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Dewey Decimal Number: 530.01 EAN: 9780393041538 Edition: 1 ISBN: 0393041530 Label: W. W. Norton & Company Manufacturer: W. W. Norton & Company Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 235 Publication Date: 2002-05 Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Studio: W. W. Norton & Company Editorial Review: Product Description: As Chaos explained the science of disorder, Nexus reveals the new science of connection and the odd logic of six degrees of separation. How can geometry explain the puzzles of human behavior? In this incisive, insightful work Mark Buchanan presents the fundamental principles of the emerging field of "small worlds" theory—the idea that a hidden pattern is the key to how networks interact and exchange information, whether that network is the information highway or the firing of neurons in the brain. Mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists, and social scientists are working to decipher this complex organizational system, for it may yield a blueprint of dynamic interactions within our physical as well as social worlds. Highlighting groundbreaking research behind network theory, Buchanan documents mounting support for the small-worlds idea and demonstrates its multiple applications to diverse problems—whether explaining the volatile global economy or the Human Genome Project, the spread of infectious disease or ecological damage. Nexus is an exciting introduction to the hidden geometry that weaves our lives so inextricably together. 20 illustrations. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - An Important Idea and and Entertaining BookIn this book, I think Buchanan makes a fairly convincing case that the natural, human, and technological worlds naturally tend to organize themselves into networks consisting of (a) clusters of strongly connected elements and (b) a relatively small number of weak links which fairly randomly connect the clusters. Such networks are "small worlds" because the shortest path from any element to any other is usually quite short, typically on the order of six steps or less, even for networks as large as ... Read More Rating:  - FascinatingNutshell review - The topic of this book, small-world networks, is fascinating and the author does a great job of covering the material in an easy to absorb and understand manner for us laymen. Well written, entertaining and thought provoking. Rating:  - Extremely frustratingThe subject that Mark Buchanan addresses is, in itself, significant and fascinating. And Mr. Buchanan knows his stuff. He provides excellent visuals and thorough notes that many readers will find useful. Why, then, do I find it so frustrating? Simply put, Mr. Buchanan may be a first-class editor, but he is not a very good writer. Not that he can't write a grammatical sentence. He just has trouble structuring one that leads unambiguously from one idea to another. Thus, as interesting ... Read More Rating: - Good High-Level OverviewNexus is a book that delves into network theory, specifically the implications of so-called "small-world" networks. Small-world networks are signified by low degrees of separation and clustering, yielding the "six-degrees" phenomena that connects a person to Kevin Bacon (or anyone else) within approximately six links, all the while most connections are maintained amongst close groups of friends or colleagues. Research into small-world networks is a new and rapidly advancing field of complexity theory. ... Read More Rating: - Very interesting!A really interesting book. It's not hard to read and open your eyes on a new approach in understanding how real things go. |
