3 comments about Thinking in Complexity: The Computational Dynamics of Matter, Mind, and Mankind.

1. This book is an extremely well-informed cataloguing of the many areas of human experience in which self-organisation and complexity phenomena play an important role. However the writer's style becomes very heavy as a result of transferring German constructions into English - so much so that I was forced to skim read many sections.



2. The book covers a broad field - all parts in close connection with the others and its background in modern science and historic cultural connotations. The theoretical aspects are merged with lively explanations. Readable for the non-specialist, understandable for the average science-educated and meaningful for the specilaists, both in physical systems science and in philosophy. A top-notch guide through this topic of multidisciplinary novelties.



3. [A review of the 4th Edition, 2003.]
   This book studies complexity and nonlinearity across a diverse range of applications. Much of the book revolves around organic evolution and the evolution of a sentient mind. And how complexity analysis might aid in the understanding of these fields. Not the least in devising deeper forms of artificial intelligence.
   
   So intriguing techniques like cellular automata and neural networks are studied. There is a fair amount of speculation as to how these and other topics might ultimately relate to sentience or consciousness. But the musings are grounded in solid science. Like that of a Hopfield system or a Boltzmann machine. This 4th edition is a good reflection of the boundaries of our knowledge.

No comments about Perturbation Signals for System Identification (Prentice Hall International Series in Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing).

No comments about Automating with PROFINET: Industrial communication based on Industrial Ethernet.

No comments about Software-Enabled Control: Information Technology for Dynamical Systems.

1 comments about Introduction to Simulation and SLAM II, 4th Edition.

1. An excellent book for understanding SLAM programming and simulation concepts. In my opinion it is not a simulation statistics book. It deals with the subject only at a very minimum discussion level. In order to fully benefit from the book some familiarity with queueing theory, statitics (time based) understanding of discrete and continuous distributions and some FORTRAN programming helps. It would enhance the book if more discussion is added as to the installing and running the software. The cross-section of examples is pretty good e.g. logistics, manufacturing, traffic, pert, etc.

   I greatly enjoyed the flowchart method of writing the programs and constructing a real system in the form of a diagram flow.

   Great book!

No comments about Chemical Oscillations, Waves, and Turbulence.

3 comments about Would-Be Worlds: How Simulation is Changing the Frontiers of Science.

1. Casti is a lucid and entertaining writer and has sufficient depth in his own subject and breadth in other disciplines as to be well placed to write a book on modelling and simulation. This is an excellent introduction to some of the mathematical, logical, and philosophical problems of and raised by the increasing use of simulation to investigate 'real-world' problems. It assumes no background beyond a general interest in science.
   If this book has weaknesses they tend to be of the variety that afflicts much modern writing in popular science. Editors rather than authors, perhaps? A sizeable portion of the plates and diagrams add nothing to the book ("gee, John, this is a popular science book - we gotta have some pictures") plus a preference for rushing to mine the next source of the 'gee-whiz' factor rather than grappling with consequences.
   The strapline on the cover is 'how simulation is changing the frontiers of science' and I'm not at all sure that this question is answered. The last chapter makes an unconvincing attempt to be a summary, but is in fact the least interesting of the five trailing off rather weakly into a 'what we really need is a theory of complex systems' position.
   But, the acid test - did I learn anything from this book? Most definitely, yes. - Ashley Oliver



2. As someone who enjoys popular science books, dabbles in complexity theory, and works in modeling and simulation, I was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, it is not well structured and the author seems to be unable to decide whether he's writing about complexity or M&S. Yes, they are intertwined, but there are several books that treat the subject of complexity very well. What I was looking forward to here was a behind the scenes look at the experimental aparatus of complexity theory: Modeling and Simulation. Whether its due to lack of understanding of the art of M&S or an excessive love affair with complexity, the book comes off half-heartedly discussing both. If you want to learn about complexity, read something by John Holland. If you want to learn about M&S, read anything but this.



3. This is one of those books that address important questions. But unfortunately it is not always possible to answer these important questions. This book is about "would-be-worlds", on computer simulations of real life phenomena. The question is how can one explain real world facts with such simulations that look extremely distant from the real world. Good question, but it is very hard to answer. Casti does not answer this question, he has attempts, for example the section "Models for All Occasions" is a good step, but he can not deliver the good. Why? Maybe because he spends a lot of space introducing and discussing various examples of simulations. Maybe because he did not want to play the "philosopher of science" in this book. I do not know, but most probably he thinks that these computational models, and simulations are useful anyway. So he does not tell us how we can trust these models, but he tries to amaze us with these models. But is that bad? No!

   Although practical and philosophical questions about computer simulations are very important there are still few people thinking about these issues. Casti's book directs attention to these issues and questions. Moreover, this is a book for the layman! Thus, it is good to introduce different sorts of would-be-worlds. Casti is excellent in introducing things!

   Briefly, although Casti does not tell how it is possible to make inferences about the real world from such artificial worlds, this is a good book to start thinking about the philosophy and methodology of explaining with computer simulations.

No comments about Coping with Chaos: Analysis of Chaotic Data and The Exploitation of Chaotic Systems.

2 comments about Engineering Design Methods: Strategies for Product Design.

1. If you are an engineering undergrad, this book will be fuzzier than most of your texts. It doesn't deal directly with the hard, quantitative issues like finding the load on suspension bridge, or laying out the control systems of a satellite. Instead, the book's subject is far more subjective. But no less essential. Product design is a skill you need to master, and the book tries to help you along.
   
   Of the methodologies discussed, you might find the objectives tree and the evaluation chart to be especially useful. These can help you narrow down the design choices.



2. I bought this book for an introductory engineering class and only opened it when I needed buzz phrases from it. All the useful information was covered easily in class by the professor (who was a graduate student who had no desire to teach at all.) The ideas in the book only warrant a few pages to be fully explained.
   
   The book is very thin and most of its content is examples to illustrate the use of techniques it teaches. The examples have lots of unnecessary detail, which seem only to serve to thicken the book. You will either loathe needing to read through these or develop a habit of only reading the beginning pages of a chapter when studying.
   
   If you are looking into buying this book chances are it is for a class. There are no problems in the book to be worked out (which would be much better practice than these examples.) If you expect to be quizzed over the book, you can probably fake it if your professor also discusses the ideas in class, if not I sympathize with you and hope you try to persuade your school to drop this book from the curriculum.

No comments about Foundations of Complex Systems: Nonlinear Dynamic Statistical Physics Information and Prediction.