilibrium. Change is the only way to stay alive.

The edge of chaos is a condition, not a location. It is a permeable, intermediate state through which order and disorder flow, not a finite line of demarcation. Moving to the edge of chaos creates upheaval but not dissolution. That's why the edge of chaos is so important. The edge is not the abyss. It's the sweet spot for productive change. But moving over the edge is to avoided.

The book extends the concept of fitness landscape from ecologists to the management area. The great plain is chaotic with customer defections, low margins, undifferentiated products, etc., while fit and successful organizations with their niches are represented as hills in the landscape. An organization grows and climbs a small hill to reach its summit. But in order to achieve greater height at another hill, it must first descend to the plain of chaos, get rid of its culture and build afresh. The journey is a sequence of disturbances and adjustments, not a lock-step march along a predetermined path.

One main point that defies traditional management theory is the trouble with optimization. Management likes to take the classic "blank sheet of paper" approach and optimize the inefficient system. This approach cannot anticipate every twist and turn in the execution phase. The law of unintended consequences reminds us that optimization seldom yields radical innovation. At best, it only maximizes the pre-existing model. It founders because efforts to direct living systems, beyond very general goals, are counterproductive. This seldom conforms to the linear path that we have in mind. This is why the misapplication of linear logic, i.e. re-engineering business processes, will inevitably fail.

The book proposes some guidelines in surfing the edge of chaos by disturbing but not directing the system.

1. Design, don't engineer.

2. Discover, don't presuppose.

3. Amplify, don't dictate.

There are more interesting points in the book. I recommend you to read it.

Biology is destiny for companies, too
Managers should closely watch new discoveries in biology, especially the study of self-organization and emergence, particularly as the old hierarchical model of corporate organization becomes seemingly obsolete. Richard T. Pascale, Mark Millemann and Linda Gioja present case histories showing how corporate leaders executed turnarounds and solved critical problems by tapping the insight and intelligence of their organizations' members. In many cases, however, their success was only partial. It is to the authors' credit that they do not flinch from describing failures, even as they support the approach. They particularly note that stress can have the positive effect of forcing an organization to change its behavior. Though they first published their observations in 2000, some of their insights seem likely to endure the test of time. We recommend this book in confidence that executives can learn from its concepts about how natural systems can inform management.

Shoddy science research
"Businesses...can learn a great deal from nature (p 3)".I wholeheartedly agree, but unfortunately this book does not deliver.

The business research appears well done, but the science reserach that is supposedly it backing up is abysmal.The impression this book has left me is that the writers started with their theories and then handpicked some scientific anecdotes and (sometimes erroneous) generalities to support some of their claims, while other claims (like the Law of Requisite Variety) have no substantiation from the life sciences attempted.This is a backwards approach; I would have liked to see the authors examine the scientific research and then see what the business implications are.

Three examples of erroneous generalities:

1. Endemic island organisms just "tweaking the status quo" (in reality, this is where the greatest diversity happens; its the 'weedy' organisms like starlings and dandelions that adapt by just 'tweaking'). (And I will try to ignore the goof about the dodo being from the South Pacific).

2. The idea that cooperation and altruism are major forces that organisms "seek" (in reality, these have been discovered to be incidental effects).

3.Equating the idea that 'every molecule in the human body replaces itself via genetic instructions' with the idea that 'human and corporate bodies are rejuvenated by fresh and varied genetic material'.Those are two very opposed statements.

There is so much biological research that has major implications for organizational research that is lacking here:Memetics and primate social systems are two in particular.

To conclude:The authors apparently have a poor grasp of the biological sciences, so that means their attempts at backing up their claims with biological reserach is suspect at best. ... Read more

Product 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 (9)

A must read!
This book is wonderful!Every person who can't stand their ex's behaviors should read it.It will give you the tools to help yourself live a better life - by learning to change what you can, finding out how to nudge your ex in the right direction, and recognizing when you simply must accept some things and move on with your life - even if one of those things is that your ex is mentally ill :)

It has an excellent discussion on establishing clear boundaries with your ex, as well as a checklist to determine if something is really your problem - and your responsibility - or an unnecessary burden.I now know from personal experience that you can "teach" your ex to respect boundaries (if you phrase things in the right way).I also know that it is very satisfying to tell your ex that "This isn't my problem, this is your problem, and I will be glad to give you a few suggestions as to how you can fix it, but I can not (and will not) fix it for you".It greatly reduces the passive-aggressive/manipulation/no-win situations that so many of us know and hate.

But this isn't about being a door mat.It is about giving you the information you need to make sure that you are part of the solution and are not inadvertently a part of the problem.Finally, this book makes it clear that if your ex is abusive, then you need to seek assistance with the police and the legal system.

I have been so much more at peace since reading this book.My ex's behaviors are still problematic, but it doesn't bother me as much any more.I know that he is dealing with a mental illness, and I have to be the adult in the situation.He isn't getting the counseling he needs (and denies many of his issues, so that isn't likely to improve), and that means that I must be especially diligent to provide the right example for my kids - by maintaining my integrity and my sanity!This book put me on that path. :)I can't make him a better father, but I can give my kids the skills that they need to cope with the situation.And I can do it in such a way that they can see how to apply the knowledge to many relationships and that does not vilify their father.This book is also about seeing that each parent is responsible for their relationship with their children.I have learned that I must do what I can to keep my relationship with my kids as strong as possible, regardless of their relationship with their father.And in the end, his behavior will be a reflection of him, and my behavior will be a reflection of me, and as the kids grow older, it will become more and more a"parent" as to who is really raising them.;)

This book helped me to see that you have to think long term when it comes to your kids.You have to make sure that their needs are a priority, and even if the gratification is delayed, your efforts will pay off in the end.

The Best Book I Read After My Divorce
I can't possibly recommend this book highly enough!I read a ton of books when I was going through my divorce, and this one was by far the most helpful.I recommend it to everyone I know who is dealing with a difficult ex.It is all about controlling what you can control, and letting go of the rest.If you need help in being the kind of person YOU want to be -- regardless of whatever hurtful, untrue, crazy things the other person is doing -- then get this book!It will not only help you find more peace in the situation, but if you follow the advice your kids will be able to see at least ONE parent acting maturely and in their best interests.

Not for extreme Chaos
This book is for parents with custody communication issues and assumes that people are rational and able to compromise if given the tools to find a resolution.If your case is more of an extreme `Chaos' then this book is not helpful.In my case I wanted to find help in dealing with the ex who lies, creates false evidence, false reporting to police, false child abuse accusations and wants to see me die or go to prison with no visitation rights what so ever and will do anything to see this happen. I can take all the breaths in the world but that won't stop the vindictive ex who has become mentally unstable.
Again, if your case is only communication, this book would be very helpful.
If you are in my shoes, check out Child Custody A to Z winning with evidence and Family Law Examples & Explanations.

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. ... Read more

Product 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 (16)

Fantastic!!! One of the best books on the subject.
My favorite book by the authors. This book delivers exactly what it says. Crucial to understanding the universe we live in on both the scientific and spiritual plains. I tend to lean toward the scientific, but I believe this book achieves that delicate balance needed for the job. A long time fan of "Turbulent mirror", I feel this book takes us to the next level. Buy multiple copies to share it with friends. Very easy to digest, but just enough theory to satisfy the sceptical mind. You will not be disappointed.

How do I apply these lessons to improve my life?
Just wanted to say that this is fascinating reading but I somehow expected that it would be less an explanation of the theory and more as to how one can take these lessons and apply it to one's job, social life, and how to make significant changes in one's everyday experience...in other words, as an engine of change. I am on the second reading and I still don't see how to accomplish this. Interesting reading if all you are looking for is an explanation...to be really specific, this weather guy, Lorenz, who discovered this chaos phenomenon while studying and trying to predict weather patterns , obviously provided the people in his field with lots of things to work on and they continue to apply this theory in their everyday work in trying to improve their predictions and to actually understand the phenomena of weather. I have no idea how to apply this in my life..and perhaps that was not the authors' intention in any case.

A little science and a little religion
A follow up for Peat and Briggs for their "Turbulent Mirror." There are ah-ha! moments in "Seven Life Lessons of Chaos" but too much is speculative.
The one item that did stand out for me was a mention of when a writer allows the characters to take over the book and the characters dictate the plot. It has a semi-Zen like quality to the science, but then that is what Chaos is about.

Chaos Will Not Be Ignored!
When life is pulling you in a certain direction, yield a little to the current.You might be amazed at what you find.The key is, it doesn't pay to fight the universe. Absorb the chaos theory as put forth by this book and it can change your life or, at the very least, your way of thinking.

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

Product Description
Bigger than THE INFINITY GAUNTLET! More cosmic than ANNIHILATION! Since the end of SECRET INVASION, the CHAOS KING has amassed his army of alien slave gods -- and the time to strike Earth is NOW! Only the greatest Marvel heroes can oppose him - all led by the newly-returned god of heroes- HERCULES! But are even his incredible new powers enough to stand against the greatest threat the Marvel Universe has ever seen - a mad god who seeks to destroy Reality itself?

COLLECTING:

Chaos War #1-5

... Read more

Product Description
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 chaos and complexity theory, explains how enormous systems can synchronize themselves, from the electrons in a superconductor to the pacemaker cells in our hearts. He shows that although these phenomena might seem unrelated on the surface, at a deeper level there is a connection, forged by the unifying power of mathematics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (62)

Fascinating subject touching a lot of fields
I am a practising physician and I can say the author is reasonably accurate when he talks about the medical aspect of synchronization (saying that, it is I think an overstatement to say tachycardia can degenerate into lethal arrhythmia called verticular fibrillation - page 210).What is surprising of this book is the breath of fields that it covers: from mathematics, to physics, to chemistry, to biology and then to sociology.I got a clearer idea from this book on the behaviour of bosons than some other books on quantum meachanics.It even teaches me stuffs that I did not know in my field (e.g. the human circadian cycle).

The only thing is that the nature of the subject means that the reader has to concentrate and unite all the themes together his or her own.I feel that the author talks about several rather different types of synchronization and I am not sure whether they can be all unified as a single phenomenon.

In any case, it is a book which is surely informative, fascinating and reasonably accurate.Five stars.

Great book!
This book provides the different perspective from my common life. I have learned a lot and totally agree with some part of this book. However, some part still questionable and overwhelm in his idea. Over all, i love it a lot!!!

Allocate the time to better understand
I was a little disappointed in this book I must admit. I found that it perhaps did not go into the all the aspects I was interested in. I also found that since there were so many theories that the authors use of constant analogies tended to confuse rather than clarify the situation.

However, the book and the topic is still very interesting. I also think that you need to have a grasp of mathematics and physics to get the most from the book. There is however plenty to interest those who want to know more about network theory and how it is evident is so many aspects of our world these days.

This is not a book you can simply read before you go to sleep each night. You need to allocate some time and really spend time understanding what the author is trying to get across if you want to get the most from this book.

Interesting read, but ...
I enjoyed this book.The author does an excellent job of bringing the subject to life, following the history of the research and using clever analogies to gently guide the reader through the significant ideas of sync.Artfully woven in are stories that introduce us to the personalities of those who have made contributions to the field.I often get bored by such biographical details in books, but Strogatz did an excellent job with it -- the book is a surprisingly lively read.You really get from this book a sense of how researchers struggle and collaborate to solve problems in fits and starts, and how exciting it is when those rare breakthroughs are achieved.

So I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes pop science, but there were a couple of things I wish Strogatz had done differently.First, there were many times when, after reading a key paragraph and grokking what it meant, I thought "why didn't he give us a diagram showing ...?"There are a few diagrams in the book, but not many -- perhaps one fifth of what I personally feel was warranted.

The other disappointment -- and in all fairness I have felt this way about many other books as well -- I wish the author had not tried so hard to shield us from the math.I'm pretty sure publishers consider explicit formulas the "kiss of death" for such books, but hey, couldn't you squirrel off in the appendix a section or two about "The Math of Sync" for those who are not allergic?Just a sample -- something to give the idea.As it is, I feel like I got the aroma of the soup but didn't actually get to taste it.

Still, it's a good read, and I congratulate the author.

very poor
very poor written. you finish with a sensation of void. don't aggregate nothing. the book is like an enumeration of anecdotes and things that "sync", but there are no theory nor tesis nor explanation of almost nothing, mere speculation. Thus, just for speculations, i prefer poetry. cheers! ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (19)

Mythology Lover's Dream Come True
The Chaos Triglogy is a wonderfully written book about god and goddess-like beings in the modern age.This isn't Percy Jackson, though!It is written very much for adult reading levels, without being inappropriate for younger readers.The story line, the characters, and the vocabulary may make this book inaccessible to younger readers exploring fantasy novels.However, if you know someone who learned to read because of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, have matured beyond them, and if they have some decent background knowlege of mythology, then this trilogy would be a wonderful next step.

Good reading
OK, let's assume you read the first two books in this trilogy.So here we have the third book.And it is a very, very good book with a pretty satisfying end.And there was a bit of an opening for possible other books in the series, too, so who can ask for more.Well, I guess I can.This book bogged down in ways I usually expect from a middle book in a trilogy.There was endless going on and on re battle scenes, and sometimes, I was actually tempted to just skip ahead.

But, if you can stand endless discussion about how each of the 5 hostages' powers work, and endless permutations of discussions about multidimensions, then you will enjoy this book.Once again, it is a bit R-rated, but that doesn't distract much.

One thing, however, really stood out.The author has an unusually creative imagination, and I can definitely say I'll read his other works.

War epic? Teen sex comedy? Miss Manners for minor gods?
They go to Mars. They go to Hollywood. They fight a zillion-page-long battle with every nasty and annoying thing that the bad guys can throw at them. One of them has a naked encounter with a much-older man who kisses her and makes her feel all warm and tingly. Someone else kisses her and makes her feel all wibbly-wobbly. The end.

What I liked: Some of the gods in Hollywood routine is fun. Also, the end is unsettled, which is fitting -- though perhaps too neat -- for a war between order and chaos.

What annoyed me: First, Wright continues to use his nominally British characters to put down the British and go all gooey over all things American. Definitely unsporting. Second, Wright can't decide whether he's writing a war epic, a teen sex comedy, or a handbook for young lords and ladies on gender-appropriate behavior. His desire to write the latter is the only explanation I have for his constant focus on gender. (Actually, I have another explanation, but I'd rather not go there.) Any time Amelia can choose between calling herself a "girl" or referring to herself in a gender-neutral fashion, she chooses "girl". (E.g., when she changes back from her 4-dimensional winged form into her 3-dimensional form, she never becomes "human", she becomes "a girl".) She constantly refers to the masculine qualities of Quentin and Victor (but rarely Colin), and sometimes to the feminine qualities of Vanity, when any of these could simply be treated as personal qualities. It's like a primer saying "this is what girls should be like, and this is what boys should be like." Blech. And third, we're treated to another sexually charged encounter between the crusty old headmaster and one of his underage charges. Blech.

Recommendation: Read the first novel if you care to. Read this one if you read #1 and #2 and want some closure, but don't expect too much.

Not quite perfectly chaotic...
The title of this book is an apt one, for it is indeed a very chaotic book.The finale of a trilogy, this book tries to wrap things up nicely, but it wasn't as enjoyable a read as the previous two books in the series.As I've mentioned in my reviews for the other Chaos books, the main character's powers are physics-related.Which can at times be very confusing to the casual reader as it sometimes seems as if the author is just making things up in his head.

The parts of the book that weren't smothered in this jargon were very enjoyable and I liked seeing the characters continue to mature, despite the focus being somewhat shifted off of the more familar characters fromt he first two books and onto new characters from mythology.

Oh well.The series as a whole is pretty enjoyable, but this entry had a somewhat weaker resolution than the others.I still deem it worthy a read.Give it a try, you won't know if you like it unless you do.

Classic Mythology reimagined for the 21st century
The final installment continues right were the second novel left off and is by far the most action packed book of the trilogy. Most of the book is dedicated to the all out battle between a couple rogue Olympians and the Children of Chaos. Wright's conclusion to the series is every bit as imaginative, intellectual and funny as the first two parts. The three books comprise one big story that takes place over the course of just a few weeks and will not make sense if read out of sequence. Starting with book one is essential. Repackaging the three books in one volume someday would be ideal. Overall, the series is one of the most original and creative works of sci-fi / fantasy (I can't tell which genera this story falls into) that I've ever read. I greatly enjoyed this series and would highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
Instead of treating art as a unique creation that requires reason and refined taste to appreciate, Elizabeth Grosz argues that art-especially architecture, music, and painting-is born from the disruptive forces of sexual selection. She approaches art as a form of erotic expression connecting sensory richness with primal desire, and in doing so, finds that the meaning of art comes from the intensities and sensations it inspires, not just its intention and aesthetic.By regarding our most cultured human accomplishments as the result of the excessive, nonfunctional forces of sexual attraction and seduction, Grosz encourages us to see art as a kind of bodily enhancement or mode of sensation enabling living bodies to experience and transform the universe. Art can be understood as a way for bodies to augment themselves and their capacity for perception and affection-a way to grow and evolve through sensation. Through this framework, which knits together the theories of Charles Darwin, Henri Bergson, Gilles Deleuze, Felix Guattari, and Jakob von Uexkull, we are able to grasp art's deep animal lineage.Grosz argues that art is not tied to the predictable and known but to new futures not contained in the present.Its animal affiliations ensure that art is intensely political and charged with the creation of new worlds and new forms of living. According to Grosz, art is the way in which life experiments with materiality, or nature, in order to bring about change. ... Read more

Product Description
Palmer's extraordinary knowledge and boundless love of music were evident in all his writing. He was an authority on rock & roll, blues, jazz, punk, avant-garde, and world music -- often discovering new artists and trends years (even decades) before they hit the mainstream. Now, noted music writer Anthony DeCurtis has compiled the best pieces from Palmer's oeuvre and presents them here, in one compelling volume.

A member of the elite group of the defining rock critics who emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, Palmer possessed a vision so complete that, as DeCurtis writes, "it's almost as if, if you read Bob, you didn't need to read anyone else." Blues & Chaos features some of his most memorable pieces, including gripping stories about John Lennon, Led Zeppelin, Moroccan trance music, Miles Davis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Philip Glass, and Muddy Waters.

Wonderfully entertaining, infused with passion, and deeply inspiring, Blues & Chaos is a must for music fans everywhere. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

read this book!
Something that makes Mr. Palmer's writing different from other critics' music writing is that he had deep knowledge of music itself. In this book he discusses blues and rock, but he also discusses jazz (Ornette Coleman, for example) and modern/contemporary classical composers. His musicological knowledge makes his discussions more than subjective statements of what he liked or didn't like in a song or piece of music. Instead, he discusses what experimental musicians (such as Mr. Coleman) or more traditional musicians (such as Muddy Waters) were actually doing musically.

And please don't miss his discussion of Bo Diddley. Mr. Palmer shows how he was a great innovator within particular African American musical and oral traditions, and that he deserves much more acclaim as a blues musician and rock & roll originator.

Finally: This book made me want to go out and get recordings of lots and lots of the music Mr. Palmer liked! So read this book, learn something maybe, and have fun!

GREAT COLLECTION OF WRITING ON MUSIC
Hardcover-432 pages of text.There is an index,and a sixteen page introduction written by Anthony DeCurtis,giving a short look into (the late) Robert Palmer's writing on music.There are no photographs accompanying the text.The various essays/interviews are grouped-such as "Jazz","The Blues","The Originators","Soul and R&B","Classic Rock","World Music","Punk and Beyond",etc.,instead of in chronological order of writing.There are also excerpts from his writings on Morocco and an excerpt from an interview with William Burroughs.

This great collection finally brings together many of Palmer's best writing concerning music and the people who make it,thanks to another noted music writer,Anthony DeCurtis.Palmer is mostly known for his wonderful book,"Deep Blues: A Musical and Cultural History of the Mississippi Delta" (which should be in every blues listeners library),and others such as "The Rolling Stones","Rock and Roll: An Unruly History",and"Baby,That Was Rock and Roll: The Legendary Leiber and Stroller". Palmer wasn't an authority on just one style of music-he seemed to have an innate sense of what makes for good music,no matter what type.While this collection isn't all of his best writing (there is still a great deal of it out there),what this great book does is bring into sharp focus a number of his best pieces,over many years and different musical subjects.Besides the above books,Palmer wrote many reviews/articles for "Rolling Stone Magazine",back when that magazine (and others) was still important musically,and he was the first person to hold the title of chief pop critic for "The New York Times".One other important point-Palmer was himself a musician (I still play his two albums when he was in the band THE INSECT TRUST),which gave him an extra feel and insight into music-making.

What elevated Palmer's writing above most of the others of the time was his obvious enthusiasm for his subjects.No matter what genre of music,if Palmer thought it had value he wrote about it with great insight and excitement.He was widely quoted and looked to for his opinion in many areas of music.His writing brought support to many musicians/bands who sometimes needed a boost into the public eye.Just some of the people/scenes he passionately wrote about included Philip Glass,Steve Reich,THE ROLLING STONES,the punk music scene,Charles Mingus,a number of blues artists,and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND.This book collects all that and much more.His way of drawing readers into his essays/reviews was second to none.At times,in the interviews,you get an almost "you are there" feel from his writing.His essays will make you think.His way of combining entertaining prose with extraordinary knowledge,and an excitement for his subject,made you want to go out and hear all this incredible music that you somehow had missed,or maybe needed to hear again with Palmer's insights.Palmer has the innate knack for both observing and getting to the heart of what music is. His opinions are usually grounded in the historical past-music (whatever genre) is based on something (blues,gospel,etc.) that came before.

His writings will make you stop and think about the music you're listening to.On reading his opinions on rock & roll as opposed to "rock",or the blues,for example,Palmer brings to light ideas and opinions that seem to get inside the very heart of what music was,is,and maybe might become.He uses examples (Springsteen,ROLLING STONES,Presley,for instance) to get his point (s) across as to just what r & r really is.On the subject of jazz innovators/innovation,Palmer argues that (to paraphrase),blacks (as they were known in the 70's),such as Armstrong,Ellington,and Parker for instance,have been the ones who have formulated and pushed every major movement in the genre.And that white musicians,while popular (Keith Jarrett,WEATHER REPORT as examples) have done relatively little,if anything to advance jazz.Palmer writes that it is because black culture is imbued with another form of music,the blues,which has been endemic to their culture for so long,while white jazz players ideas are steeped in European movements.Whether you agree completely or partially,or not at all,Palmer brings up ideas that needed (and still need)to be aired.This is why on reading his essays,you will more than likely come away listening to your favorite music with more insight and appreciation.

With this book listeners of many genres of music can once again,or for the first time (I envy you),revel in Palmer's style of making his subjects and ideas come alive on the page as few writers can.I can vividly remember reading (usually in "Rolling Stone Magazine") his reviews/thoughts on blues (especially)and jazz artists (Sun Ra),and other areas of music I was not,at the time,familiar with (Moroccan trance music for example)),and wanting to go out and purchase the music he so excitedly and passionately wrote about.Now,with this wonderful collection spanning a number of years and several genres,many more music listeners will get the chance to read Palmer's insights into the heart of what makes good music.

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

The business of Burning Man
Great book for a brief history of Burning Man and an explanation of how its organizers and administrators formed, evolved and grew into the well oiled organization it is today. It is all about management but it also explains how it almost disintegrated in the late '90s. Especially good discussion of volunteers - how to attract and maintain them.Parts of it can be a little too academic for we commoners - it is a dissertation after all. ... Read more

Product Description
Candar is being invaded and Lerris must become the greatest wizard of all time-or see his whole world destroyed.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Meh, it's OK
Continues the story of Lerris in Modesitt's usual formulaic style. Not bad, but also not extraordinary.

The Death of Chaos - mini-me "Library Binding"
It would be NICE if Amazon would make it clear that the "Library Binding" and "Hardcover Binding" are NOT EQUIVALENT IN SIZE!The "Library Binding" is nothing more than the mass market paperback binding with a hard cover.

I was very disappointed.

Not Free SF Reader
In this particular world, Chaos and Order are supposed to balance.If there is too large a concentration of one sort of power, either some of it will be waxed, or there will be a rise in the corresponding side.

This makes ultra-powerful Lerris and Justen the Grey running around in exile-land a bit odd.Perhaps that is part of the point.

Don't forget the habits of good woodworkers, either!

Chaos and Order vie for control of this review
Did I mention that L.E. Modesitt Jr. is my hero?So anyway...here I am, reading this absolutely wonderful book, drooling over books to come, and along comes the end.I wasn't happy with the end, but it was done well if I'm forced to be honest.Anyway, here's the good vs. bad points:

Good:
1) More woodworking!Long, detailed and easy-paced sections with Lerris making furnature.Its cool.I've never read a fantasy story like this, where the main character destroys evil on Sunday, and makes a nice furniture set on Monday.And it works.
2) I got to see a number of great characters from previous books all show up.Kinda like when the cast of the Love Boat showed up on Fantasy Island (heh).
3) I love the clever ways Lerris learns to use Order and Chaos.
4) The plotting as to why this latest crisis has come about is realistic (within the bounds of that universe), which is important.

Bad points (my policy is to write something negative in all reviews, however trifling):
1) Not enough woodworking!I'd be happy with an entire book with Lerris making furnature, trying to meet deadlines, getting new commissions, making his "masterpiece", etc.
2) I sort of wish the characters weren't so worried about killing the people who want to kill them.They seem a bit squeemish.I think this is because the alternative is characters with tremendous powers who don't have any obstacles.If you make them worried about the mayhem they create, it limits them, and the story becomes less of a cakewalk for the heros.
3) I didn't find the crisis between Krystal and Lerris to be something I could sympathize with.It seemed geared to making certain things happen later in the story.I could see the strings of the puppeteer.
4) The ending was executed well, no spelling errors or anything, but I wasn't happy with the outcome.

The best book of the series!! (so far)
In the Death of Chaos, the story of Lerris, Justen, Krystal, Tamra and the other exiles of recluce comes full circle.The story line was great, with lots of awesome battle scenes and crazy magic preformed by black, white, and gray wizards.The story culminates with Hamor attacking Candar and Recluce with a massive fleet of battleships and cannon.

Not only the story line makes this the best book in the series thus far.The characters are lovable and believable, while at the same time completely badass.The dialect and the relationships between characters in this book are very well thought out and realistic.The one thing that I thought Modesitt could use a little work on is his obsession with minute details, some of which don't really need to be included.I mean, he kinda turns a long story into an even longer book by included lots of information that isn't really pertinant to the storyline. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Bad Philosophical Work
I will immediately reveal my bias against this book: there is a vast literature that has been developed over the last century on the philosophy of Science, with many insightful contributions from scientists and philosophers alike. Why then is Prigogine and company citing Heidegger in the main? I'm not making the claim that one must be a scientist to be a good philosopher of science (Heidegger was not a scientist), but why the large scale neglect? The result is that the authors' BIG claims about science are not well supported and they carry very little force on their own.

Furthermore, the quality of the writing is poor. A general example of what I find wrong with the writing is this: the authors make many sweeping statements like "science tells us such and such" (page you wonder? Nearly every page). But two scientific theories can be contradictory when taken together -- relativity and quantum mechanics is a well known example of this. So what science tells us in this case is trivial. This is because anything is derivable from a contradiction and a contradiction is the result when we lump all scientic theories together under one general heading "Science." More appropriately, then, we would say "scientific theory A tells us X and scientific theory B tells us Y", etc. When carrying out a technical discussion, such as one about science, sciences, and scientific methodology, there is a demand for discursive precision. This precision is completely lacking here.

Another distinction that is useful -- one never mentioned -- is that science is a normative framework for building theories, not a theory itself that tells us anything about the world. Theories are the deductive structures where we make conclusions, true or false, about some phenomenom. If my analysis of science as a normative framework is not agreeable to the author there are still other distinctions that could be made about science that could clean up the discussion radically. Who cares about the discussion of dynamic systems when the thesis is so problematic? Two stars is generous.

Greater than Newton
Prigogine (and the philosopher and chemist Isabelle Stengers) I met in Order out of Chaos (1984, French original La nouvelle alliance 1979) and later in many other books. About "modern" analytical-reductionist science from the 17th century it is said in the book: "Nature's humiliation is parallell to the glorification of whatever escapes it, God and man" (p. 53 in the Swedish translation from 1984). The depreciation of nature unites science and religion. But life is "the outermost consequence of the occurrence of self-organizing processes, instead of being something outside nature's order" (172). We are the last creation of the nature we learnt to despise. "The classical science", it is said summarizing, "the mythical science about a simple, passive world, belongs to the past, killed not by philosophical criticism or empirical resignation but by the internal development of science itself" (57).
With the help of Prigogine's theory, covering both matter and life, we can overcome the biases of natural science and humanities. For natural science deals with a world without Man, the humanities - and still more "humanism" - with Man without world. The first case can be felt to be poor and inane and the second one to be narrow-minded and anthropocentric. This depends on the fact that in both cases it is a question of abstraction and construction. For the world is one only, it is only we who persist in dividing it into two: Man and Nature, soul and body, mind and matter.
So it becomes urgent to contemplate the relationships between both sides, something I did already in my doctoral dissertation, Landscape and Nature in [Selma Lagerlöf's] Gösta Berling's Saga and the Wonderful Adventures of Nils (in Swedish). That is why it is such a bliss to work and (re)search in the way I do now. And whoever understood how to focus wholeness and process in a great novel and so succeeded to grasp its way of functioning also got prerequisitions to understand big and small systems in the world, from the whirl and the candle light to Earth as a geological-biological organisation. The way of thinking is the same. And evolution runs from matter to man.
Ilya Prigogine (1917-2003) was professor in physical chemistry in Brussels and Austin, Texas. He got the Nobel prize in chemistry in 1977. From an early interest in the humanities he went to a career in natural science, a career that made him the Newton of our time. In contrast to the first Newton, he despises a worldview that does not enclude both Nature and Man (including the scientist himself). And since Prigogine created such a world-view that is adequate and valid, he can be said to be greater than Newton.

A thorough study of the history of quantum physics and an exhaustive description of how order emerges from chaos
Prigogine describes his ideas of how order emerged from a ground of chaos and how the processes of entropy can lead a system open to its environment to evolve greater complexity.He also gives an exposition of the relevance of science to society.Prigogine's Nobel prize-winning models of dissipative structures are difficult to understand but persistent effort will reward the reader.His theories are as applicable to the evolution and expansion of consciousness as to the emergence of life on earth from a relatively simple environment.

A classic on self-organization
This work is one of the classics of the breakthrough period of chaos theory, complex systems, and self-organization theories. Mixing two modes and two cultures it stretches its bow between the nitty-gritty details of dissipative systems, and the history of the relations of the human and natural sciences, from the age of the emergence of thermodynamics to the present. The book has something now routinely filtered from discussion, the early critiques of the Newtonian mindset as it was starting to become dominant. The material on the history of the two cultures would seem to fall on deaf ears these days, and gives the book at depth not often seen in works of this type. Very much worth reading.

Dissipative structures what? Chaos
The whole problem with writing about a book, and especially this one, is that one has to cut a long story short. A story long enough to encompass a fair amount of scientific history - elaborated, if not referenced exhaustively. Not that it is meant to be. Prigogine's journey does not offer to take you by the hand for a guided tour of order, complexity and self-organisation. Rather, it keeps to the spirit of Toffler's introduction, (Was it coincidental that it was the other way round?!) where he talks about the wonderful art of scientific dissection. Order out of chaos, however, is a difficult read for the anyone who has been initiated into the scientific non-fiction. For those who expect the book to be a popular account of concepts in complexity and self-organisation, the intense style and the depth of detail can be exhausting. Like Penrose in the Emperor's New Mind, Prigogine's style is uncompromising.Toffler's introduction is fitting, if only in parts. The book does not offer explanations. Rather, Prigogine prefers to illumate his readers with his keen philosophical bent. It is here that the book triumphs. The effort that has gone into integrating the ideas in the book, the subtle nuances reflecting Prigogine's own views is truly commendable. But then, one should be fairly conversant with the loopholes that science finds itself in. The description of the behaviour of complex systems warrants some mention. The idea of switching between reality and mathematical description does not gel with the rest of the narrative in parts - specially when chemistry is the running example.Well, Prigogine wasn't writing the book with the intention of it being self-contained - and he makes no bones about it. That is the seed of inspiration, I suppose, for any writer, be it for the cause of science or for the sheer love for the written word.Prigogine has shown that philosophy is in some way inseparable from what many consider the scientist's playground. And we are glad that he has shared his views with us. ... Read more

Product Description
The new Templar novel from the USA Today bestselling author

On the morning of October 13, 1307, every Templar knight in France is arrested by the order of King Philip IV, who then seizes all the Order's assets and set the Inquisition against them. Warned of the plot, Sir William St. Clair flees from France with the Temple's treasure, several hundred knights, and the widow Lady Jessica Randolph to seek sanctuary in Scotland. There, with his men deprived of everything they valued and held dear at home, he will lead them into battle as Templar Knights one last time in defiant support of a king who is not their own, but who has earned their trust. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

saved some money
Buying the book on amazon saved me money over buying it new...i am reading the trilogy, so wanted to do that economically, thanks amazon

Boring, pedantic and terminally slow
I don't normally bother to review books but this one has earned a special exemption for being one of the worst reads I've had in a long time. While Order in Chaos starts out promisingly enough with intrigue and suspense, it soon bogs down into micro trivia about the daily lives of Templars, beard lengths, food and the completely manufactured sexual tension between the main character and his "lady". Honestly, this reads more like a cheap romance novel than anything remotely like what it promises in the first few chapters. You keep thinking, something big is going to happen but it never does. Even something like "and they all got killed by lightning" would have been a more satisfactory ending.

The ONLY reason I finished it was because we were on a long trip and I had nothing else to read. Heck, a copy of Vanity Fair would have been better than this drivel. Jack Whyte, you should be ashamed for wasting trees. So many words and so little to say.

Excellent Knightly Adventure Tale,not a history lesson.
Tremendous Templar Adventure! Not written as a History Book., September 6, 2010
ByJacamo Peterson "Blademan" (Reno NV) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Order in Chaos (Templar Trilogy Series #3) (Paperback)
I have now completed two of Bro.? Whytes books, "Knights of the Black and White" and "Order in Chaos".As a student of Templar Lore and things Masonic I often tire of would be historians trying to talk about the Templar Order and what it stood for and how it came to be the power that it was.We do know that it was founded by nine Knights from Provence,so to speak, and that it was most likely the brainchild of Bernard of Clairveaux (St.Bernard)and that, that area was close to the site of the beginings of the Merovingian Dynasty and that they may well have been of Hebrew descent. Now! That being said. I love a good adventure,I always have.I began with Ivanhoe,Tristan and Isolde,Richard the Lionheart and on and on. All of which were based loosely on history. I began reading them at ten years of age. These stories by Jack Whyte are are intended to satisfy the adventure cravings,to spark the imagination and to picque the couriosity.So untill the discovery of the real Templar Treasure and the gnosis which is contained therein. We will just have to live our Knightly adventures vicariously through this type of story telling.I am going to purchase the third book in the certain knowledge that I will enjoy it as much as I do all of Clive Cusslers books. Write on Jack,outstanding job!! Oh yes, before I forget,Sir Henry Sinclair did make a voyage to America in the late twelve hundreds or the early thirteen hundreds accompanied by Knights and a contingent of Pict warriors. They landed in Nova Scotia,lived for a time among the MicMac Indians.To this day he is talked about in legend as "Gulscap" the Warrior from the East. There are still a number of families there that carry the name "Pictou" (ring any bells?)John L.(Jacamo)Peterson Author
Blademaster of Norda
A Hard Place: A Sergeants Tale
Archaeology 501: The Field Trip

Possibly Whyte's Best!
The culmination of the Templar Trilogy doesn't disappoint!There are a few slow parts, but if you've already read the first two (if you haven't, you should) then you know the routine.Lots of cool historical references that make it seem that much more realistic.Just a great book.

A fitting third volume to the trilogy
Jack Whyte is a spell-binding author of compelling historical fiction. I first met him in his Camulod series, then followed the Templar books as they came out. Order in Chaos is the third of the series, and is a fitting third book for a trilogy or for an ongoing series. Jack Whyte performs meticulous historical research, and a student of history would find the stories accurate in their historical detail and with a premise that "fits" the period of which he writes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I had read the first two of the series. While each book is written to be readable as a stand-alone novel, I urge readers to read them in series for the most enjoyment. Jack, you have done it again -- you have written a massive "page turner." ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (12)

Excellent introduction to fractals and power laws
This book is an extraordinarily well written and presented introduction to fractals and power laws. It has a far deeper mathematical level and requires more time and effort to understand than the typical popularizations. I find it specifically well suited for the the mathematically inclined layman and scientists outside mathematics who want to delve deeper into this subject. Note, however, that if you are a hard core mathematician (of the "lemma - proof - corollary" type), you might probably find this book too superficial and light for your taste, so this book is not for you. If you are an Earth, Life or medical scientist, or just a mathematically curious guy, you will find this book interesting and rewarding. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Collection of specific cases
This book explores many cases of self similar structures that give rise to fractals .
It is not mathematically oriented and the few mathematical arguments are easy .
It is full of examples of anecdotical character demonstrating power laws and self similarity (concert halls , music , image treatment etc) .
There are also some nice pictures .
However it is not by any account a book concerning the chaos theory .
As a physicist I have been disappointed .
It is too long to be a book on fractal esthetics and it is too short and too anecdotical to be a book about non linear dynamics .
The only description I can find would be : entertaining mathematical games on the concept of iteration and self similarity .

A Chaotic Heaven


What a head-trip! While the Pearly Gates of Paradise may be more than a few minutes away, you are almost certain to enjoy the journey with this book in hand. I purchased this book from Amazon back in 2002 and apart from the curling cellophane-coated front cover, I have nothing but praise for it. It simply gets better, every single time I read it - not unlike sipping some fine vintage even as it ages.

It must be difficult to write a book on a subject so intrinsically mathematical while retaining a healthy, comprehensible tone with a twist of the ridiculous. Schroeder has an enviable sense of comic timing in addition to his peculiarly personalized insight into the world of Number Theory. It is pretty amazing, considering the broad and variable scope of his exposition that the entire opus did not descend into an inexorable chaotic mess of formulae. He skillfully manages to avoid the quagmire of complexity by properly abbreviating lengthy explanations with diagrams, pretty color prints and even the occasional cartoon aside. This leaves him enough time for the most engaging (not to mention informative) anecdotes which allows him to bring the reader into certain obscure fields of research - bilingual poetry, cheating at roulette and on how to kill Germans with Gift(s) - so to speak.

Do not be fooled by the casual tone of the book because this is anything but a cursory tour. In fact, if this is your first encounter with Chaos and Fractals, it may be better to have more than one supplementary text at hand. (I suggest Peitgen, Jurgens and Saupe's Chaos and Fractals: New Frontiers of Science.) Schroeder's book is written for serious students, who want to see some practical (and sometimes not-so-practical) applications of what were once mere mathematical monstrosities. Neither Weierstrass nor Cantor could have predicted that their little monsters would turn out to dominate the physical world. This book gives you an insightful look at how far non-differentiable functions have come since those early pioneering days.

Go ahead and buy this book. It is what every scientific book should aspire to be - brilliant and funny (exactly in that order!)

Great Math Book
This is a one of the best semi-technical mathematics books I ever read. What I mean by "semi-technical" is, you need somewhat of a math interest and education to appreciate it, and if you have that, you can read it casually. You don't need pen and paper; it's not a textbook. However, occasionally you will want to grab the pen and paper to verify what the author writes.
For an ex-math person as myself, this book is an eye-opener as to how many areas of life are touched byfractals and chaos theory. Everything from nature, to economic markets, to music, to just plain theoretical stuff is mentioned here. And the writer delivers it in a well-organized, lucid, entertaining, and passionate fashion. And it is well-illustrated, which really helped me understand....
I'm on my 3rd reading of this book since 1992, and if I wear out the book, I'm buying another one! I rank this up there with "Prime Obsession" as the two best non-textbook math books I ever read.

For the uninitiated!.--Fun too!
For the uninitiated! --The author combines insight with story telling. He has a story to tell, and does it well! Not only does he know the theory inside out, he has the ability to get accross the central points so it (almost) seems easy, in any case entertaining, using pictures (including cartoons), humor, and equations when they are needed. He further make clear the many fascinating links between chaos theory, algorithms, technology, and areas of pure math, such as number theory. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
For almost 15 years chaos and fractals have been riding a wave that has enveloped many areas of mathematics and the natural sciences in its power, creativity and expanse. Traveling far beyond the traditional bounds of mathematics and science to the distant shores of popular culture, this wave captures the attention and enthusiasm of a worldwide audience. The fourteen chapters of this book cover the central ideas and concepts of chaos and fractals as well as many related topics including: the Mandelbrot Set, Julia Sets, Cellulair Automata, L- systems, Percolation and Strange Attractors. Each chapter is closed by a "Program of the Chapter" which provides computer code for a central experiment. Two appendices complement the book. The first, by Yuval Fisher, discusses the details and ideas of fractal images and compression; the second, by Carl J.G. Evertsz and Benoit Mandelbrot, introduces the foundations and implications of multifractals.Amazon.com Review
Fascinating and authoritative, Chaos and Fractals: NewFrontiers of Science is a truly remarkable book that documentsrecent discoveries in chaos theory with plenty of mathematical detail,but without alienating the general reader. In all, this text offers anextremely rich and engaging tour of this quite revolutionary branch ofmathematical research.

The most appealing aspect about Chaos andFractals has to be its hundreds of images and graphics (withdozens in full-color) used to illustrate key concepts. Even themath-averse reader should be able to follow the basic presentation ofchaos and fractals here. Since fractals often mimic natural shapessuch as mountains, plants, and other biological forms, they lendthemselves especially well to visual representation.

Early chaptershere document the mathematical oddities (or "monsters") such as theSierpinski Gasket and the Koch Curve, which laid the groundwork forlater discoveries in fractals. The book does a fine job of placingrecent discoveries about chaos into a tradition of earliermathematical research. Its description of the work of mathematicianslike Pascal, Kepler, Poincaré, Sierpinski, Koch, and Mandelbrotmakes for a fine read, a detective story that ends with the discoveryof order in chaos. (For programmers, the authors provide shortalgorithms and BASIC code, which lets you try out plotting variousfractals on your own.)

This is not, however, only a book of prettypictures. For the reader who needs the mathematics behind chaostheory, the authors in no way dumb down the details. (But because thericher mathematical material is set off from the main text, thegeneral reader can still make headway without getting lost.)

Therehave been advances in the field since this book's publication in 1992,but Chaos and Fractals remains an authoritative generalreference on chaos theory and fractals. A must for math students (andmath enthusiasts), Chaos and Fractals also deserves a place onthe bookshelf of any general reader or programmer who wants tounderstand how today's mathematicians and scientists make sense of ourworld using chaos theory. --Richard Dragan

Topicscovered: Overview of fractals and chaos theory, feedback andmultiple reduction copy machines (MRCMs), the Cantor Set, theSierpinski Gasket and Carpet, the Pascal Triangle, the Koch Curve,Julia Sets, similarity, measuring fractal curves, fractal dimensions,transformations and contraction mapping, image compression, chaosgames, fractals and nature, L-systems, cellular automata basics,attractors and strange attractors, Henon's Attractor, Rössler andLorenz Attractors, randomness in fractals, the Brownian motion,fractal landscapes, sensitivity and periodic points, complexarithmetic basics, the Mandelbrot Set, and multifractal measures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

This book is a dream come true.
This book is a dream come true.
No other publication comes close to such complete coverage of the subject.
It is highly readable even for a novice like myself.
It has been a great joy to me.
Many thanks to the authors for doing such a great job.

It's all true: Best single source on fractals-but get the 1st ed.
Thanks to S.J. Will for the tip: Get the FIRST edition (used), as I did and save more than half the price, even of a used copy of this newer edition. Can't compare the two (having not seen the new one) but I can say the color images are very sharp in the older book. As far as content, I too have looked at and bought several books trying to understand fractals. (I am not math-literate, beyond high school algebra.) I found this book most helpful, but NOT easy for the general reader, beyond the first few, introductory pages. As other reviewers have noted, most of it is WAYYYY over the head of anyone who's not a college math major, but skipping through the examples and exercises (some of which are very rewarding if you can stay with it), I found the general explanations, the excitement of the authors, the broader significance of fractals all to be well-worth the price. -- And hey: at over 900 pages ( ! ) and with FORTY color plates, this book is an astounding bargain. Strongly recommended, even for novices.

"The Colors of Infinity," based on the video documentary by Arthur C. Clarke is a good introduction to fractals. An enjoyable DVD is included of the original TV program, especially if you learn better by watching and listening. The accompanying animated fractals are fascinating, but frustratingly poor resolution. For a more philosophical approach to fractals, I highly recommend "Heaven's Fractal Net" by William Jackson.

Compare the editions
I found the 1992 edition of this book at my local public library, and was (like all the other reviewers here) very impressed at the quality. The book deals with a highly technical subject, but does it in a way that you can follow even if you don't have advanced math training. The numerous color plates were also very beautiful. And to top it all off, there were "do it yourself" exercises at the end of the chapters, showing you how to program your computer to run these figures! OK, they use the old BASIC language, but still the code is clear enough that you can follow it and see what's really going on with these equations.

So I was so pleased to see a copy of the updated edition at a bookstore. In particular, I was eager to see if they'd updated those "do it yourself" exercises for use with EXCEL. However, as I read through it I was disappointed to notice two changes from the previous edition: first, all of the programming examples had been eliminated; second, the print quality of the color plates was noticeably poorer. And I didn't see much new material added - in fact one of the reviews above observes that the text itself is virtually unchanged. Considering the steep price of this tome, these were significant points to consider. Used copies of the old edition cost under 20 bucks, and IMHO are a better deal (I ended up buying one). So if you're ready to buy, just do yourself (and your wallet) a favor and compare the two editions first.

Excellent tutorial on nonlinearity
At least 50% of this book can be well understood by any 1st year, exact science student. There are a couple of mathematical issues that are more senior-like, but never mind. With the appropriate teaching or guidance, a lot of practical, advanced tasks can be tackled down.I could use this book all along for giving examples for college (university), undergraduate students of almost every mathematical subject: numerical analysis, calculus, linear algebra, group theory, algorithm theory, visualization in 2 and 3 dimensions, topology...you name it, after reading this book. No fuzzy theory or wavelets or any other advanced statistical method for dynamical systems is formally mentioned, though. However the concept of measure is very well introduced and described with examples. For physics is not bad for dynamical systems theory. Although no Hamiltonian or Lagrangian formalism is mentioned, the description on how to obtain Lyapunov exponents out of a set of differential equations is very good. Engineers get their share too: useful examples are given about, e.g., feedback and control theory (mind you, it is not a book specialized in, say, robotic control using chaos theory, but it is a good start). For philosophers and the layman there are quite a few pages as well. The foreword from Mitchel Feigenbaum, just to give an example, tells us a kind of summary which "warms up" the reader and "exorcises away" the possible fantasies an unprepared reader could have regarding (or against or in favor of) the word "chaos". Nice color plates for those with artistic inclinations and the graphics are just so very well printed, you can practically "follow" their computation. Not a bad book at all for your personal (or institutional) library, I may say.

A good introduction
Chaos as a physical theory began essentially in the 1970's, but as a mathematical field it has existed since the early 1900's. This book covers only the mathematical study of chaos, and is addressed to those readers who have a fairly strong background in undergraduate mathematics. A knowledge of dynamical systems and measure theory would help in the appreciation of the book, but are not absolutely necessary. The application of fractals and chaos to finance is now legendary, but other applications, such as to packet networks and surface physics are not so well-known. Current research in chaos is done predominantly in the context of information theory, wherein the goal is to understand the difference between chaos and noise, and develop mathematical tools to quantify this difference. The BASIC code in the book gives away its age, but can be easily translated to one of the symbolic computing languages available now, such as Maple or Mathematica.

This is a sizable book, and space prohibits a detailed review, but some of the more interesting discussions in it include: 1. The video feedback experiment, which can be done with only a video camera and a TV set. This is always a crowd pleaser, at whatever level of the audience it is presented to. 2. The comparison between doing iteration of a chaotic map on two different calculating machines: a CASIO and an HP. The difference is very dramatic, illustrating the effect of finite accuracy arithmetic. 3. The pictures illustrating the Chinese arithmetic triangle and Pascal's triangle as it appeared in Japan in 1781. 4. The space-filling curve and its relation to the problem of defining dimension from a topological standpoint. This discussion motivates the idea of covering dimension, which the authors overview with great clarity. They also give a rigorous definition of the Hausdorff dimension and discuss its differences with the box counting dimension. 5. The many excellent color plates in the book, especially the one illustrating a cast of the venous and arterial system of a child's kidney. 6. The difficulty in measuring power laws in practice. 7. Image encoding using iterated function systems, which has become very important recently in satellite image analysis. This leads into a discussion of the Hausdorff distance, which is of enormous importance not only in the study of fractals but also in general topology: the famous hyperspaces of closed sets in a metric space. 8. The relation between chaos and randomness, discussed by the authors in the context of the "chaos game." 9. L-systems, which are motivated with a model of cell division. 10. the number theory behind Pascal's triangle. 11. The simulation of Brownian motion. 12. The Lyapunov exponent for smooth transformations. 13. The property of ergodicity and mixing for transformations, the authors pointing out that true ergodic behavior cannot be obtained in a computer where only a a finite collection of numbers is representable. 13. The concept of topological conjugacy. 14. The existence of homoclinic points in a dynamical system. These are very important in physical applications of chaos. 15. The Rossler attractor and its pictorial representation. 16. How to calculate the dimensions of strange attractors. 17. How to calculate Lyapunov exponents from time series, which is of great interest in many different applications, especially finance. 18. The Julia set, which the authors relate eventually to potential theory. ... Read more

Product Description

"Jean-Claude Izzo's . . . growing literary renown and huge sales are leading to a recognizable new trend in continental fiction: the rise of the sophisticated Mediterranean thriller. . . . Caught between pride and crime, racism and fraternity, tragedy and light, messy urbanization and generous beauty, the city for [detective Fabio Montale] is a Utopia, an ultimate port of call for exiles. There, he is torn between fatalism and revolt, despair and sensualism."-The Economist

This first installment in the legendary Marseilles Trilogy sees Fabio Montale turning his back on a police force marred by corruption and racism and taking the fight against the mafia into his own hands.

Jean-Claude Izzo achieved astoundingly rapid success with his Marseilles Trilogy. He died in Marseilles in 2000 at the age of 55.

Customer Reviews (11)

A taste of gritty Marseilles
Jean-Claude Izzo's France, in his acclaimed Marseilles Trilogy, lies so far off the tourist track you might think you're in the Bronx or Detroit. Here, in these noir mysteries, you'll not visit noted museums or bucolic vineyards, but high-rise public housing in North Marseilles riddled by gang violence, drugs, and alienation, with a rap music soundtrack and corrupt, racist cops.

North African and Arab émigrés reside there now, replacing the previous generation of Italians. Like the family of Fabio Montale. A violent street thug turned violent yet compassionate cop. A man who loves his Marseilles, its cuisines, its wines and its women--as well as justice. Even if he has to mete it out himself because he can't trust his colleagues or the system to do it.

Montale's the creation of Jean-Claude Izzo, who penned the Marseilles Trilogy--Total Chaos, Chourmo, and Solea--in the 1990s, then died in 2000 at age 55. Pity. For whatever his novels lack in sophisticated craft (his frequent flashbacks can confuse the reader; his staccato prose at times seems affected), they make up for in Mediterranean flavor, a gritty weltanschauung and a compelling sensuality.

Montale the working-class sybarite is forever digging into sardines, anchovies, grilled fish, garlic, olives, bread, tomatoes, salt cod, and bouillabaisse, and washing it all down with copious amounts of wine, pastis, and brandy. He's listening to music--Arab, Italian, French, American. He's savoring the sea and the bluff-like calanques from his small fishing boat, launched from his shack just south of Marseilles. He's appreciating women--all races and ages.

However, his embrace of the physical world seems but a valiant yet vain effort to refute death and loss, which forever haunts him and threatens to engulf him: lost love, lost family, lost friends. Also the loss of his beloved Marseilles as he once knew it, to self-serving developers and corrupt politicians, to fanatical Islamists and the National Front, to the Mob and modernity. No wonder he drinks so much.

Like the Arabs in the projects, Fabio Montale searches for social identity. An ethnic Italian ostracized in his youth by the larger French society, at loggerheads with many of his fellow cops, and wrestling with his own conflicted desires, he seeks something solid to anchor him. The best he can do is return to his rustic home, inherited from his parents, and Marseilles cuisine for sanctuary. But that temporary respite does little to assuage Montale the cynic, who in the end holds little hope for himself or his benighted species.

But for the reader Montale holds great promise, and is as far from Miss Marple as a sleuth can likely get. Not squeamish about using lies, violence, or his sexuality to get what he needs to solve his case or exact vengeance, Montale comes as a dark knight errant, fighting the world, city hall and himself. The fact that these battles won't be won doesn't detract from the somber pleasure the reader takes in tagging along on his quixotic quests.

For all his flaws and toughness, Montale remains soft at his core, sensitive, emotionally crippled, alone. Those who have yet to meet Fabio Montale and travel with him through his fading, ancient, and beloved port city, have a grand tour waiting. And, ultimately, it may make you appreciate the Louvre and peaceful Bordeaux vineyards more than ever.

Dark, Desperate, Depressing - What's Not To Love?
I was looking for a new series to read after workimng my way through the Donna Leon / Commissario Brunetti books. The owner of Partners and Crime in NYC recommended Izzo's short series because, he said, it had crisp writing (true) and a strong sense of place (also true). The plot, such as it is, revolves around family, honor, revenge, race and love (or lust). As Fabio Montale - a model French anti-hero - staggers from scene to scene, made crazy by drink, the heat, lack of sleep and desperation, we see the filthy underbelly of France's racial politics. People love and hate, live and die for nothing more complex than the color of someone's skin or a few words on a passport. In Marseilles, we learn, many of the police are to be feared as much as the bad actors. Not exactly a picture the local chamber of commerce would appreciate but the dark writing, intense detail and passion shown by Montale for his friends and his sense of honor makes, for me, an interesting read.

I will probably read the next two books in the series, the writing is that good. But fair warning, this is not an uplifting novel. The depths of humanity - abuse of drugs, sex, alcohol - are all on display and in lurid detail. if you can can find enjoyment in that kind of tale, read on. Otherwise, look else where.

The ties that bind
Fabio Montale, the protagonist/narrator of this murder mystery cum love story, is a cop in the French port city of Marseille.Son of Italian immigrants, he had a chequered career with the military that landed him eventually the job of neighbourhood cop.Not any neighbourhood, mind you, but the Arab ghetto, the centre of the city's large underbelly.The recent murders of his closest friends challenge his soft mediator mentality and revenge is increasingly on his mind.Jean-Claude Izzo, a native of Marseille himself, has created a memorable portrait of the city, torn between beauty and opportunity on the one hand and racism, corruption and violence on the other.TOTAL CHAOS is the first volume of a trilogy, a very promising opening for the whole series.

In his youth Fabio had been hanging out with a crowd on the wrong side of the law, gang related petty mostly.While he straightened out later on, his close friends, Manu and Ugo continued in the same vein. With no education to speak of both wanted to strike it rich through strengthening their ties to the underworld.Complicating their relationship was the love for the same woman. While he was the more distant admirer in the past, now that Fabio is the only one left, his need, strong desperate need, for Lole is stronger than ever.But she is not where she is supposed to be.Two other women complicate his life as well, his on and off lover, a high class hooker, and his young protégé friend Leila.Love and urge for physical intimacy are often on Fabio's mind as he wanders the intricate network of Marseille streets, but there is much else that keeps the reader gripped by the story. Sections of introvert musings, alternate with fast action. The familiarity of Marseille and the complex reality of this port city that is seething with racial and social conflicts and challenges speaks out of every page.

Jean-Claude Izzo who died in 2000 at age 55, leaves a short yet lasting body of intriguing and well written stories behind. On to volume two... [Friederike Knabe]

Marseilles Noir
Jean-Claude Izzo's Spartan writing hits the perfect pitch in this classic hardboiled detective story. The first volume of the Marseilles Trilogy, "Total Chaos" introduces Fabio Montale, a disillusioned cop attempting to resolve the murders of his boyhood chums, Ugo and Manu. By a quirk of fate Fabio became a cop while his pals followed a path of crime that led to their deaths.

Along the way the reader gets an account of these sons of Italian immigrants growing up on the hard streets of Marseilles's seedier neighborhoods where they knew "their bodies and clothes smelled of mildew ... But they didn't give a damn. They loved life. They were good looking. And they knew how to fight."

But that was the past. Not only are Ugo and Manu gone, but Fabio must face a lost love, Lole, and investigate the brutal rape and murder of Leila, the daughter of a good friend. Feeling like an exile, Fabio haunts the city -- "In which dawn is merely an illusion that the world is beautiful." -- eating, drinking, having his way with beautiful women, spurning deep relationships, and occasionally escaping for some fishing in the Mediterranean.

Through Fabio's eyes, Izzo paints a sentimental portrait of the city in all its beauty and brutality. His portrayal of Marseilles's seaport, neighborhoods, food, music, politics, and racial tensions raise this novel above the classic hardboiled crime story.

Gritty portrait of Marseilles--French noir
"Total Chaos" will satisfy most mystery readers and probably seriously please any francophile or Marseilles-phile.First and foremost, the book is a biography of the city of Marseilles, with its history, geography, demography and cuisine front and center.Imposed on this intensely interesting backdrop is a very dark crime/police procedural that takes the reader through a labyrinth of relationships and characters before arriving at a very creative ending.Love, lust, betrayal and hatred are part of the story's mix, and all in abundance.There is an appropriately cynical antagonist in Fabio Montale, a cop with scruples who is bent on revenging the deaths of two childhood friends.

A secondary, but very important part of the novel, is author Jean-Claude Izzo's sympathetic presentation of Marseilles' underclass communities and their limited prospects in life.His descriptions of the housing projects where the city's poor lived in the 1980s are pretty much in sync with what we were reading about the same places and people in the past couple of years.Not many changes have been made in the interim.

This is a first rate book that should appeal to a lot of readers.Marseilles has not been so endearingly and accurately described since M.F.K. Fisher's memoir, "Two Towns in Provence." ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (14)

What a ride!
When I finished the first book, Orphans of Chaos, yesterday, I could hardly wait to start reading this second book in the series.I just completed this highly readable adventure!We find the "orphans" back at school, still determined to escape.Obviously, from the title, they do so.But what happens, and how it happens makes such a good story that I am just blown away!

We continue to learn more about the characters, and they finally seem to notice what was clear to the reader in the first book!Our sympathies lie with the orphans, but if their side "wins" all of humanity will be destroyed!What to do!!So this problem is explored more.And we also learn more about what powers the kids have, and poor Grendel Glum continues his R-rated quest for Amelia.

I hope everyone who enjoys a good fantasy reads these books and finds them as entertaining as I do!

An OK follow-up to ORPHANS OF CHAOS
In FUGITIVES OF CHAOS, the five godlike teenage hostages introduced in ORPHANS OF CHAOS once again elude their captors, and this time it looks like they might be successful. Spunky and (as everyone keeps telling her) sexy Amelia remains the first person narrator. Tension builds during the early part of the book, as she carefully plots her escape, all the while observing and deceiving the schoolmasters. Unfortunately, Wright has difficulty maintaining focus once the orphans are free, and particularly after Amelia survives another kidnapping attempt by the monster Grendel. They go shopping in Paris, they tool around in Vanity's magic boat, they take a cruise on the QEII, they philosophize, they banter, they flirt, ... and they nearly get eaten by an angry sea monster. Some of this is interesting, some of it is filler, and all of it says "be sure to buy book #3!"

As with Wright's earlier work, this book is at many points amusing and (in a positive way) provocative. I also found the sexual content in this volume less objectionable than that in the first, mainly because the pedophilic and sadomasochistic elements are much less present. Yes, Amelia and Vanity do a striptease dance for Colin and yes, the sexual banter that was so prevalent in ORPHANS remains. Still, the sleaze factor in FUGITIVES is a notch or two below that in ORPHANS. Also, unlike some of the other reviewers, I was generally impressed with Wright's discussion of the contrasting paradigms of the teens and their Olympian adversaries. His command of classical mythology, philosophy, and physics/cosmology is good enough seem plausible to a lay reader like me.

Recommendation: You can probably follow this book without reading #1, but you shouldn't try. If, however, you read the first book and found it half-way enjoyable, you might as well pick up #2.

P.S. The cover artist would have you believe that Colin gets his guitar in this book, but that actually happens in TITANS OF CHAOS.

The second in a series...
After reading John C. Wright's first "Chaos" installment, I was impressed enough to check out the second part - Fugitives of Chaos. It was definitely worth it. While it took a while for me to get into the first book, I realize now that the characters and their motivations had to be fleshed out enough so you could somehow empathize with these otherworldy children. I'm glad Wright took the time, because I really enjoyed watching as the five main characters continued to mature over the course of this book. Actually, saying they were forced to mature is more appropos in this instance I think.

While the multiple names are still at times a bit confusing, there is a handy name reference chart in the front of the book (something that would have really helped with the first novel, though I completely understand its omission). And the fact that Wright has crafted characters you care more and more about as the story progresses really helps.

Another thing that I really liked is Wright's clever use of well-established myths and legends. He doesn't hit you over head with them, but for those familiar with them, a smile is sure to grow when you read their names. And if you found Beowulf a tiring introduction to Epics (not that I ever did), you're apt to find an new appreciation for that classic tale. I want to see what else Wright has up his sleeve, so I've short-tracked the final book in the series to the upper levels of my reading pile. Besides, with a cliffhanger ending like this book had, I have to know how the story ends!

Do not read until you've read Book One
Book two of the Chronicles of Chaos, Fugitives of Chaos, begins moments after the first book ends and continues the story of five boarding school students trying to discover who they are and which universe they inhabit. I've already reviewed book one, Orphans of Chaos, and this book continues the same themes and is every bit as enjoyable. The main characters make further progress in their quest for escape, going from orphans to fugitives from their Olympus overlords in the process. Along the way they continue to discover and explore their inner latent power as well as their budding sexuality. The second book is as meaty with mythology and science as the first installment, going even further to flesh out how the two are related and intertwined. I'm greatly looking forward to the third and final book of the series, Titans of Chaos.

Choas ontinues...and amazingly so!
Wright is an amazing writer. Period. You cannot pick up any of his books without realizing so - usually shortly after the realization that you have been completely swept away with the story he has woven.Fugitives of Chaos is nothing less than another brilliant work - but it should only be read in the context of Orphans of Chaos and Titans of Chaos (The Chronicles of Chaos), because the trilogy of books forms one complete story, each picking up almost exactly where the previous book left off.

Fugitives of Chaos picks up within a few days of the (seeming) defeat of the chaotist team of orphans/children. Amelia retains more of their escape attempt than the others, but Quinten, Colin, Vanity and Victor have all had their memories hidden from them. But even as forces known to them work to keep them captive, other forces, also unknown scheme for their freedom at the same time as others plot their utter destruction.

This is not a book which just moves a story from point A to point B. The narrative which unravels within more than doubles the stakes revealed in the first portion of the trilogy. The cosmos itself is at stake, and the freedom the children desire and strive for will be the very thing which destroys all they know and love.

If you are a fan of any level of fantasy or even of science fiction, this is a must-read. One could take a fraction of Wright's vision for this book and create an entire series from the potentials therein. Just stop wondering about it and grab yourself a copy!

... Read more

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Customer Reviews (15)

Hack and slash
Traditional hack and slash ( sword & sorcerer sub-genre), lots of characters, standard fantasy world map.Author obviously experienced, good writing, fast pace, original social ideologies, some nice twist on the magic in this world, I enjoyed it, but I have a very soft spot for this sub-genre

Duncan shows off his gift for fantasy in the first of the Dodec duology
Duncan takes a well worn formula, and adds a few twists and his own deft touch on characters in Children of Chaos, the first of the two Dodec fantasy novels.

The medieval fantasy world Dodecians believe they live on a twelve sided world (a note in the novel suggests that the truth will be revealed in the sequel and is more complex than this). This twelve sided fantasy world is looked over by 12very active Gods (and one Anti-God), and boasts a variety of societies, one on each of the faces of the world.

As the action begins, the Florengian face has been overrun by the warriors from the neighboring Vigelian face, who have united their usually fractious society with the promise of conquest of another face of the world.To ensure the safety of the city of Celebre, four young hostages are taken from the family of the Doge, and brought to the Vigelian face and split apart.

Fifteen years later, with varying degrees of knowledge of their origins and heritage, these hostages are coming of age, drawing close to one of the Gods, and slowly discovering each other.In the midst of this and their own predicaments, the tenuous political peace on the Vigelian face brought by the promise of outside conquest is breaking down.It seems that the Celebres are destined to live in interesting times.

Thus is the story of Bernard, Orland, and Frena, mixed up with their relationships with their Gods, peers and each other unfolds. Duncan once again shows that he understands characters (and even female characters) very well. The characters are believable, sympathetic, and none of them are false one-note cardboard cutouts. There is an interesting theology and magic system (unique, although this sort of thing is common in Duncan's work), and I want to know more about the world beyond the two Faces that we see.

There is a sequel, Mother of Lies, that I do plan on getting and reading.I do appreciate that Duncan keeps his fantasy series to two or three at a maximum, rather than making them impenetrably interminable. In the meantime, I commend this volume to you.

Interesting characters in an interesting world
Fifteen years ago, the four children of the doge of Celebre were taken hostage by the invading army of a foreign bloodlord in order to insure their father's cooperation with the bloodlord's political aims. The children were sent over the edge of the world, into the homeland of the invaders, where they were separated and given into the care of foster families. Now, as the tides of war begin to change, the children - now grown - are reunited, and their aim is to overthrow the dynasty of the bloodlord who invaded their homeland and ripped apart their family.

Overall, the story is engaging and entertaining. The world-building is quite good, and the characters are interesting. And for most of the book there is enough tension and mystery to move the plot along.

However, there also were some parts of this book that were tedious to read, and which the story would have been just as good (or better!) without. For example, Benard's fascination with the Nymph was silly and overly long, and his willingness to use her in a repulsive scheme was troublesome. Also, in the last segment of the book, the movement of the story slows to a crawl as the Celebre children spend more time than necessary discussing their past, their present situation, and so on. I could have done with less of this, and more story action. For this, I'm deducting one star.

But in spite of this, my interest in knowing how the Celebre children would ultimately fare was strong enough for me to want to immediately begin reading the second book in this series.

Doing it right
Dave Duncan's "Children of Chaos" continues his superb ride into what might be considered "hard" fantasy.
It struck me at first some way into the book.The limiting factor in getting Werists--don't ask--to the distant theater of war was the ability to preposition supplies at various depots along their way.It would take several caravans to prepare the depots for the next war party.
There's an old military saying to the point that amateurs talk tactics and professionals talk logistics.Duncan gets this.But the larger point is that his worlds, which he invents, have laws and, absent notice to the contrary, they're the same as ours.And Duncan lives by them, as well.
Decades ago, in "Bored of The Rings", Harvard Lampoon mentioned the one real clanger in Tolkien's work.When the Company was rescued from a mountain top by the Great Eagles, "Bored" referred to the event as being catered by "Deus ex Machina Airlines".
Duncan's people do not get themselves out of a plot blind alley by finding in their hip pocket a secret decoder ring--or other unmentioned superduper power--to rescue themselves.
In hard sci-fi, the convoy problem would be solved by gravsleds and in inferior fantasy by platforms in which the earth and air elementals are in balance so it floats without effort.
It is said that playwrites believe that if you're going to shoot somebody in the third act, show the gun in the first act. If you're going to show the gun in the first act, shoot somebody in the third act.To do otherwise is to cheat one's audience.
Duncan does not cheat.
His story begins with the monarch of a city state swapping his children for a promise that the city would be spared a sack by raiders.It's bad enough to contemplate this without recalling that such things have happened to real people with consequences to the hostages too terrible to contemplate.
Duncan, like most fantasy writers, places his stories in some version of Earth's pre-gunpowder era.That means wandering armies of raiders, mercenaries, citystates without adequate means of protection, and the most barbarous, ruthless activities taken as normal.Lots of room for adventure, which is frequently defined as somebody else in trouble.
Duncan's three "children" grow up in what amounts to enemy control, know nothing of their origin, and, in this first book, eventually find themselves and each other.Redressing the initial offense will be the subject of the next book.
In their travails, they encounter various occult or unworldly powers, all of which are kept within their limits.
Each major character is a person. Duncan does not lard his tales with pages of history, politics, or geography.He keeps his backstory to himself, painting the scene with deft, minimal brush strokes, but making the world clear and vital.
If he has one character explaining the situation to another character as a way of informing the reader, it is not obvious.
His Blade series provides room for dozens of interesting characters, each a memorable individual.
And he sees people.
One of the children, at the time of the story a teenager, is riding in a chariot with her body guard, wondering if the bouncing of the chariot is entirely reponsible for how it throws the guard against her.It makes you think a girl might wonder about that, and makes you think just how much you, if you're a guy, could excuse as chariot bouncing, were you in the situation.
One of the characters finds himself in trouble but saved by the personal loyalty of the members of his class of initiates of which he was the trainee leader.He thinks about the morality of leading their survivors in his private war. Welcome to being a second lieutenant, kid.
Unlike other authors who release titles in rapid succession, Duncan's books do not even hint at formula or repetition.
Children of Chaos is a terrific read, and so are his other works.

The Face of Weru
Children of Chaos (2006) is the first fantasy novel in the Dodec duology.On a world shaped like a die with twelve faces, the followers of Weru -- god of storm and battle -- leave the Vigaelian face and invade the Florenbian face.Piero -- the doge of Celebre -- sends his militia to fight the invaders and the Werists destroy them.Stralg -- Fist of Weru -- demands hostages from Piero and takes Piero's wife and all four children.

In this novel, Dantio Celebre is the eldest, at eleven years, and is taken to Skjar.He keeps running away and is repeatedly punished by Saltaja Hragsdor. Eventually he dies of his wounds.

Benard Celebre is the second eldest, at eight years, and is taken to Kosord.There he is raised by Horold Hargson and his wife Ingeld Narsdor.He has become a master artist, probably the best in Vigaelia.He is also a Hand of Anziel -- goddess of beauty -- and has had many gifts bestowed upon him.Now he has been commissioned to provide statuary of the gods for the new Pantheon.

Orlando Celebre -- under the name Orlad Orladson -- is the third son, at three years, and is taken to Tryfors.There he is raised by Therek Hargson and eventually becomes a Werist novice.He is unaware of his true ancestry.

Fabia Celebre -- under the name Frena Wigson -- is the only daughter and the youngest child -- a babe in arms -- at the time that she is taken hostage.She is given to Paola Apicella to nurse.Then Horth Wigson marries Paola and adopts Fabia.She is unaware of her true ancestry.

In this story, Benard inadvertently has a fight with Cutrath Horoldson and wins.Of course, Cutrath is drunk at the time, but so was Benard.Benard gains a hearing before Horold Hargson -- Cutrath's father -- and Horold unfortunately asks who won.The seer attending Horold tells him that Benard had won.

Poor Cutrath is thoroughly blasted and Horold provides Benard with his protection and a gold band.Benard knows that Horold and Cutrath are very upset with him, but he has other things to think about.For example, he needs to work on his statues.

Fabia is also having problems with Cutrath.Saltaja knows that Piero has become very ill and may die at any time.Stralg is losing the war in Florenbia and is falling back to Celebre, where it all started.Saltaja decides that Fabia would be a good puppet ruler in Celebre, but first she needs to be married to the right person.Saltaja selects Cutrath to be her husband.

Orlando passes his Attendance ritual in Nardalborg, scoring higher than any other novice.Hostleader Gzurg pronounces him as First.Now he is runtleader over his fellow cadets.Certainly is better that getting abuse from the Warriors and the other kids.Naturally, he plans on passing the initiation in record time.

The seers are also having a crisis.Stralg threatened to torture and kill all the seers if they didn't do his will.The Eldest compromised, but now she has died.The majority of the seers were hoping for a change in policy, but the Eldest named a conservative as her successor.Now there is a revolt among the seers against providing further assistance to the Werist leaders.

This story tells of events in Vigaelia from Skjar to Nardalborg.The hostages had been protected, but now the crisis in Celebre has moved Saltaja into sending Fabia to rule the city.Naturally, she decides to eliminate the boys to avoid any rival claimants to the throne.

The hostage children gather to discuss their actions, but Orlando is loyal to Therek and refuses to listen to anymore traitorous talk.But he does agree not to inform Therek of the meeting or the contents of their conversation.

This is only the first half of the story.The second volume will take place in Florenbia and should tie together all the loose strings.Enjoy!

Highly recommended for Duncan fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of exotic societies, stubborn individuals, and a touch of romance.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Product Description
TRADING CHAOS APPLYING EXPERT TECHNIQUES TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PROFITS

Chaos theory now stands at the cutting edge of financial decision-making methods. The product of years of scientific investigation into unpredictable phenomena, it has the potential to offer traders entirely new perspectives on the movements of markets—and less risky routes to greater, more consistent profitability. Unlike other books on the subject, Trading Chaos takes chaos analysis out of the realm of the abstract and makes complex concepts easy to understand and use. It offers you the most practical, comprehensive guide available to applying chaos theory to the real world of trading and investing.

In this breakthrough work, author Bill Williams gives you the benefit of his unique qualifications: 35 years of successful trading and a PhD in psychology. The instructional techniques used in Trading Chaos have been tested and refined in the workshops, seminars, and private tutoring sessions Dr. Williams has conducted in 12 different countries.

Designed for all traders—from beginner to experienced professional—Trading Chaos introduces you to the financial applications of chaos in five graduated stages, starting with a clear, nontechnical introduction (Level One: The Novice Trader) all the way to chart analysis, fractals, Elliott wave, and advanced nonlinear dynamics (Level Five: The Expert Trader).

Trading Chaos probes depths of human and economic behavior that other books do not even mention, including:

• A detailed examination of the underlying structure of the market
• How individual belief systems affect the way we trade
• How to determine "what the market wants"
• Most importantly—"how to want what the market wants"

Numerous charts, trading models, analysis spreadsheets, and review questions reinforce the key concepts and help insure full comprehension of the material.

Regardless of your current degree of expertise, Trading Chaos will take you to new levels of trading confidence and increased profit.

This practical guide to the powerful tools of chaos theory will help you make better, more profitable trades

"Bill Williams brings a unique background and experience to the commodity trading world. His approach to becoming a successful trader includes many fresh and fascinating concepts for traders of all experience levels."—Bruce Babcock Editor, Commodity Traders Consumer Report

"Bill Williams has demystified the Elliott Wave. His technical approach is an innovative and effective way to trade markets for novice and expert traders alike."—Bob Koppel Skylane Trading Group

"Trading Chaos by Bill Williams is an excellent guide to profiting from a market which is nonlinear in structure. The book is divided into logical levels of trading techniques useful to the novice and expert trader. I was genuinely surprised that the expert can still learn refreshingly new techniques at each level presented."—Timothy C. Slater Managing Director of Dow Jones Telerate Seminars

Trading Chaos takes chaos theory out of the abstract realm and into the real world of practical investment decision-making. Using the techniques in this remarkable book, you will uncover the hidden patterns of what appear to be the random, unpredictable movements of the commodity, futures, and options markets. Regardless of your current level of experience, expert commodity trader and trainer Bill Williams will give you the skills and insights to move to levels of trading ability you would not have imagined possible.

Clear, practical, and nontechnical—Unlike other books on chaos theory, Trading Chaos is designed to be easy to understand and use

Unique organizational format—Introduces the reader to the financial applications of chaos in five graduated stages, from Novice to Expert Trader

Expert advice on avoiding common psychological traps and pitfalls—Including such self-limiting afflictions as the "paralysis of analysis," "opinionitis," and the dangers of trading on individual belief systems

A wealth of supplementary materials—Charts, trading models, trade plans, analysis spreadsheets, and trading diaries illustrate and reinforce key concepts ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

trading chaos
Delivery is on time as promise, book is in great cond. Great seller.Thank you! Will do business again.

Great info on Chaos Trading
Even though much of what is taught in this book is not used as much due to the more recent book by Bill Williams and his daughter, it is still a great read.Gives all the basic principles of Chaos, the Alligator, Fractals, etc.You can't go wrong reading this book if you are using Chaos as a method for trading.

As Simple as it is Powerful
I am a BIG believer in Bill Williams and his body of work.

I will admit, this book is the most confusing of his three.It is also the FIRST book of his three.If you buy this now, buy it to "fill in the blanks" but use his later works as the backbone of your trading.

I have personally met with Bill, taken his home study course and even attended a private tutorial.Bill is the real deal.He is a *highly* profitable trader and Bill trades EXACTLY like he describes in his books (simplified over time, so Trading Chaos, 2nd Ed. is the LATEST and most refined method).

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THIS BOOK (it's free online here, just click on excerpts).This chapter alone is worth the entire book.If you just want to trade with no other background information, Buy Trading Chaos, 2nd Edition (not this book) and start with chapter seven.When you get to the end of the book, you'll say, "That's it?!?!Than can't be it!"That's what I said.I then went on to take his home study course (13 weeks) and then went to a private tutorial.95% of the methodology is IN THE BOOK!The more advanced stuff is for those who are scaling into positions and want more aggressive money management techniques.

Who am I to say this works?I started trading Bill's techniques from scratch.In LESS than 6 months I was up 95% in a medium sized account.I found some like-minded investors and we started our own Hedge Fund (more specifically, a commodity pool).I called Bill personally and he spoke with me at length about how I should flow into and out of my positions, etc.He went far above and beyond the call of duty.I cannot speak to how well my Pool is doing (not legal to disclose - considered solicitation of investors), so I cannot give figures of returns for the Pool.

Buy Trading Chaos 2nd Edition (not this book) and then buy "New Trading Dim mentions" (his second book) and read chapters 9 - 11.Those chapters will give you more ideas of the SCOPE of just what is possible when you simplify your trading and align it with natural market tendencies (chaos principles).

Good luck and Good Trading!

-- Q

Incomprehensible
I am a lawyer and have spent most of my life reading, and had read many books on trading before I read this one.It looked like the holy grail, so the three or four key chapters, I read over and over trying to determine 3 simple things:Where to buy/sell short, where to place the stop loss, where to exit the trade. I confess, I was never able to determine that, from the text, although the author seems to assume that he has made that clear to the reader.

Joke
The five stars is only for the cover.However, the content of the book is pathetic.I have read many trading books and several chaos books and I can honestly say this book is neither.I fell for the enlightened self-similar structure cover and wasted my money.Don't repeat my mistake.

If you are interested in chaos and trading, start with Edgar Peters books such as Chaos and the Capital Markets.

The publisher, Wiley, should be ashamed to put out this sort of drivel.Bill Williams is a joke.If you think your trading style is based on your body type, then maybe this book will help you feel better about losing; otherwise skip it and Bill Williams, PhD.'s other lobotomized treatises on trading. ... Read more