Amazon.com
How is the human brain like the AIDS epidemic? Ask physicist Albert-László Barabási and he'll explain them both in terms of networks of individual nodes connected via complex but understandable relationships. Linked: The New Science of Networks is his bright, accessible guide to the fundamentals underlying neurology, epidemiology, Internet traffic, and many other fields united by complexity.
Barabási's gift for concrete, nonmathematical explanations and penchant for eccentric humor would make the book thoroughly enjoyable even if the content weren't engaging. But the results of Barabási's research into the behavior of networks are deeply compelling. Not all networks are created equal, he says, and he shows how even fairly robust systems like the Internet could be crippled by taking out a few super-connected nodes, or hubs. His mathematical descriptions of this behavior are helping doctors, programmers, and security professionals design systems better suited to their needs. Linked presents the next step in complexity theory--from understanding chaos to practical applications. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
A cocktail party. A terrorist cell. Ancient bacteria. An international conglomerate.
All are networks, and all are a part of a surprising scientific revolution. Albert-László Barabási, the nation's foremost expert in the new science of networks, takes us on an intellectual adventure to prove that social networks, corporations, and living organisms are more similar than previously thought. Grasping a full understanding of network science will someday allow us to design blue-chip businesses, stop the outbreak of deadly diseases, and influence the exchange of ideas and information. Just as James Gleick brought the discovery of chaos theory to the general public, Linked tells the story of the true science of the future.
Customer Reviews:
Not deep enough (?).......2007-06-23
For some reasons both this one and 'The Tipping point' didn't really appeal to me. As an example in this book there is this attempt to superimpose the 'Bose Einstein condensation' to network properties. I personally didn't see any beef there
Network theory and its applications.......2007-06-07
After reading Mitchel Resnick's Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds (Complex Adaptive Systems), my exploration of decentralized networks went down a very viral path. This book, in particular, discusses the application of network theory in the context of its historical significance. The author explores how it can be used as a tool and device to understand cities, computer networks social networks, human-human interactions (speech), human-computer interactions (HCI), computer-computer interactions (protocol), diseases, computer viruses, nature. Based on this book and its related siblings, it inspires tremendous amounts of ideas for the next big thing in marketing strategy.
Superb popular science: the laws of networks........2007-04-14
Networks all have a meaningful similarity. Whether the network at hand is a party, a cell's molecular reaction, or the puzzling old bridges of Königsberg, Prussia, you could describe each one by using a branch of mathematics called "graph theory," invented by Leonhard Euler in 1736. His long-dormant concept bloomed in the 1990s with the advent of the Internet and continues to yield insights into many important problems. Sounds a bit dry? Don't worry. Albert-László Barabási writes in a lively style (there's nary an equation in sight) with fun, informative anecdotes. The tale of how he and other scientists discovered "the laws of networks" unfolds like a detective story. After reading this book, you'll see networks everywhere and gain deeper insight into disparate phenomena, from biological systems to business organizations to the economics of "increasing returns." We recommend this clear, accessible book to anyone who has ever wondered about the ubiquitous webs that encompass all things. This is popular science at its best.
Great for the layman.......2007-04-11
One of the best books I've read about the subject, especially good for those being introduced to the subject of graph theory and network thinking. One of the few technical page-turners I've had the pleasure to enjoy! Really, could not put it down!
If you liked Freakonomics..........2007-01-12
...then you'll love the connections drawn in this text. It more than touches on the realities of "Six Degrees of Separation" (as well as Kevin Bacon!)in an interesting, readable format. You don't need to be a scientist or a mathematition to understand the links, networks, and nodes assessed in this book.
I must admit that it started out a bit slow, but I recommend you stick it out for an enlightening outlook on the interconnectivity of everything.
Book Description
Thirty years in the making, this revised text by three of the world's leading mathematicians covers the dynamical aspects of ordinary differential equations. it explores the relations between dynamical systems and certain fields outside pure mathematics, and has become the standard textbook for graduate courses in this area. The Second Edition now brings students to the brink of contemporary research, starting from a background that includes only calculus and elementary linear algebra.
The authors are tops in the field of advanced mathematics, including Steve Smale who is a recipient of the Field's Medal for his work in dynamical systems.
* Developed by award-winning researchers and authors
* Provides a rigorous yet accessible introduction to differential equations and dynamical systems
* Includes bifurcation theory throughout
* Contains numerous explorations for students to embark upon
NEW IN THIS EDITION
* New contemporary material and updated applications
* Revisions throughout the text, including simplification of many theorem hypotheses
* Many new figures and illustrations
* Simplified treatment of linear algebra
* Detailed discussion of the chaotic behavior in the Lorenz attractor, the Shil'nikov systems, and the double scroll attractor
* Increased coverage of discrete dynamical systems
Customer Reviews:
A new version of a classic book.......2007-02-21
I bought a copy of this new book and I have its old version with Hirsch and Smale as its only authors. Main differences between these books are some new chapters covering chaos and the exercises. Old version has better chapters dealing with linear algebra. I find this new version hard to read and it leaves many details to be filled by the reader. I would say that the new version is still a good choice for a second course in ODE or supplementary text for a graduate course. I gave it four stars.
Excellent Book.......2006-05-05
This is a great introduction to the next stage of differential equations after a first course. Devaney is a master of presenation, and makes everything seem easy. It is not as encyclopedic as some other books on this material, such as Arnold and Perko, but it is easier to read and still covers the most important advanced material.
good, not ideal.......2005-12-08
the two books by hirsch smale, one with devaney, seem like good books, but I am not crazy about either, at least from the few pages one can search online here.
the latter book with devaney just seems a dumbed down version of the earlier book by the two more famous authors. i expected that earlier book to be far better, but found to my regret that the two books actually share almost the same first page, and the main difference noticeable in the early going is that the 2 author work is poorly written, and the 3 author one is not written much better.
it is clearer but seems to be talking down to the reader in an annoying way. so neither is the absolute pleasure to read that the wonderfully written text of arnol'd is, or the classic of hurewicz. i would skip these books and get arnold and hurewicz instead.
New Edition.......2004-02-26
You should be aware that there are two similar books with similar titles by the same authors. The old edition is a hardcover all green book by Hirsch and Smale called:
"Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems and Linear Algebra"
The second with the lorenz attractors in yellow on the cover is by Hirsch, Smale and Devaney and is called:
"Differential Equations, Dynamical Systems and an Introduction to Chaos"
Now, that may be obvious to you, but it is important to note that because those are VERY different books (which I have both of right here). The 'old' one is a more theoretical text that mainly addresses linear systems and is organized more like a math monograph than a contemporary (i.e. with pictures and examples) textbook. It is difficult for most people. The newer version is COMPLETELY different and is written for a more diverse audience. It starts with linear systems but then goes into nonlinear systems and discrete systems. It is somewhat similar in character to Strogatz's Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos. If you do not have a very strong abstract theoretical type of math background I would not recommend you start learning about differential equations from the "old" edition. You will find it very difficult. If you are used to a general abstract presentation of results you should be fine. For the NEW edition the level is very different. I would guess that courses in multi-variable calc, elementary diff eq, and linear algebra (if you understood them) would be sufficient preparation. Both books are excellent, just be clear on what you are looking for.
Amazon.com
When Margaret J. Wheatley's Leadership and the New Science was initially published in 1992, it outlined an unquestionably unique but extremely challenging view of change, leadership, and the structure of groups. Many readers immediately embraced its cutting-edge perspective, but others just could not understand how the complicated scientific tenets it described could be used to reshape institutions. Now Wheatley, an organizational specialist who has since coauthored A Simpler Way, updates the original by including additional material (such as an epilogue addressing her personal experiences during the past decade) and reconstructing some of her more challenging concepts. The result is a much clearer work that first explores the implications of quantum physics on organizational practice, then investigates ways that biology and chemistry affect living systems, and finally focuses on chaos theory, the creation of a new order, and the manner that scientific principles affect leadership. "Our old ways of relating to each other don't support us any longer," she writes. "It is up to us to journey forth in search of new practices and new ideas that will enable us to create lives and organizations worthy of human habitation." --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Leadership and the New Science launched a revolution by demonstrating that ideas drawn from quantum physics, chaos theory, and molecular biology could improve organizational performance. Margaret Wheatley called for free-flowing information, individual empowerment, relationship networks, and organizational change that evolves organically -- ideas that have become commonplace. Now Wheatley's updated classic, based on her experiences with these ideas in a diverse number of organizations on five continents, is available in paperback.
Customer Reviews:
You either get it or you don't.......2007-10-18
As I read this book I gain flashes of insight from almost every page. I am an engineer and, while not expert in the scientific fields Wheatley discusses, I had read quite a bit about them. As I venture into unfamiliar organizational territory, I find that we have been instinctively using Wheatley's approaches. They seem especially suited to what we are endeavoring to do. Reading her book has clarified and affirmed what we are doing and allowed me to more deeply understand the processes.
Reading the reviews here, I see that some people 'get' what Ms. Wheatley is saying and some people don't. The ones who 'get it' are going to change the world.
"Science - y " for the Science Type.......2007-08-03
Leadership and the New Science is a hard read unless you are the science type. Each chapter starts out like an introduction to evolution, but the ending (the part that you can actually conprehend) is very thought-provoking.
Signficant and Revolutionary Insights to Human Organizations.......2007-07-02
The insights put forth by this book need not be limited to businesses - though that is the stated perspective (ie applying the insight of the new sciences to business managment theory). I think the insights go far beyond business managment and would be of interest to anyone interested in group dynamics and how humans work together - be it on a local community or national level.
For those who may perceive the book as a slam against newtonian physics (as at least one reviewer simplistically decribed it) I do not believe she was invalidating newtonian physics nor mindlessly framing organization dynamics with simplistic generalizations from the "new sciences". She was quite explicit in her introduction that this book was intended as a reflective piece to see what insights might be gained from applying a new paradigm - legitimized by the insights and advances in physics over the last century - to organizational dynamics. To provide context, she demonstrates how our models for organizational theories have derived from newtonian physics and - just as we have learned that this paradigm is not sufficient to describe all of the natural world - perhaps our perspective into other spheres of human activity can be enhanced by applying the insights of the "new sciences" as well.
In short, this book offers a new way of thinking for any human endeavor and its insight are - I believe - essential for progressing into the next millenium.
Disorganized.......2007-05-26
It's really not my type of book. It was required reading for class. I think it was trying to get at some ideas like field vision and systems theory. I found more substantial info in dalai's books. I think it was called seven ways of Buddhism.
Applies quantum theory to management.......2007-05-12
This book is a challenging read and is a good fit for someone who's both scientifically and management minded. It provides some good links between quantum theory and management, but at times, it is a struggle to understand and one must read the section over several times to fully understand.
The author's work at the Berkana Institute is very interesting which believes that leaders are already present in communities and need to emerge. If you like the book, I encourage you to look up the institute!
Amazon.com
Few writers distinguish themselves by their ability to write about complicated, even obscure topics clearly and engagingly. James Gleick, a former science writer for the New York Times, resides in this exclusive category. In Chaos, he takes on the job of depicting the first years of the study of chaos--the seemingly random patterns that characterize many natural phenomena.
This is not a purely technical book. Instead, it focuses as much on the scientists studying chaos as on the chaos itself. In the pages of Gleick's book, the reader meets dozens of extraordinary and eccentric people. For instance, Mitchell Feigenbaum, who constructed and regulated his life by a 26-hour clock and watched his waking hours come in and out of phase with those of his coworkers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
As for chaos itself, Gleick does an outstanding job of explaining the thought processes and investigative techniques that researchers bring to bear on chaos problems. Rather than attempt to explain Julia sets, Lorenz attractors, and the Mandelbrot Set with gigantically complicated equations, Chaos relies on sketches, photographs, and Gleick's wonderful descriptive prose.
Customer Reviews:
A "must" if you strive to understand the mystery of the universe.......2007-09-07
No, this book won't change your life or anything, but if you're an enthusiastic reader of lay science books, like me, it's a must read. Gleick's style can get dense and repetitive at times, but the concepts that he is conveying are slippery, at best. It's hard to get an intellectual bead on them. So the repetition is appropriate.
And if you've ever wondered how in the universe order could evolve out of chaos, this book gives us a peak at the best clues there are to what lies behind the kimono.
Brilliant.......2007-06-25
This is another excellent book from Gleick, surely one of the best writers alive right now.
An engaging and readable introduction to Chaos Theory.......2007-03-29
Mathmeticians, physicists, and others that unlike me did not find college level calculus challenging may be slightly disappointed with this book. There are no real equations for the Mandelbrot Set on the cover or any of the other areas of the discipline that are illustrated so well throughout the book. I have to say that the book was extremely interesting and difficult to put down. The visual presentation rather than equations seemed effective to me and Gleick is a very good science writer. There is possibly no other book that has stirred interest in this subject as well as this book for the layman in its 20 years. If you're not disappointed that you won't need a calculator to read this, I think you would appreciate the explanations for this new perspective on physics, meterology, biology, geology and math. I think of this book many times when I see alluvial flow patterns in the sand, the veination of leaves, mammotous clouds. It's an eye opener to part of the world that you may not perceive or begin to understand without reading this book.
A pop-science take on Chaos.......2007-03-12
Is Chaos theory a new title? Or a catchy name tacked on to the science explained by non-linear math? Either way, James Gleick explains the emergence of a new non-mainstream science movement. Like most of his pop science work, Gleick delves into the history, personalities and impacts of the science, as opposed to the in depth mathematics behind it. Taken as that, it's a worthy book that meets it's goals - documenting what might have been the beginning of a great scientific revolution.
Whoa! What happened here?.......2007-02-24
Chaos is as great a science book as it gets outside of some of the better than your average undergrad science textbooks; i'm talking about the good textbooks like "Project Physics Course" or Morris Kline's "Calculus". As noted by some who obviously have pride in knowing the real thing, these types of books are not the real thing; the real question is 'are they worth anything?' Yes! These general science books that are good general science books are philosophy books.
This Chaos theory book has been ranked pretty highly for its philosophizing as far as I can tell. To say the least, this is where my shock at contemporary supposedly 'intellectuals' goes up! James Gliek goes on and on(he even has a whole chapter called "Revolution" in the book) about how Chaos theory is a new science(o.k. it is), and that this new science raises questions about scientific method; to say the least, if chaos theory challenges you on scientific method, then your already dead in the water as far as an understanding of science and its methods are concerned! In fact, humanity takes steps backwards if a book that argues this stance is so popular with the 'intellectual' community. Ernst Casserir and Jacob Bronowski way back in the stone ages of the 1900's had all this figured out. Jacob Bronowski's books were published because his articles were so popular! What happened?
What happened is a new generation was born every fifteen to twenty years, and they just learned what they needed to.
Getting back to James Gliek's 'Chaos', he talks about how Chaos theory blows up the 'reductionist' views of science. Chaos theory is somehow more holistic than previous sciences. Never mind how he never mentions how Maxwell's electromagnetism 'combines' light with electricity; quantum mechanics derives chemistry, and General Relativity derives newtonian mechanics, he never even mentions how the abstract nature of mathematics works. Mathematics is an abstraction(not the popular notions of empty and vagueness); abstraction is the common form that any set of similar structures can take on; the famous example is how a couple of oranges and apples are two concrete examples of the common form of the number two. Abstraction is a unification; all of mathematics and science concepts are such unifications at one time or another. A strange attractor does not break this scientific methodology; it is as much an abstraction as any scientific concept.
Scientists seem to have lost track of all this including all these transhumanists who just happen to be nanotechnologists
Book Description
How to trade the markets by integrating Chaos Theory with market sentiment
In the first edition of Trading Chaos, seasoned trader and psychologist Bill Williams detailed the potential of Chaos Theory-which seeks to make the unpredictable understandable-in trading and it revolutionized financial decision-making. The Second Edition of Trading Chaos is a cutting edge book that combines trading psychology and Chaos Theory and its particular effect on the markets. By examining both of these facets in relation to the current market, readers will have the best of all possible worlds when trading.
Bill Williams, PhD, CTA (Solana Beach, CA), is President of Profitunity.com, a leader in the field of education for traders and investors. Justine Gregory-Williams (Solana Beach, CA) is President of the Profitunity Trading Group and a full-time trader.
Download Description
How to trade the markets by integrating Chaos Theory with market sentiment
In the first edition of Trading Chaos, seasoned trader and psychologist Bill Williams detailed the potential of Chaos Theory-which seeks to make the unpredictable understandable-in trading and it revolutionized financial decision-making. The Second Edition of Trading Chaos is a cutting edge book that combines trading psychology and Chaos Theory and its particular effect on the markets. By examining both of these facets in relation to the current market, readers will have the best of all possible worlds when trading.
Bill Williams, PhD, CTA (Solana Beach, CA), is President of Profitunity.com, a leader in the field of education for traders and investors. Justine Gregory-Williams (Solana Beach, CA) is President of the Profitunity Trading Group and a full-time trader.
Customer Reviews:
Solid trading book.......2007-10-23
For large traders and institutional traders who need to move large volume and order flow, this book offers multiple entry and exit strategies and tactics. Out of necessity, these traders have to scale in and out of their positions to dampen the immediate effect of their trading on the markets. Even for private retail traders, this book conveys choice of logical set-ups to incorporate into their trading operations. Overall, I feel that this book deserves your attention.
Great book - very intense.......2007-08-27
I've been looking for a book like this for a while. I first came across Bill Williams through the Metastock indicators and the Expert System. After loading an expert called "PS Fractal Trading System 2" I was amazed at the signals.
Having read through the book - I have the following quibble. There is a huge difference in the parameters of the alligator in what comes with Metastock (v9 and v10) and what the book gives. The book says the green line is 13 bar smoothed average offset 8 bars into future. Likewise the red is 8 bar offset 5, and the green is 5 bar offset 3. However this does not correspond to the Metastock indicator he provides. For the curious, the Metastock ones referred to in page 206 of book have the following values: Green: 9 period EMA of Median offset 3. Red: 15 period offset 5, and Blue 25 period offset 8
It is the right book at the right time.......2007-07-06
This book has methods to get buy signals before the lows and sell signals before the highs. This will help one sell into strength and buy into weakness. It has helped me get my positions off. I have recommended this book to all of my trading friends. It will take careful study to fully understand it. This book is original, all mechanical and all objective. The three wise men make up very powerful trading tools.
Good book.......2007-01-09
Another great book from Bill Williams!
Interesting for trend trading and for good living.
Bill Williams is the REAL DEAL.......2006-12-18
I am a BIG believer in Bill Williams and his body of work.
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).
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 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
Average customer rating:
- Don't be afraid,
- Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture
- Multi-point reference, strong in all areas but very broad
- Successful Integration of Systems Thinking "Camps"
- Go west young man go west!
|
Systems Thinking, Second Edition: Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture
Jamshid Gharajedaghi
Manufacturer: Butterworth-Heinemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
MIS
| Industries & Professions
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Management
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Production & Operations
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Systems & Planning
| Management & Leadership
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
Production, Operation & Management
| Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Information Systems
| Software Engineering
| Computer Science
| Computers & Internet
| Subjects
| Books
Business Math
| Business Skills
| Reference
| Subjects
| Books
All Amazon Upgrade
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Business & Investing
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Computers & Internet
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Engineering
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Professional & Technical
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Amazon Upgrade
| Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Business & Investing
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Computers & Internet
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Reference
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Manager's Pocket Guide to Systems Thinking and Learning
-
Systems Thinking Basics: From Concepts to Causal Loops
-
Systems Approaches to Management
-
An Introduction to General Systems Thinking (Silver Anniversary Edition)
-
General System Theory: Foundations, Development, Applications
ASIN: 0750679735 |
Book Description
The first edition of Systems Thinking was the first book to develop a working concept of systems theory and to deal operationally with systems methodology. The author has been working for the last 5 years to incorporate parallel development in quantum theory, self-organizing systems and complexity theory, the sum of which is included in this new 2nd edition. He has tested these concepts with 200 executive MBA students, and also with Russell Ackoff, one of the founding fathers of systems thinking. Ackoff reported that it was the most comprehensive systems methodology he has seen.
The 2nd edition features the synthesis of holistic thinking (iteration of structure, function and process), operational thinking (understanding chaos and complexity), sociocultural systems (movement toward a predefined order), and interactive design (redesigning the future and inventing ways to bring it about).
Also added are the operational thinking and self-organizing aspect of sociocultural systems, with updates made to the holistic thinking and interactive design parts to incorporate recent new developments.
* Cutting edge thinking incorporates the interaction of holistic thinking, operational thinking, sociocultural systems, and interactive design to develop an all inclusive systems methodology
* Companion website built solely to accompany and compliment the new edition available at www.interactdesign.com
* Operational thinking and self organizing aspects of sociocultural systems added anew, with the holistic thinking and interactive design parts updated to incorporate new developments
Customer Reviews:
Don't be afraid,.......2007-08-27
This is really aimed at the reader who wishes to work on the transformation of whole organisations. Demonstrating the multi-dimensional relationships between organisational design, performance and behaviour.
This work has had a profound effect on my thinking and development of management ideas. It integrates many concepts into a systemic whole. I have used this book with many management teams in recent years.
If you are venturing into the world of systems thinking then this is probably the most accessible in terms of simplicity and breakthrough applications.
Putting these ideas into practice with your colleagues or management teams might seem a little daunting but it's the only way to learn and master the concepts which will bring deeper insight into organisational change and provide you with better solutions to some of your more persistent management issues. Don't be afraid.
Managing Chaos and Complexity: A Platform for Designing Business Architecture.......2007-02-18
My company recommended that I read this book in advance of training session with the author. I scanned the entire book today. Some useful info.
Multi-point reference, strong in all areas but very broad.......2006-04-14
The concepts of system thinking, enterprise architecture, business architecture are big enough by themselves to be covered in a book. Doing it all within the context of a single book is daunting and a topic that Gharajedaghi partially accomplishes.
I read this book as part of the research I did for my doctoral dissertation, so this review will have a bit of an academic bent.
Gharajedaghi is a strong believer in the Enterprise Architecture models of Zachman and that influence shows in his work. The book has a strong academic flavor in its use of terminology and how it describes systems thinking. Executives and consultants looking to understand these concepts will have to work at it a bit, but the work is worth it.
A strength of this work is the fact that includes actual case studies -- something that few people take the time to do. The five cases cover a variety of industries and situations that make the principles that Gharajedaghi discusses.
Overall, if you are a serious student of systems thinking this book is a good second level reference. Peter Senge's the 5th Discipline is the 'pop' version of systems thinking and Peter Checklund is the intermediate level and somewhat similar to this work.
Successful Integration of Systems Thinking "Camps".......2006-02-12
Gharajedaghi's 2nd edition has accomplished an incredible feat - he has successfully integrated and synthesized the systems dynamics of Forrester with the systems thinking and interactive design of Ackoff. Jamshid connects Holistic thinking, operational thinking, socio-cultural models/conceptions, and interactive design into a complementary whole. Our organization has learned and is using Jamshid's methodology and it is fundamentally changing the way in which we see the world and the organizations that will be able to compete in this new "flat" world.
If you're ready to escape the confines of linear thinking and classical science and management approaches to organizational problems, then this is your book. This book is written conceptually, not linearly, and challenges any reader who is used to over-simplified, mainstream books yet it is not an overly technical read that would be approachable only to high-level engineers and systems scientists. Those not having approached systems thinking before might be better off simultaneously working through Senge's Fifth Discipline and Ackoff's Best as primers. Be prepared to read it slowly and repeatedly - the ideas are profound when considered carefully and openly and might challenge many core assumptions.
Having met Jamshid on several occasions, I have found him to be one of the brighest men to grace our world with a significant contribution to share - he very well may have the current "best" answer to organizational design for our times. To dismiss him as simply an "Ackoff disciple" or another guru trying to sell his services is shortsighted. Linear, prescriptive books become best-sellers that catapult authors into 5-digit fee days - Jamshid's 2nd edition isn't the stuff of best-sellers, but rather for "best-thinkers."
Go west young man go west!.......2005-11-17
If this book takes you back to the source material, then it will have accomplished its goal. The book itself, lacks the finesse of it's intellectual founders. But by god do we need this book in order to point us back. The last three years have been a result of reading all the source material for the book and for that Jamshid - I thank you.
The best of luck.
Book Description
You Don't Have To Be A Shark To Be A Success In Business
Although you don't think of yourself as a shark in business, you are smart, ambitious, and want to succeed. With the challenge of the Information Age looming large on the horizon, your adaptability to change, your search for the elegant solution to every kind of problem, your desire to work with the system and with others toward a common end, defines and shapes your perspective. You don't need the killer instinct. Your talents, your coping skills, your intelligence will help you succeed in the changing world of tomorrow.
Your dolphin personality -- flexible, responsive, accepting -- represents precisely the attitude that successful managers must adopt. In Strategy of the Dolphin, the authors, innovative business experts, demonstrate that everyone will need to be a dolphin to survive the changes the future will bring. They speak directly to your needs, to your management style, reminding you that your way is perfect for your temperament and goals.
Strategy of the Dolphin will enable you to develop your creativity, break through obsolete thinking, and act upon your own compelling visions. Of course dolphins like to win, but they know that others don't have to lose at their expense.
A vital book that will take you into tomorrow today, Strategy of the Dolphin is a stimulating blueprint for success that resourceful and self-aware people can use in their continuing search for excellence.
Customer Reviews:
Difficult to continue reading.......2006-06-10
This book, though perceived valuable by a few other readers, is a tough book to get through. It is such a slow read that I couldn't read it carefully and thoughtfully after the first hundred pages - I simply skimmed the rest. There are many many many other behavioral books that use real-world stories to get the point across that there are different types of employees, bosses, leaders. This book does it in a repetitious and slow fashion, causing me, the reader, to have to set the book down after less than an hour of reading because of how boring and difficult the metaphors and wording was to read completely through. Not only was the authors writing difficult and not to the point, but the mention of dolphin, carp, shark scattered throughout this book was just plain boring. It may have a good lesson, but so do other, more enjoyable books.
All leaders must have in their library.......2004-10-25
I have read the book many times and I see new perspective every time; I bought many copies of the books for my best friends and my best enemies. I spoke so much about the life changing effects the book had on me that all the copies in my library are all on loan and I could not get them back again.
Life changing philosophy - THINK POWERFULLY - stimul action.......2000-01-24
I have used the many thought provoking ideas that really made an impression on me ever since I read a friends copy of this exciting book. I desparately want a copy for myself, but as it is now out of print, this is not possible. Can someone help. vleech@hot.co.za
The Dolphin book has stayed on my credenza for years!.......1999-09-04
The Strategy of the Dolphin has been an incredibly influential book in my career. Concepts like "do what you fear" and "talk about HOW you're talking about it" are part of my everyday thought. The metaphor of the dolphin works very well: an animal that can outsmart a shark! When something isn't working a Dolphin does something different! That's a great lesson for life.
Fabulous book that will be of benefit for years to come........1999-03-13
I read this book when it first was published because I was in an executive position with a not for profit organization. Throughout the years I have referred to it and each time it has revealed another secret in my life style. I loaned it to a friend and never got it back, so am now buying my second copy. Truly a keeper whether it is used for business or success in your personal endeavors.
Amazon.com
Fascinating and authoritative, Chaos and Fractals: New Frontiers of Science is a truly remarkable book that documents recent discoveries in chaos theory with plenty of mathematical detail, but without alienating the general reader. In all, this text offers an extremely rich and engaging tour of this quite revolutionary branch of mathematical research.
The most appealing aspect about Chaos and Fractals has to be its hundreds of images and graphics (with dozens in full-color) used to illustrate key concepts. Even the math-averse reader should be able to follow the basic presentation of chaos and fractals here. Since fractals often mimic natural shapes such as mountains, plants, and other biological forms, they lend themselves especially well to visual representation.
Early chapters here document the mathematical oddities (or "monsters") such as the Sierpinski Gasket and the Koch Curve, which laid the groundwork for later discoveries in fractals. The book does a fine job of placing recent discoveries about chaos into a tradition of earlier mathematical research. Its description of the work of mathematicians like Pascal, Kepler, Poincaré, Sierpinski, Koch, and Mandelbrot makes for a fine read, a detective story that ends with the discovery of order in chaos. (For programmers, the authors provide short algorithms and BASIC code, which lets you try out plotting various fractals on your own.)
This is not, however, only a book of pretty pictures. For the reader who needs the mathematics behind chaos theory, the authors in no way dumb down the details. (But because the richer mathematical material is set off from the main text, the general reader can still make headway without getting lost.)
There have been advances in the field since this book's publication in 1992, but Chaos and Fractals remains an authoritative general reference on chaos theory and fractals. A must for math students (and math enthusiasts), Chaos and Fractals also deserves a place on the bookshelf of any general reader or programmer who wants to understand how today's mathematicians and scientists make sense of our world using chaos theory. --Richard Dragan
Topics covered: Overview of fractals and chaos theory, feedback and multiple reduction copy machines (MRCMs), the Cantor Set, the Sierpinski Gasket and Carpet, the Pascal Triangle, the Koch Curve, Julia Sets, similarity, measuring fractal curves, fractal dimensions, transformations and contraction mapping, image compression, chaos games, fractals and nature, L-systems, cellular automata basics, attractors and strange attractors, Henon's Attractor, Rössler and Lorenz Attractors, randomness in fractals, the Brownian motion, fractal landscapes, sensitivity and periodic points, complex arithmetic basics, the Mandelbrot Set, and multifractal measures.
Book Description
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, cellular automata, L-systems, percolation and strange attractors. This new edition has been thoroughly revised throughout. The appendices of the original edition were taken out since more recent publications cover this material in more depth. Instead of the focused computer programs in BASIC, the authors provide 10 interactive JAVA-applets for this second edition.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent tutorial on nonlinearity.......2005-09-08
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.......2003-10-05
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.
Simply a fantastic book.......2002-12-21
I purchased this book when it first came out, during the
initial wave of popularity of fractals and chaos theory.
Although the fadishness of chaos and fractals has died
down, a number of solid applications for this theory have
appeared in areas like computer graphics, finance,
modeling computer network traffic and data compression.
I have purchased a number of books on fractals and chaos and
how these concepts can be applied in a number of areas. I
have yet to see a better introduction to the topic. This is
a core reference and I keep coming back to it again and again.
In the spectrum of popular science books, this is definitely
on the technical end. You do not need an advanced background
in mathematics as you do for some books on chaos and fractals,
but the authors do not shy away from equations. However, the
ideas are clearly presented. I have used this book as a
reference for developing software for fractal brownian motion
and Hurst exponent estimation.
"Chaos and Fractals" covers a great deal of material. On a few
occasions I found that the algorithms or explaination were
difficult to follow. In some cases, like the generation of
Gaussian random numbers, I found better, simpler algorithms.
When this book was written, fractals and chaos were fairly new.
It is difficult to avoid comparing this book to an even thicker
book, "A New Kind of Science" by Stephen Wolfram. Although
cellular automata, the core topic of "A New Kind of Science"
are not exactly new, Wolfram claims new and profound
perspectives. Many, including this reviewer, feel that Wolfram's
claims are overblown and egotistical (he has a bad habbit of
claiming credit for innovation, even as he cites other work).
The authors of "Chaos and Fractals" do not make exalted
claims for this work. Yet without any fanfare, this book
really does deliver profound ideas. This is simply a
fantastic book. I recommend it for anyone in the applied
sciences (e.g., computer science, quantitative finance,
geology, etc...). Even for the mathematically sophisticated it
will provide an valuable overview, which is difficult to obtain
anywhere else.
Well worth the cost.......2002-08-27
This is possibly the best and most thorough of all books on fractals. The discussion is excellent, the illustrations superb. After all, these are the guys who developed the computer art exhibits that toured Europe and parts of the US in the 1980s.
The mathematics is somewhat advanced, but not so advanced that most persons with a thorough background in high school mathematics cannot understand it. After all, I used it as a primary reference for my book Fractals in Music!
Excellent for intermediate knowledge of chaos.......2002-02-06
This book is a great entertainer for anyone who wants to spend many evenings "playing with chaos". The code in the book is a little dated (BASIC), but you won't have problems to use it as a good reference. The book will guide you through the understanding of the exciting realm of chaos and its hidden monsters.
Chaos and fractals are subjects that sound modern, interesting and eye-catching in the most of the cases. However, the applications and implications of chaos in the real world constitute the great achievement of human knowledge that the concept represents.
The lecture of this book doesn't require an extensive knowledge of math (but it would be helpful), it requires many will and passion for rediscovering your conception of the universe instead.
Before reading this book I'd recommend "Chaos: the Making of a New Science" by James Gleick and for those who are looking for a more compact but challenging material "Fractals, Chaos, Power Laws: Minutes from an Infinite Paradise" by Manfred Schroeder will be just fine.
Average customer rating:
|
Weak Chaos and Quasi-Regular Patterns (Cambridge Nonlinear Science Series)
Georgin Moiseevich Zaslavskiî ,
R. Z. Sagdeev ,
D. A. Usikov , and
A. A. Chernikov
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Chaos & Systems
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Acoustics & Sound
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
System Theory
| Physics
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Chaos & Systems
| Mathematics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
System Theory
| Physics
| Professional Science
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0521373174 |
Book Description
This book presents the fundamentals of chaos theory in conservative systems and provides a systematic study of the theory of transitional states of physical systems that lie between deterministic and chaotic behavior. The authors begin with the general concepts of Hamiltonian dynamics, stabililty, and chaos, and then discuss the theory of stochastic layers and webs and the numerous applications of this theory, particularly to pattern symmetry. Throughout, they are meticulous in providing a detailed presentation of the material, which enables the reader to learn the necessary computational methods and to apply them to other problems. The inclusion of computer graphics will aid understanding and the final section of the book contains a collection of patterns in art and living nature that will fascinate.
Book Description
Complexity science reframes our view of many systems that are only partially understood by traditional scientific methods. Systems as apparently diverse as stock markets, human bodies, forest ecosystems, manufacturing businesses, immune systems, termite colonies and hospitals seem to share some patterns of behavior. These patterns provide insights into sustainability, viability, health and innovation. This book examines how leaders and managers in health care organizations are beginning to use complexity science to discover new ways of working. Edgeware is not just for health care leaders, but anyone interested in organizational behavior and effectiveness.
Customer Reviews:
Complexity science explained to the masses!.......2000-10-31
As an innovation matures, it moves from one characteristic group of adopters to another. The topics of complexity and nonlinear dynamics were initially adopted by people who were considered "outliers" by their peer group, "freaks". Such innovators are comfortable spanning across disciplinary boundaries to learn how something works. The successful diffusion of the innovation does not occur however until the innovators hand over the ideas to the change agents in the system--those individuals who are creative enough to listen to the innovators, and yet respected and legitimized enough within the system to steer collective opinion. Today complexity and nonlinear dynamics have reached that level of diffusion, and in such instances "implementation" becomes of utmost important, and such discussion of implementation is necessarily domain-specific.
Such is the nature of "Edgeware", a new book by Zimmerman, Lindberg, and Plsek. "Edgeware" is aimed at health care leaders--nurses, doctors, and administrators--who want to learn specific techniques and intervention strategies based on the premises of complexity. The book is broken up into four sections: a user-friendly primer on complexity, a summary of basic managerial principles based on complexity (e.g. "grow complex systems by chunking"), tales from the field (e.g. "Learn-as-You-Go Strategic Management", a story from University of Louisville Hospital), and Aides (e.g. "wicked questions" that surface differences in people's mental models). Additionally there is an appendix written by Adelphi professor Jeff Goldstein that provides the most effective "non-mathematical" nominal definitions of complexity terms that exists anywhere.
The book is unique in several respects. First, the authors span an intriguing experiential set. Zimmerman is an associate professor of business at York University in Toronto, and has written extensively on the "fractal" nature of organizations, and on emergent strategic planning. Lindberg directs an educational and consultative activity within VHA (Voluntary Hospitals of America, a purchasing cooperative that also engages in leadership and organizational development, and encompasses over 1400 health care providers in the U.S.), transfering the concepts of complexity into health care practice. Plsek is a former corporate quality manager at AT&T who now consults extensively in health care quality issues. Second, the book is the result of an evolutionary design process where it was given extensive "field testing" before being finalized. "Edgeware" essentially serves as the handbook for VHA's efforts to spread the concepts of complexity into practice.
Third, the book is arranged in a hypertext fashion (in fact, it is available on-line to VHA members), in a fashion similar to Senge et al's "Fifth Discipline Fieldbook". For example, references to books or articles, or principles and aides, are made in the margin of each "tale"; the book does not need to be read sequentially. Fourth, the science of the book is solid. Unlike so many other business and complexity books being published, the principles of complexity are represented faithfully. Finally, the book's section on "Aides" gives practitioners very specific advice on how to move from theory to practice, another missing element in most current business and complexity books.
This book is an excellent read and reference for anyone interested in the application of complexity principles to business and social systems.
from Dan Beckham, contributing editor of Healthcare Forum.......1999-04-12
Peter Drucker once described healthcare as the most complex of all business enterprises. So perhaps it's appropriate that the best book on the emerging science of COMPLEXITY should come out of healthcare. EDGEWARE will prove useful to managers in all industries. The book contains a primer on complexity, a set of unifying principles, practical applications, a rich bibliography, glossary and web site guide making it, page-for-page, the most valuable book to date on complexity and management.
At last. Authors who reveal the clarity in complexity........1999-02-08
As a journalist and business author myself, I've read virtually every book seeking to apply complexity science to strategy, work, and economics. None, I assure you, comes close to EDGEWARE in terms of sheer clarity and utility. Though solid on the theory of complexity, this book's real breakthrough in its tremendous practicality for leaders. The pages are brimming with case after case--episodes of complexity in action that inspire as well as inform. For leaders (in hospitals and anywhere else) who ask, "What do I do on Monday morning?" EDGEWARE provides literally dozens of suggestions.
Don't get me wrong. Applying complexity is hard work. No book will ever make it easy to abandon command-and-control leadership or to let organizations "play" their way into the future. But with EDGEWARE as your guide, the work will be joyous.
Books:
- Machine Tool Practices (8th Edition)
- Machinery Component Maintenance and Repair, Volume 3, Third Edition (Practical Machinery Management for Process Plants)
- Managing Business Complexity: Discovering Strategic Solutions with Agent-Based Modeling and Simulation
- Markov Decision Processes: Discrete Stochastic Dynamic Programming (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)
- Markov Decision Processes: Discrete Stochastic Dynamic Programming (Wiley Series in Probability and Statistics)
- Mastering the Requirements Process (2nd Edition)
- Microsoft Office Project 2003 Step by Step
- Occupational Outlook Handbook 2006- 2007 (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
- Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company
- Operations Management & Student CD Package (8th Edition)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Psychology of Sales Call Reluctance: Earning What You're Worth in Sales
- Neoclassical
- Caligari's Children: The Film As Tale of Terror
- Eisenstaedt Germany
- Fools Rush In : Steve Case, Jerry Levin, and the Unmaking of AOL Time Warner
- Player Piano
- Monograph of Chalara and Allied Genera
- Accountants Guide to Professional Communication: Writing and Speaking the Language of Business
- ERP: The Implementation Cycle
- Foolish Undertaking
Six Degrees: The Science of a Connected Age (Open Market Edition)
Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order
Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software
Nexus: Small Worlds and the Groundbreaking Theory of Networks
Smart Mobs: The Next Social Revolution
