A history of the science is a good place to start if you are interested in the science of complex systems. An unexpected, enjoyable read for the depth and breath of the subjects' reach.

Although groundbreaking when it first came out, seems dated, there's probably better books on the subject.

I read this book cover to cover and I loved it! At times it becomes hard to keep track of all scientists but those moments are very few. To the complain of some other reviewers that the book is about Santa Fe institute and not about complexity… I found more than enough good information about complexity so that did not bother me at all. Just one negative thing: I wish I knew there was a more recent edition!!! 🙈

This is a brilliant and riveting account of the birth of the science of Complexity at the Santa Fe Institute told in the form of detailed and human biographical profiles of some the leading scientific voices in the movement. Some reviewers here have complained that this isn't a book of science, per se, but more of history. While you will not find the math, code, detailed analysis of various models, or even illustrations of some of the compelling graphics; you will find well wrought descriptions of the basic theories and the evolution of thinking that delivered them. Getting the social and broader scientific context for the founders is a great introduction. Then you can read their books to get the nitty gritty, and you'll appreciate it better for having gained the long range perspective from Waldrop. Complexity and emergence are some of the most compelling ideas to come out of the science of chaos - and are real paradigm changing ideas that promise to transform science in the 21st century and beyond. Complexity is the study of how agglomerations of agents behaving individually come to manifest dramatically complex group behaviors (called "emergent phenomena") with a richness you could never derive from the study of the simple components. Commonly studied emergent behaviors include the stock market, economies, flocks of birds and fish, the rise of life from pre-biotic molecular soup, the properties of complex molecules compared to the properties of their component atoms, etc... Methods of study are frequently computer simulations that model emergent complexity using simple rules in a recursive way reminiscent of chaos theory research. Indeed, Langton shows that emergent complexity is along the same continuum as chaos, but pitched at the edge between chaos and static order - literally the "edge of chaos". Some of the same scientists feature in both theories too - particularly Doyne Farmer of UCAL Santa Cruz. The fact that informational order appears spontaneously seems to violate the 2nd law of thermodynamics - but does not because only information is being created, not energy. Kauffman calls it "order for free". This emergent order is deeply significant in a number of ways. First of all it provides a way of studying the structures of reality that are too messy and dynamic to fit classical reductionist science. But, more importantly, the reality of emergent complexity says something deeper about a creative generative force in the universe which resonates deeply with human spiritual feelings. Seeing order emerge spontaneously feels like witnessing "creation". In the latter chapters we see that evolution moves complex systems closer towards the edge of chaos (lambda around 1/4). Not only does this give a mathematical model for "evolutionary fitness" (which previously had been only definable as a tautology: evolutionary fitness = higher rates of survival (i.e. fitness)) but this also suggests a deeper concordance between a particular degree of chaos and some powerful natural property of phase transition that somehow engenders all the amazing dynamical systems we marvel at - particularly life itself on all its levels, from the swirling metabolic action of cells to the cellular group behavior of complex organisms such as ourselves, and our higher level social behavior. It's not an accident of evolution - it's an important, universal and inevitable law of nature, like gravity or electromagnetism. Waldrop gets this and he takes you into Langton's computer lab the night he has his epiphany while playing the game of "Life" and other critical moments of inspiration. While this book doesn't spur you to take out your calculator and do the math like Gleik's "Chaos" it makes you feel the magic and gives you a heck of reading list to pursue further.

Great overview about complexity with a deep dive into the people and personalities. Not current science. Would be good to have what has been done in the last 15 years. Without the math more details on the science would be a suggestion.

The storyteller makes no choice soon you will not hear his voice his job is to shed light and not to master, Hunter/Garcia Terrapin Station I first became interested in things which just did not fit into my real world experience when I discovered, whilst quite young, that the weather forecast was not always correct in it's predictions. In Britain, talking about the weather as per Kate Fox, is an entry into conversation between strangers. My passion was science and in particular, Astronomy, and I found the history of the subject fascinating. Jump ahead a few years and I read for my first degree, in Economics. I found that the subject, based on the concept of rationality, did not match the facts and I found it hard to agree with Milton Friedman about the realism of models when the main purpose was predictability. I was skeptical too, of the economists claims to have some insight into policy either in terms of the National Plan, or the imposition of taxes such as sin taxes. My skepticism was not supported by the intellectual tools in my arsenal until a paper by Hayek entitled "The Use of Knowledge in Society" alerted me to a new way of thinking about economics which caused me to rethink my notion of economics as science into one of process. Going back to first principles of Adam Smith and before, I became more uncomfortable about contemporary economics and in particular the notion of equilibrium. Reading Adam Ferguson led me to rethink again about so-called economic actors and the notion of spontaneous orders. A television show in Britain on Chaos and Anti-Chaos, prompted me to investigate further. Partly due to Geoff Hodgson's works on institutionalism and reading Darwin as well as behaviouralist authors I came across ideas of Gaia and thence to Chaos by Gleick. Almost to the present when I settled down to read this wonderful book, little did I realize this at the time. The title is a bit of a misnomer as it really is about the establishment of an interdisciplinary research centre called the Santa Fe Institute, appropriately based in that city in New Mexico. The author combines fascinating stories of how the people came together to create such a unique body each being motivated by ideas, not necessarily recognized as aspects on complexity as such, which did not fit the mould that they were trying to be forced into. The book is a toure de force on how these individuals pursued their ideas, thinking the unthinkable, talking to others who were like minded, being able to get in touch with specialists in disciplines who recognized that these people would perhaps be the ones to break the mould. The stories of enthusiasm, determination, persistence of the individuals and finding the ability to speak across the divide of disciplines and recognize that their subject areas could be examined using methodologies which were similar and which undermined a lot of traditional ways of thinking about problems, are highly infectious. Almost an intellectual equivalent of bodice-rippers in romance novels. Similarly the book is fast paced in demonstrating how these avenues of study have opened up a veritable panorama of research programmes which are leading to fruitful outcomes. I have been unhappy for years with the whole notion of economic forecasts and financial analysts forecasts, which when wrong (often) do not lead to unemployment. Similarly, I question the notion of rational human beings, meaning men, when consumers are women by a significant margin who use different criteria in any marketplace. The failure of prediction over the centuries has caused a lot of human misery and will probably cause more. I must concur with one notion in this book that economics should be more of a discipline seeking understanding of real economies. Complexity shows how things change, how they evolve by what economic professionals call exogenous shocks which cannot be predicted by their modeling. Humans are affected by feelings, the weather and a host of other things which cannot be modeled or quantifies. This introduction to fascinating new ways in which to view the world has a lot of explanatory power in so many areas. It really is an outstanding work which I am going to reread almost immediately. It is a long time since reading one book has generated so much enthusiasm for further study and rereading older works through new lenses. My only regret is that I never found it earlier. To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palms of your hand and eternity in an hour. William Blake.