moseslh's review against another edition
4.0
EDIT (after second read)
This book really changed the way I thought about the world, and I found myself thinking about it a lot over the past year and ultimately decided to read it again. Chaos theory is such a beautiful, powerful framework that allows for deterministic randomness, connecting rigorous math and science with the intuitive (but often ignored in math/science classes) idea of sensitive dependence on initial conditions, i.e. that small changes in inputs can result in vastly different outputs. After all, one can easily imagine (as many of us do) that the world could be quite a different place if a certain person had not (e.g.) uttered the phrase "basket of deplorables" in Fall 2016. Only with chaos theory, however, can one provide an adequate explanation for those vast differences in outcomes from a seemingly small, random event in a way that is mathematically rigorous and deterministic rather than reliant on luck.
I had heard of the "Butterfly Effect" well before reading this book, but I always assumed it was metaphorical. It amazes me to realize that it is intended fairly literally by the scientists who developed the theory. I hope to be able to read and learn more about chaos, fractals, strange attractors, and the other related subjects addressed in this book.
Original Review
I was assigned part of this book for class and enjoyed it enough that I decided to read the rest of it as well. The subject matter is a really interesting and novel (for me) way of looking at the world through the lens of fractals and deterministic unpredictability.
This book lost a star because a few of its chapters are a bit dry or not explained as clearly, but for the most part Chaos is engaging and well-written.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in math or the physical sciences who wants to explore topics that are not covered in standard K-12 math education.
This book really changed the way I thought about the world, and I found myself thinking about it a lot over the past year and ultimately decided to read it again. Chaos theory is such a beautiful, powerful framework that allows for deterministic randomness, connecting rigorous math and science with the intuitive (but often ignored in math/science classes) idea of sensitive dependence on initial conditions, i.e. that small changes in inputs can result in vastly different outputs. After all, one can easily imagine (as many of us do) that the world could be quite a different place if a certain person had not (e.g.) uttered the phrase "basket of deplorables" in Fall 2016. Only with chaos theory, however, can one provide an adequate explanation for those vast differences in outcomes from a seemingly small, random event in a way that is mathematically rigorous and deterministic rather than reliant on luck.
I had heard of the "Butterfly Effect" well before reading this book, but I always assumed it was metaphorical. It amazes me to realize that it is intended fairly literally by the scientists who developed the theory. I hope to be able to read and learn more about chaos, fractals, strange attractors, and the other related subjects addressed in this book.
Original Review
I was assigned part of this book for class and enjoyed it enough that I decided to read the rest of it as well. The subject matter is a really interesting and novel (for me) way of looking at the world through the lens of fractals and deterministic unpredictability.
This book lost a star because a few of its chapters are a bit dry or not explained as clearly, but for the most part Chaos is engaging and well-written.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in math or the physical sciences who wants to explore topics that are not covered in standard K-12 math education.
statman's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting topic if you've never heard of chaos. Has some beautiful pictures of patterns. It can be a little bit tough to follow as the topic is not an easy one to get.
wwatts1734's review against another edition
4.0
Many of us have heard of Chaos Theory without really understanding what it is. It seems to be the stuff of rocket scientists, far beyond the grasp of ordinary men, the non-theoretical physicists. But in this book, Gleick makes Chaos Theory accessible to the ordinary, mere mortal reader. Not only does he explain what it is, but he traces the origins of it from its beginnings as an aide to meteorological theory to fractal geometry and into its applications in the world of economics and finance. It certainly is a great ride.
Chaos theory is not so much a science as it is a paradigm of science. It seeks to explain phenomena that seem to be random but in fact may be the result of very complicated non-linear forces that are difficult to model and identify. Gleick takes the reader through the explanations of sensitivity to initial conditions, ie the "butterfly flapping its wings" phenomenon. He explains fractal geometry, and how non-linear forces can be modeled using odd shapes and complicated patterns. He talks about the complicated mathematical techniques that must be harvested in order to understand the processes inherent to Chaos. But he does all this in a way that a non-technical reader can understand, almost like a scientific detective novel. By the end, the reader actually feels as though he can explain Chaos Theory to bewildered friends.
Chaos Theory was extremely influencial back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when this book was written. Entire sciences were being reworked to accommodate it, and fractal geometry was even getting attention in the art world. What ever happened to Chaos Theory since 2000? Perhaps its tenets are so accepted that it is now a given in many fields and no longer an exciting research opportunity. Perhaps it is because of this fadishness that I would have to rate this book with less than 5 stars. However, if you are fascinated by science and in for a good scientific thriller, you will find this book to be enjoyable.
Chaos theory is not so much a science as it is a paradigm of science. It seeks to explain phenomena that seem to be random but in fact may be the result of very complicated non-linear forces that are difficult to model and identify. Gleick takes the reader through the explanations of sensitivity to initial conditions, ie the "butterfly flapping its wings" phenomenon. He explains fractal geometry, and how non-linear forces can be modeled using odd shapes and complicated patterns. He talks about the complicated mathematical techniques that must be harvested in order to understand the processes inherent to Chaos. But he does all this in a way that a non-technical reader can understand, almost like a scientific detective novel. By the end, the reader actually feels as though he can explain Chaos Theory to bewildered friends.
Chaos Theory was extremely influencial back in the late 1980s and early 1990s when this book was written. Entire sciences were being reworked to accommodate it, and fractal geometry was even getting attention in the art world. What ever happened to Chaos Theory since 2000? Perhaps its tenets are so accepted that it is now a given in many fields and no longer an exciting research opportunity. Perhaps it is because of this fadishness that I would have to rate this book with less than 5 stars. However, if you are fascinated by science and in for a good scientific thriller, you will find this book to be enjoyable.
anadantas's review against another edition
5.0
É muito didático como ele mostra cada pesquisador isolado encontrando as bases do caos em áreas completamente diferentes, e depois que esses pesquisadores começam a se encontrar, ler os trabalhos uns dos outros... fica até emocionante. Dava para fazer um seriado haha. É uma leitura gostosa e útil para quem quer conhecer a área.
bookclubtrivia's review against another edition
4.0
I feel like people who work in math/science would enjoy this more than I did. It has some great insights and cool history, but was just kind of slow to get through.
benjamin_manning's review against another edition
3.0
I loved Gleick's other book on Feynman, but this didn't do it as much for me. It was too much in that middle ground of science writing that kind of explained what went on, but made me wanting the details more. If someone wants what I think is. REALLY good book about the beginnings of complexity science and the Santa Fe institute, I would suggest, Complexity: The Emerging Science at the Edge of Order and Chaos. It was sooooo good albeit I didn't review as it was before I started reviewing books this winter.
A few things I learned/thought about:
1. I still can't define chaos despite having read several books about it; maybe the order of disorder? Or the the disorder of order? Problematic that both seem relevant.
2. The fundamental concept of entropy is so befuddling! How can randomness always be increasing, and yet life came to be and the earth came to be and we reproduce? Does that just mean the universe has finite energy, but since we are so small that it's practically infinite?
3. I'm thoroughly convinced that our education system needs to drop high school calculus, and instead switch to stats. However, I'm now also swayed that some practical geometry (not just proofs) would be a really important addition to people's knowledge base. The geometry of nature, I'm sure Jordan Ellenberg would agree!
A few things I learned/thought about:
1. I still can't define chaos despite having read several books about it; maybe the order of disorder? Or the the disorder of order? Problematic that both seem relevant.
2. The fundamental concept of entropy is so befuddling! How can randomness always be increasing, and yet life came to be and the earth came to be and we reproduce? Does that just mean the universe has finite energy, but since we are so small that it's practically infinite?
3. I'm thoroughly convinced that our education system needs to drop high school calculus, and instead switch to stats. However, I'm now also swayed that some practical geometry (not just proofs) would be a really important addition to people's knowledge base. The geometry of nature, I'm sure Jordan Ellenberg would agree!