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Describes emergent complexity in various common decentralized systems: anthills, the human brain, cities, slime molds. Decent layman description of terms involved.
The "modern tech" sections - on my 2001 edition at least - may be slightly outdated: SimCity and eBay are mentioned, while it's weird to have Alexa mentioned as a data-mining company recently purchased by Amazon.
They sure like to use "The emerging science" as the subtitle of these books, huh.
This one specifically talks about the methods by how decentralized systems can synchronize themselves - fireflies, neurons in the human brain, bridges, pendulums, quantum particles, information between people.
While the subject is narrow (it is written by an academic specialist in the field rather than Emergence, which was a reporter interviewing multiple academics), the writing is quite accessible and thorough in the specific subject (again, written by a specialist).
It's about
Finite and Infinite Games is a book by religious scholar James P. Carse.
This is not actually much of a book about games, although if you've spent so much time playing games that you can't relate to life in any other manner, you might as well read this.
Quite simply, it tries to describe all of existence as a series of nested games, with some other sprinkled opinions in-between. And when you do that, you really need to spend more time discussing how people cheat in these games.
The Carpet Makers (German original title: Die Haarteppichknüpfer), also published under the title The Hair …
it's a good book but it really didn't have to end with them solving the mystery only because a young pretty researcher lady decides to have sex with the old hunched librarian she only barely acknowledged previous to the scene.
I don't know what I was expecting.
Stross must really admire Pratchett if he's willing to copy Lords and Ladies verbatim and put his name in front.
Kraken is a fantasy novel by British author China Miéville. It is published in the UK by Macmillan, and in …
basically all of my biggest fears in one single book: existential panic, transhumanism, and horses.
Harry August is on his deathbed. Again. No matter what he does or the decisions …
I'm getting the hang of Claire North books: very long-lived dudes that travel to a lot of nice, historic places.
I'm getting the hang of Claire North books: very long-lived dudes that travel to a lot of nice, historic places.
You know what this reminds me of? The Liar Game manga. I should check if more of that came out.
"How do you stage a mutiny when you're only awake one day in a million? How do you conspire when …
It's short! Like, 200 pages.
