A review by wwatts1734
Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick
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.