Customer Reviews (2)

Good introduction to the beginning student
This book gives a quick and elementary introduction to the field of chaotic dynamical systems that could be read by anyone with a background in calculus and linear algebra. The approach taken by the author is very intuitive, lots of diagrams are used to illustrate the major points, and there are many useful exercises throughout the book. It could serve well in an undergraduate mathematics course in dynamical systems, and in a physics undergraduate course in advanced mechanics. The author emphasizes the mathematical aspects of dynamical systems, and readers will be well prepared after finishing it to read more advanced books on dynamical systems.

Chapter 1 introduces one-dimensional dynamics, with the analysis of the quadratic map given particular attention. Called the logistic map in some circles, this very important dynamical system has been the subject of much study, and exhibits generically the properties of chaotic dynamical systems. The author also gives a brief review of some elementary notions in calculus needed for the chapter, making the book even more accessible to a wider readership. The important concept of hyperbolicity is discussed in the context of one-dimensional maps and a good discussion is given on symbolic dynamics. Structural stability, which is really useful only in dynamical systems in higher dimensions, is treated here. The intuition gained in one-dimension is invaluable though before moving on to higher-dimensional examples. Sarkovskii's theorem, which states that a one-dimensional dynamical system with a period three periodic orbit has periodic orbits for all other periods, is proved in detail. In addition, the Schwarzian derivative, so important in complex dynamics, is defined here. The author also gives an introduction to bifurcation theory, which again, is most interesting in high dimensions, and introduces the concept of homoclinicity in this discussion. Maps of the circle and the all-important Morse-Smale diffeomorphisms, are treated in this chapter also. The author introduces the reader briefly to the idea of genericity when discussing Morse-Smale diffeomorphisms. Kneading theory, so important in the mathematical theory of dynamical systems, is introduced here also.

In chapter 2, the author generalizes the results to higher dimensions, and begins with a review of linear algebra and some results from multivariable calculus, such as the implicit function theorem and the contraction mapping theorem. This is followed by a treatment of the dynamics of linear maps in two and three dimensions. Whereas the canonical example of one-dimensional dynamics is represented by the logistic map, in higher-dimensional dynamics this is represented by the Smale horseshoe map. The author carefully constructs this map and details its properties. Then he takes up the hyperbolic toral automorphisms (or Anosov systems as they are called in some books). Both the Smale horseshoe map and the toral automorphisms are excellent, easily understandable examples of higher dimensional dynamics and the associated symbolic dynamics.

The concept of an attractor is also treated in chapter 2 in the context of the solenoid and the Plykin attractor. Both of these are of purely mathematical interest, but by studying them the physicist reader can get a better understanding of what to look for in actual physical examples of attractors (or the more exotic concept of a strange attractor). The author also gives a proof of the stable manifold theorem in dimension two. This is the best part of the book, for this theorem is rarely proved in textbooks on chaotic dynamics, the proof being delegated to the original papers. However, the proof in these papers is extremely difficult to get through, and so the author has given the reader a nice introduction to this important result, even though it is done only in two dimensions. This is followed by a very understandable discussion of Morse-Smale diffeomorphisms. In addition, the author introduces the Hopf bifurcation, of upmost importance in applications, and introduces the Henon map as an application of the results obtained so far.

The last chapter of the book is a brief overview of complex analytic dynamics. Complex dynamical systems are very important from a mathematical point of view, and they have fascinating connections with number theory, cryptography, algebraic geometry, and coding theory. The author reviews some elementary complex analysis and then reintroduces the quadratic maps but this time over the complex plane instead of the real line. The Julia set is introduced, and the reader who has not seen the computer graphical images of this set should peruse the Web for these images, due to their beauty. The geometry of the Julia set and the associated complex polynomial maps are given a fairly detailed treatment by the author in the space provided.

The best starting point.
This book covers almost every aspect of theory of discrete dynamical systems and by far the easiest explains and proofs with useful exercises, anyone with solid calculus and linear algebra background shouldn't have any problem absorbing this material and is highly recommended to whom wants to know about the theory of chaos from the scratch. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chaos (Physics)   2. Physics   3. Science   4. Science/Mathematics   

Customer Reviews (2)

Clear and comprehensive
I had heard about this book from a friend with an interest in nonlinear dynamics; this is surprising in itself, since the book has been out for less than a year and already seems to be getting a positive reputation. The book more than lived up to my friend's recommendation. It is encyclopedic and remarkably clear. For anyone who is interested in linking nonlinear dynamical theory with empirical methodology, this is the best place that I know of to start.

Best book on chaos/complexity theory & data analysis
For those wishing to upgrade their grasp of chaos theory, dynamics, nonlinear data analysis, with an introduction to related aspects of complexity including fractals and complex systems, this is the best book I have yet seen, and supplements the excellet visual dynamics books by Ralph Abraham. It arose from the upper level course taught by Sprott at the University of Wisconsin. The book is well supported by his website, which will always keep the book updated. It is nicely hands-on with lots of exercises and a programming project with each chapter. For those impatient to write programs, having a program like Berkeley Madonna to solve systems equations is handy for exploring some of the example systems. It has three excellent appendices, one a catalog of 62 dynamical systems, another useful mathematical formulas, and the last a compilation of useful journals. I found it incredibly comprehensive covering all aspects of the many subjects. And exceptionally clear, updating any necessary mathematics with clear explanations... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chaotic Behavior in Systems   2. Physics   3. Probability & Statistics - General   4. Science   5. Science/Mathematics   6. Time-series analysis   7. Chaos theory   8. Non-linear science   9. Probability & statistics   

Customer Reviews (8)

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!

A comprehensive introduction to chaos in two levels
This book can be read in two different ways:

The first one is intended for the uninitiated who wants to get an introduction to chaos and fractals; the way Schroeder guides you into the chaotic phenomenae that occur everywhere around us is clear, elegant and funny. He plays with chaos and makes the reader part of this game.

The second way to read this book includes a warning for scholars: This is not a textbook! The mathematical background used to explain this game is strong. Shcroeder lets the committed reader to work with the maths by himself, so you must have paper, pencil, and computer near to you in order to enjoy the book's whole potential, in this case Shcroeder has all the experience and knowledge on the matter to guide you through "this infinte paradise" in a very firm way.

The only thing I'd wish from this book was a new hardcover edition, I've read it so many times that my copy is getting very spoiled.

If you are still interested after reading this book, but you want a little help with your maths then I'd recommend "Chaos Theory Tamed" by Garnett P. Williams. It will do the trick. However if you just want to fall in love with chaos without complications, then you should read "Chaos: The Making of a New Science" by James Gleick.

Best book on chaos
This book is a complete guide of all possible situations in science where you may encounter chaos. It provides for every situation an intuitive as well as very formal view of every problem and the corresponding solution. The main drawback concerns its relative inaccessibility for non-scientific people, it requires a quite important scientific background to understand the formal part. Anyway, even for the lay-man, it can be interesting to read, in order to understand the widespread of chaos and non-linearity in real-life situations, not just the purely scientific-related ones.

However, the treatment is terrific, with excellent description and explanations of the how's and why's, at an intuitive level as well as a very rigorous one ! I don't think i've ever read a book of such a high quality...

This book is worth its price, and without a doubt deserves the time you'll need to go through it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Physics   2. Science   3. Science/Mathematics   4. Symmetry (Physics)   

Customer Reviews (2)

Jammed packed with useful information and ideas
The title might be misleading for some. It's not a quick-fix book, but as Imnon states in the forward, but "is the definitive source for understanding modern data architecture". It is so full of information it can't be read quickly, but is well worth taking the time to read. It probably helps to have read Brackett's 1994, Data Sharing - Using a Common Data Architecture. I've recommended this book to co-workers again and again. Get this book!

Save a tree.
The book is the total chaos, alas, very boring one. I had to return it. So much paper out there waisted. Save the tree. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Data Base Management   2. Computer Books: Database   3. Computers   4. Data warehousing   5. Database Engineering   6. Database Management - General   7. Database management   8. Information Storage & Retrieval   9. Computer Communications & Networking   10. Databases & data structures   

Customer Reviews (1)

Completely different from the norm
What shocked me was when the book started by talking about chaos and buddhist philosophy. This is not a book that will teach you the basics on fractals, nor is it an advanced book that will teach you how to run an experiment on chaos. I don't really know what this book is but whatever it is, it is INTERESTING. I was not expecting such a different topic base. Apparently, this book is a collection of essays, all based on chaose but from non-mathematical perspectives. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century   2. Chaotic behavior in systems in   3. Chaotic behavior in systems in literature   4. History and criticism   5. Literature - Classics / Criticism   6. Literature and science   7. Literature, Modern   8. Philosophy   9. Semiotics & Theory   10. Literary Criticism & Collections / Theory   

Absolutely normal Mary Lou is all set for a boring summer, trying tofind something, anything, to say in her school-assigned journal. Salamanca is anot-so-normal girl, on the road with her eccentric grandparents to find hererstwhile mother. And Zinnia is on the path (literally) to adulthood, seekingher identity in an old overgrown trail behind her family farmhouse. Three girls,three stories--Sharon Creech is the well-loved and award-winning author of thesethree novels, pulled together in a handy boxed set for her many fans who won'twant to wait to get their hands on the next Creech title. Absolutely Normal Chaos, Walk Two Moons (a Newbery Medalwinner), and ChasingRedbird are each sensitively drawn, witty, complex, and unexpected looksat young girls in that strange and bumpy land of adolescence. (Ages 9 to 14)--Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best Book Ever!!
You definitly should read this if you dont you are missing out .....!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Action & Adventure   2. Children's 9-12 - Fiction - General   3. Children: Grades 3-4   4. General   5. Juvenile Fiction   

Customer Reviews (8)

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 this or be left in the dust!
Its funny. I was reading the review following this one and the person was saying how he could NOT find anything worthwhile to apply to his business. He must not have even picked up the book!

I think there are plenty of great lessons within the book. Its not only a book about strategy, but a new framework to think in terms of. The world has changed greatly in the last 20 years and a lot of the old management frameworks have less significance. Complexity science is the new way to think and this book does a fantastic job of relating the "complex" topic to business. And the rules apply to all areas of the organization: strategy, organizational design, etc. If you want to be prepared to lead the complex globlal organizations of tomorrow, then this is a must read.

What's the use?
My criticism can be boiled down to a single line, this one. I read this kind of books hoping to find useful ideas for my business. Here I can't find any.

Maybe I should look for the purely intellectual interest, I don't know. My best advice is this: if you read to find recipes, read something else. Read this only out of curiosity.

And yet again, I was just curious about the US Army chapter but got little out of it - gruelling experience, after-action review, and all that - we did it in volleyball and basket training twenty years ago ... what's the big deal? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Corporate & Business History - Strategies   5. Management - General   6. Strategic Planning   7. Business & Economics / General   

Customer Reviews (4)

Insightful!
Daryl R. Conner's book operates under the assumption that the future of business will be steeped in chaos. Thus, it tries to prepare the leaders of the future for the kinds of challenges that result from chaos. These challenges will primarily involve employees, since every person reacts differently and usually unfavorably, to change. The companies that marshal an agile workforce and adapt quickly to unexpected circumstances will do the best in this unstable environment. This thoroughly researched book gives leaders a decisive look at what happens when the human psyche tries to navigate change. Conner documents the problems people have when they deal with change and offers a disciplined strategy for making your organization more limber. Even if you've heard many of the key concepts presented before, as you navigate the waters of change, this calm, lucid manual will keep your hands steady at the helm. Therefore, we [...] recommend it to everyone who is confronting change, and that is everyone.

Capitalizing on the emotional edge-
The consideration of the human component of the organization should not be overlooked- nor it's importance be minimized. Anyone who has ever tried to lead the unwilling or otherwise disinterested can appreciate the value of the Human Due Diligence model. Recent focus on employee satisfaction polling and scores underline today's concern with the "happy" employee, assuming that he/she is also the more complient, resilient and productive one. This book is a melding of how humans function in transition and organizational change. It provides a formula and certainly a novel slant to a topic much written about. Daryl Connor has taken concern for employee's feelings about their work environment directly to the heads of corporations and their boards. He creates a replicable framework on which to build an organization that can recognize, adapt to, and recover from change faster than it's competition.

The real challenge of leading change is the HUMAN ELEMENT.
Conner notes that the lion's share of attention to organizational change goes to the process of deciding on what needs to change and the steps to take; the bottom line is the execution of change. Here is where leadership faces its real challenge which specifically comes down to people. Leading the human organization in a continuously changing world is at the heart of the book. Leaders must learn to keep in a dynamic zone in which the adaptive capacity of people can be enlarged providing an agile organization. Conner stresses the importance of people as central to change and introduces such good ideas as Human Due Diligence...an investigating of the people side of the organization before taking change initiatives.

The integration of organizational change, leadership and human beings is so crucial that it is a wonder why decision makers so commonly place the human element in second place when formulating strategy, organization design, and initiating organizational transformation. Perhaps this work will help some CEO's and other top executives to get a clearer focus on the reality of their enterprises and the real challenge of leading change. A great book-give a copy to your CEO! And if you are a CEO, give a copy to the members of your executive team. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Corporate reorganizations   5. Entrepreneurship   6. Management   7. Management - General   8. Organization Development   9. Organizational Behavior In Business   10. Organizational behavior   11. Organizational change   12. Organizational sociology   13. Structural Adjustment   14. Business & Economics / Leadership   15. Management & management techniques   

Customer Reviews (5)

holy trinity?
Three of the most intriguing and revolutionary minds of our time together at last. If you can find the video in which this book is transcribed,it's definitely worth watching as well. it's called Metamorphasis.

Entertaining and Enlightening, Intellectual 60s style
I read this book while on jury duty. Because I ran out of reading materials, I went back over it and decided to write down some of my favorite quotes. Here is one example, by Ralph Abraham. "I find the whole idea that the world's soul is confined in a space/time continuum of four or ten dimensions extremely claustrophobic." So, you all get the idea. This was not a book to summarize, so I kept writing down quotes and buzz words. What gave me a lot of chuckles were the interspersed references to psychedelic drugs and various qualities of mushrooms, and the use of mushroom examples and so forth. I don't know much about mushrooms, but it helps date these guys, even while they are talking about ten dimensions being claustrophobic. I will say this-- they must have had some good trips.

I don't pretend to understand a lot of their references, mushrooms aside, but it is an easy book to read as long as one doesn't feel the need to follow up every lead and reference. Their approaches seem to be kind of cutting edge, but dated, if there is such a combination. I am particularly interested in Sheldrake's morphogenetic fields, which is what led me to the book. My attention span tends to be a little short, so I wanted a kind of breezy overview. Although I enjoyed the book a lot, I don't think I got much out of the morphic fields discussion. So I will look elsewhere for that.

I lent this book to my daughter, who is enthralled by it, particularly since she just took a bunch of final exams, some having to do with statistics and econometrics, so their discussions of modeling were most interesting to her.

And who wouldn't go for the idea of creativity coming out of chaos? Aren't our lives in chaos most of the time anyway? There must be a purpose for it. That's it. I get more creative after every chaotic event!! The discussions about beginnings, endings, various attractors, etc. were really fun to read. Not sure which ones came from their imaginitive minds (resulting from chaos), or their super intelligent brains, and which ones were from the mushrooms.

Oh, here's another Abraham quote I absolutely loved. "As the waves pass the rock, their shape is changed. There is a hologram of the rock within the wave that comes forward and crashes on the beach, then there's a reflected wave back."

Ok, that was cool!! All things considered, if you have some extra time (either on the beach, or on jury duty) read this book. They weaved in references from all aspects of experience-- mythology, mushrooms, science, waves, psychology, philosophy, history, etc. I love that!! I consider a book a success for me if I get one good idea from it. And I got more than that from this one, although I am not any more inclined to take psychedelics than I was prior to reading the book.

Cutting-edge Cosmology
This is a gripping series of conversations between the three authors discussing various aspects of the psyche, the universe, the role of chaos theory in the dynamics of creation and the rediscovery of ancient wisdom. The authors, all three of whom stood at the cutting edge of their respective disciplines, challenge the reader about our current views of reality, morality and the nature of life. The sometimes breathtaking insights emerging from this will not fail to move the reader. The chapters on creativity, the imagination and chaos are amongst the most compelling, and deal with theories like the cosmic imagination as a higher dimensional magnet that pulls the evolutionary process to itself, the Omega Point, and imagination arising out of the womb of chaos. Other fascinating topics include indeterminism in nature, nature's organising fields as mathematical representations, and the encoding of information in crystals and in written language. The chapter "Light and Vision" is one of the most poetic, dealing as it does with physical light and the light of consciousness, the theory that one's thoughts are a measurable field emanating from the eyes, the similarities between electromagnetic and mental fields, the concept of a world soul, and morphogenetic fields as a medium of divine omniscience. Incorporeal intelligence and non-human entities are discussed - are the latter merely inhabitants of the psyche or do they have an independent existence? Scientists and inventors like Kekule, who received answers in dreams, are referenced here. The book concludes with a glossary, bibliography and biographical information about the authors. It is a stimulating text in which the power of the mythical imagination, scientific observation and innovative speculation combine to create a thought-provoking reading experience. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternate Spirituality   2. Body, Mind & Spirit   3. Chaotic behavior in systems   4. Consciousness   5. Cosmology   6. Metaphysical Phenomena - General   7. New Age   8. New Thought   9. Philosophy & Social Aspects   10. Religion and science   

Customer Reviews (5)

missing the point!
people dismissing this book because it does not provide step by step instructions are entirely missing the point of Brian and the other designers motivation in this book. You only have to look at a quote from him to see what I mean...

"If you want to develop an individual look to your work, my advice is not to take the accepted capabilities of a piece of software. Decide what you want to achieve first, and figure out a way of making it happen." - Brian Taylor

The book is inspirational, it shows what can be achieved, I find it strange that people expect a step-by-step account of how to create a work of art?!?!

many pics, little knowledge
High hopes, big disappointment. I expected to find some deep knowledge on composition and design strategies. What i found were many pictures, but no real design secrets. The text is a little bit like "i created this strange object, i kinda liked it so i then did this and that. That was not quite it, so i did another this and that, looks better now."
The authors are good designers, no doubt, but this book won't help you improve your own work. There is no concept behind this book, the authors don't even know why they are writing this book. There already isn't much text in this book and about a third of that is being wasted with the authors wondering what the publisher and the readers actually expect of them and what the other three authors will come up with.
And about chaostheory and nanotechnology and all that: you'll learn more by reading an editorial review on the back of a book on these...

Its a shame.......
that the first review written for this book is so negative.....
with that much said, if you are looking to learn, training manual style, this book will not help you. If that is what you want,buy a New Rider's 3DMax book and a Photoshop classroom in a book, study art and design for about a year, get cozy with the software, terms, etc, then come back and make this purchase, at $34.99 it is a steal.

So, if you are interested in reading how some of the most creative(Brian Taylor is awesome - - check www.rustboy.com) minds in the design/graphic industry function, get this book quick. It is a book done buy creative folks for creative folks, it is not written by software technicians.

IT IS NOT A USERS MANUAL!!!!

I found the writing style of this book, like most Friends of Ed books (I have two others) to be extremely personal and inviting, I couldnt put it down. Add to that the gorgeous look, and HIGH QUALITY of the works displayed, it is truly a treasure. As a graduating design student working on my SeniorProject, this book could not have come along at a better time.

chaos theory, nanotechnology, geometric analogies, awesome!!!!
the CD which accompanies the book is also excellent, it comes with fully editable Photoshop files, etc, so the tutorials are in there, and they are excellent!!!

remeber all design/art students and admirers, the learning process behind the creation is more valuable than the software which carries it out. concepts..........................

this book is steroids for the designers mind. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer Bks - Desktop Publishing   2. Computer Books: General   3. Computer Graphics - Photoshop   4. Internet - Web Site Design   5. Computers and Internet   

Customer Reviews (9)

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

Subjects:  1. Body, Mind & Spirit   2. Magick Studies   3. New Age   4. New Age / Parapsychology   5. Occultism   6. Magic   

Customer Reviews (2)

Great for Small Business!
As a small business executive I read this book and found it to be a wonderful guidebook on meditation. The author does a great job in creating a step by step process to learn the basics of Meditation. I was looking for a way to release some of the stress in my life. Calm amid Chaos is most certainly a great start.

Finally a common sense approach to meditation!
Like another review posted here, I had tried and failed a few times to learn meditation by reading other books. None really took into account that I lead a busy, fast-paced life full of business pressure, flying off here and there, living in hotels and customers yelling for everything to be delivered yesterday. The other books on meditation that I'd read were solid works but they weren't wtitten by someone that had walked the kind of path and led the kind of life I do. This is a common sense straight from the hip great book that worked for me written by a guy that obviously knows his stuff. Terrific job. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Inspiration & Personal Growth   5. Meditation   6. Motivational   7. Business & Investing   8. Business Life - General   9. Health, Mind & Body   10. Self Help - Meditation   11. Stress Management   12. Spirituality & New Age   

Customer Reviews (1)

One of the better books about 1970s music
The 1970's have been hyped up, fawned over, blown out of proportion and generally misunderstood by most authors. Frank Moriarty has written a very well researched and concise book about the rock music of this decade. Each chapter explores each year of the Seventies. Mr. Moriarty is careful to balance out descriptions of big name artists such as Led Zeppelin or the Who with lesser known artists like Jo Jo Gunne. I remember buying their 1972 single "Run Run Run" when I was in 8th grade.

Some may quibble over the artists he leaves out or the amount of space devoted to different artists, but there are only so many you can fit in one book! At the very least, he tries to mention many artists, especially those who have not been adequately explored in other books.

Another interesting aspect of his book is that he explores in depth the latter years of groups like Procul Harem who are normally written off as a one shot group from the 60s with "Whiter Shade of Pale".

It is nice to read a book free from glaring errors about the music. Many books I have read about pop music contain glaring errors about who recorded what and what year it came out. Mr. Moriarty took great care to avoid these mistakes.

It was interesting to read his descriptions of some of the posthumus Jimi Hendrix albums that were released. Mr. Moriarty obviously is a fan of Hendrix but never lets that get in the way of an intelligent discussion of his music.

Also in the book, he manages to touch on other styles of music like soul and mentions Stevie Wonder among others.

Even if you are not into all of the styles & artists he mentions, which was the case with me, I still found the book very interesting. In a way, the book gave me a better insight into the music that I personally like from that era (mostly R&B, Doobie Bros, Steely Dan, George Benson) and how it fits into the greater musical landscape of the decade.

This is also one of the first books about rock music, particularly that of the 1970's, which doesn't dwell on the tabloid details of the artists' lives. Of course, he has to mention the deaths of Hendrix and others but does so with dignity.

He also tends to focus on artist's strengths (like Peter Frampton) without going into long discussions of Frampton's failures like "Sgt Pepper" or "I'm In You" which we have heard enough about. This is not to say that he ignores artists' failures or weaknesses, but is concise in both his praise and criticism.

It is nice to find a book about the 1970's which doesn't mention Abba! He reseveres only a few sentences for the Top 40/Light Rock Music which he obviously didn't care for. Even though I still like some of that music, I took no offense at his criticisms and could understand them in the context of his subject matter.

The next time you mention 1970's music to a friend and they begin rhapsodizing over "Grease", "Saturday Night Fever" or Barry White or any of the annoying hits like "Seasons in the Sun" or "Billy Don't Be A Hero", suggest that they read this book.

My only hope is that someone writes a book like this about 1970's soul music which I really enjoy.

P.S. Reading some of his descriptions of certain artists like Jeff Beck makes me want to possibly check out some of his earlier albums. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1961-1970   2. 1971-1980   3. Genres & Styles - Rock   4. History & Criticism - General   5. History and criticism   6. Music   7. Rock Music   8. Contemporary popular music   9. c 1970 to c 1980   

Customer Reviews (1)

Good introduction to the theory
It was perhaps inevitable that the theory of chaotic dynamical systems would be applied to economics. In an intuitive, everyday sense, economic phenomena is usually perceived as being "chaotic", this notion being equated with a random behavior of sorts. Whether or not economic systems are really random (from a rigorous mathematical standpoint) is the subject of other books. This one addresses the question as to whether chaos does indeed exist in economic systems. Chaos and randomness are of course distinct concepts, and this is brought out clearly by the authors of the articles in the book, the specific theme of which is to shed light on the role of oscillatory dynamics in economic fluctuations. The oscillations are put in the context of chaotic dynamical systems, which, as is well known, have a very rich orbit structure. The emphasis is on theory, but there are some articles that discuss empirical validation of chaotic dynamical system models of time series. What is most interesting about the results in the book is that chaos is a deterministic explanation of the erratic behavior of economic behavior. This is to be contrasted with the situation in financial modeling, where randonmess is thought to be essential because of arbitrage opportunities. It is fascinating to compare the ideas in this book with the ones that are very entrenched in financial modeling. The authors of the articles have been heavily involved in the research of chaotic dynamical systems in economics. Space here permits only a limited review of the contents of the book.

. Before the advent of research in chaos in economics, the complexity of economic phenomena was modeled by linear equations subjected to exogenous shocks. The approach taken in one of the articles discusses to what extent aggregate fluctuations represent endogenous phenomena that are persistent even when there are no random shocks to the economy. Recognizing that chaotic dynamical systems can generate time series that appear irregular or random, discussion is given on the models based on chaos that exhibit the persistence phenomena. Since chaotic systems have countably many periodic orbits, it is natural to ask to what extent these orbits play in models of economic phenomena. One of these considered is the overlapping generations model. A class of robust utility functions, assumed to be constant from one generation to another, are shown to give the existence of bounded trajectories that do not converge to periodic orbits or fixed points, but are also, because of the time scales involved, indistinguishable from periodic orbits of arbitrarily long period, the latter also existing in the model. The existence of these trajectories is interesting, particularly when considering the mechanism by which the trades between generations occur. This mechanism involves the introduction of a central credit authority, and even when the nominal credit expands at a constant rate, the model still exhibits erratic trajectories in the real value of credit. These trajectories appear qualitatively to be very similar to trajectories generated from random processes, and so it is no surprise that statistical techniques and ergodic theory are employed to study their properties.

Another economic model considered in the book is a two-sector growth model that consists of an industry producing consumption goods and another producing capital goods. A dynamical system parametrized by the capital depreciation rate is used to describe the time evolution of the aggregate capital stock over time, and is shown to have chaotic orbits for certain values of the capital depreciation rate. These chaotic orbits exist, interestingly, when capital, but not labor, is very productive in both sectors. An analysis of the relative capital-labor intensities is done to shed light on the oscillatory behavior of the model, this behavior contrary to the expected one of following a smooth averaged path. The latter is expected because of the choice of a concave function for the consumption and investment processes. The model is not shown to be one that could reflect phenomena that exist in the real world. In particular, the time scales needed to observe the chaotic behavior are not discussed.

Another issue taken up in the book deals with the question as to why economic activity exhibits fluctuations, and subsequent attempts to stabilize this activity via fiscal policy. The Judd model, which deals with technical innovation, is adapted to study the economic instabilities that arise from investment activity in such innovation, and the value of fiscal policy in dampening these instabilities. The model is shown to exhibit chaotic dynamics, with this being a consequence of the noncompetitive nature of a market immediately after a new good is introduced into the market. The discussion is reminiscent of arbitrage arguments in finance, since the monopolistic prices charged by the patent holder are wiped out by new innovations. Interestingly, the model shows examples of situations where stabilizing policies are undesirable, and in particular a waste of resources would result. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business cycles   4. Business/Economics   5. Economic History   6. Economics - Macroeconomics   7. Equilibrium (Economics)   8. Mathematical models   9. Business & Economics / Economic History   10. Economics   11. Physics   

Subjects:  1. Fiction, Graphic Novels, General   

Customer Reviews (12)

A necessary addition to any systems library
Gharajedaghi's book will become one of the cornerstones of systems thinking. It presents basic systems concepts in a comprehensive and understandable manner. It then shows how these concepts should be applied to the design of organizations that wish to thrive in the "new world" environment. The book begins with theory, then moves to the nuts-and-bolts of organization architecture. Afterwards, it provides detailed case studies of the work done in organizations from a range of social sectors - health care, power, equipment manufacturing, hotel/motel/resort, community development -- to demonstrate the generic quality of the systems approach. The book might take extra effort for the novice, but it is the kind of work that students keep coming back to again and again as light bulbs go on in their heads. Gharajedaghi has made an important contribution.

The book is needed in every person's hip pocket,now!
Gharajedaghi's book is not only a necessary addition to any systems library, but a MUST for everyone's hip pocket - whether doctor, lawyer, cleric, business person, nurse, educator and human being living now. Gharajedaghi has provided the conceptual framework and operational methodology in an exceptionally readable, and very useable text. This book is not the typical "how to" book, giving steps to follow; but provides the depth theory and background necessary for user UNDERSTANDING now, and frees the user to design and create interventions well into the 21st century. If you are interested in "making sense" out of the chaos and complexity around you; if you are interested in providing the necessary structure, process, and function that equates to a new business architecture in your environment, then you have found the best resource in this book. It is most inclusive, it goes from A to Z, and further you will not find as comparable and complete a resource anywhere, for it readys you for the 21st century. Thus check your hip pocket, and add SYSTEMS THINKING: MANAGING CHAOS AND COMPLEXITY:A PLATFORM FOR DESIGNING BUSINESS ARCHITECTURE, if necessary.

Practical systems thinking!
I have just reread Mr. Gharajedaghi's book. It is a very thoughtful and engaging review of systems thinking placed in the context of other world views in Modern Times. It is occasionally and with good humor spiced with thoughts from Persia, as well as from the author's direct experience with Russell Ackoff. It ties together thoughts on Business Process Management with larger views on gathering consensus, resolving conflict, engaging in beauty, and managing for profit. It is an ambitious undertaking and succeeds with great integrity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics   2. Business / Economics / Finance   3. Business/Economics   4. Chaotic behavior in systems   5. Industrial management   6. Leadership   7. Management   8. Management - General   9. Reference - General   10. System Theory   11. System analysis   12. Technological complexity   13. Business & Economics / Management   14. Business strategy   15. Business systems analysis   16. Organizational theory & behaviour   

Customer Reviews (6)

One of my Favorite Darkover books
I was an avid fan of MZB's Avalon series when I stumbled on the Darkover series. Now, I am trying to collect the whole entire Darkover series which is quite hard considering there are so many and they go back to the 70s! I am lucky to have a used book store that occasionally gets them in because I would die if I had to wait for the re-releases. I like that the re-releases include more than one book. I have also tried the "Light" series (witchlight, gravelight etc) but have found that they are what I describe as "fluff" in comparison to her other works. Enjoyable, but not nearly as much as the Avalon or Darkover series.
This set is definitely one of my favorites, both of the series and of MZB's work in general. "Stormqueen" especially is my top choice. The Sage of the Renunciates are also Incredibly good. I love the fact the MZB's stories have well thought out and richly detailed storylines and incredibly strong developed characters. Her characters have flaws and are people that it is possible to relate to on some level. I wish that more authors portrayed such strong, realistic female characters. It is also great as a reader to be able to pick up any book in the series and be able to read it without having read any of its previous counterparts (especially when so many are out of print!). Each books stands on its own and presents a whole new element of the Darkovan society, while making reference to people or places from other books. I highly recommend this and any other Darkover book!

enchanting as always
Having just started on my Darkovan journey I must say I loved these books. Have not read Sci/Fi Fantasty literature for quite awhile since Pamela Sargent's The Shore of Women and since I love MZB thought this would be a perfect place to begin again.
I was right!
I thoroughly enjoyed both books. However I liked Stormqueeen best. I found the plot twists and the perspective of different characters intriguing. I was riveted from start to finish. And I liked the descriptions quite a bit as well.
Although I enjoyed Hawkmistress, I found the plot less fresh and not as compelling. The "girl dresesed up as boy in a male dominated society and coming into her own power and making good" is a little too predictable.
Two things:
The editing is absolutely atrocious. It was either left entrely to the computer or someone edited it who does not speak English fluently. I too found this distracting. A disservice to both author and reader.
In addition it would be nice to have a chronology and or Darkovan historical timelene at the beginning of these books. Maybe a map too! I always like it when that is done and not just in scifi fantasy books. but in general. hmmm but that does sound kind neurotic doesn't it? But oh well just my opinion
Truly enjoyable! Read and and enjoy and be charmed!

Limitless Laran
What a tale! The storyline is very involved, but with characters as clearly drawn as Ms. Bradley has presented them, it is easy to keep them all straight. Even with two different stories, it is hard to put the book down.

My only negative comment is there are more typographical errors in this book than I have encountered before. There were enough, however, that this did distract me. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fantasy - General   2. Fiction   3. Fiction - Fantasy   4. Science Fiction   5. Science Fiction - General   

Customer Reviews (4)

Look no further for your first intro to the subject!
It's now been a decade since the time of a college course on Chaos and Fractals, when the textbook "Fractals Everywhere" by Michael F. Barnsely was used for teaching our class. For the several ensuing years the subject leapt into the background as I persued my studies in physics and later on in pure mathematics. Recently I have regained interest in some applied subjects such as dynamical systems and chaos, control theory, symplectic geometry, and information theory. Indeed the book by Alligood, Sauer, and Yorke was a somewhat recent recommendation by a college professor who had taught his students from it. I recall at the time there was a discussion as to whether Robert Devaney's book would have made for a better first course. He mentioned that Devaney only deals with the discrete dynamical systems, while ASY treats both discrete and continuous, and so the choice was clear. The topics discussed in the 13 chapters of the book include: one and two dimensional maps, fixed points, iterations, sinks, sources, saddles, Lyapunov exponents, chaotic orbits, conjugacy, fractals and their dimension, chaotic attractors, measure, Lotka-Volterra models, Poincare-Bendixson theorem, Lorentz and Roessler attractors, stable manifolds and crises, homoclinic and heteroclinic points, bifurcations, and cascades. There're also answers and solutions to the selected exercises, as well as extensive references at the back, making up an ideal setting for self-study. The level and style of exposition is targeted towards an advanced undergrad or beginning grad student who is into applied math or engineering fields. The authors justly tend to emphasize concepts and applications, instead of getting bogged down in too much mathematical rigor or heavy use of the abstract machinery. All in all, an excellent first excursion/introduction to one of the most fascinating areas of applied math, whether for classroom use, or for self-study.

The definitive guide to dynamical systems!
When I purchased this book three years ago, I had only a rudimentary understanding of dynamical systems. Thankfully, all that was needed to get me started was some intermediate calculus and some basic college-level linear algebra. Since I had been doing both from the time I was a sophmore in high school, I had no trouble getting comfortable with it. The authors present dynamical systems in an easy-to-read style with tests that appear at the end of each chapter after you've had time to catch on.

If you're seriously thinking about getting started in dynamical systems, get this book!

great introduction to dynamical systems
I was enrolled in a course at GMU in which the draft version of this text was used. The math was not as difficult as some of the graduate texts, therefore it serves as a good intoduction for someone with as little as 2 years of undergraduate math. The challenges at the end of each chapter are more difficult than the regular problems, but they are meant to be. Many of the systems can be modeled on a spreadsheet. If you have any interest in Chaos, this book will only strengthen it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chaos Theory (Mathematics)   2. Chaotic Behavior in Systems   3. Differentiable Dynamical Systems   4. Differentiable dynamical syste   5. Differential Equations   6. General   7. Mathematics   8. Science   9. Science/Mathematics   

Customer Reviews (4)

A masterpiece
This is the kind of book that should be available in every area of science and mathematics. A book that is not a research book, but yet is not a broad popularization. This book can benefit both persons who are just beginning a study of dynamic modeling and I dare say things will be learned by even those that are researchers in the area. Good work Foster Morrison whoever you are.

A broad overview
Very general overview for the subject of dynamic systems modeling, providing ample historical perspectives. Not suitable for folks looking for deep technical matters.

Best modeling book on the market !
This book is certainly the best book you'll find around for treating in depth the subject of modeling dynamic systems. The style is clear and very intuitive. It provides a well-structured identification of dynamic systems and explains the "what you can do and what you cannot" for modeling all types of dynamic systems. It's true that it can be hard to find but waiting some couple of weeks certainly is no reason for not trying to get this extraordinary overview of dynamic systems !

The only drawback you could find is that it is too short... reading it makes you want more...so using it as an introduction to dynamic systems can only motivate you at going further in the field of dynamic systems modeling ! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Chaotic Behavior in Systems   2. Dynamics   3. Mathematical Models   4. Mechanics - General   5. Science   6. Science/Mathematics   7. Stochastic processes   8. Applied mathematics   9. Probability & statistics   10. Science / Mechanics   

Subjects:  1. Electronic Apparatus And Devices   2. Electronics - General   3. Engineering - Electrical & Electronic   4. Linear Programming   5. Nonlinear Programming   6. Nonlinear theories   7. Power electronics   8. Science/Mathematics   9. Technology   10. Technology & Industrial Arts   11. Power networks, systems, stations & plants   12. Technology / Engineering / Electrical