The Perfect Swarm The Science of Complexity in Everyday Life

by Fisher, Len

• ISBN13: 9780465020249
• ISBN10: 0465020240
• eBook ISBN(s): 9780465020850
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-03-08
• Publisher: Basic Books
• More Book Details
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Summary

The process of "self-organization" reveals itself in the inanimate worlds of crystals and seashells, but, as Len Fisher shows, it is also evident in living organisms, from fish to ants to human beings. Understanding the "swarm intelligence" inherent in groups can help us do everything from throw a better party to start a fad to make our interactions with others more powerful. Humorous and enlightening, The Perfect Swarmdemonstrates how complexity arises from nature's simple rules and how we can use their awesome power to untangle the frustrating complexities of life in our ever more chaotic world.

Author Biography

Len Fisher, Ph.D., is the author of Rock, Paper, Scissors, Weighing the Soul, and How to Dunk a Doughnut, which was named Best Popular Science Book of the year by the American Institute of Physics. He has been featured in Newsweek, the Washington Post, and Scientific American. He lives in Wiltshire, England, and Blackheath, Australia.

Table of Contents

Patterns of the Perfect Swarm: Visions of Complexity in Nature	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Introduction	p. 1
The Emergence of Swarm Intelligence	p. 9
The Locusts and the Bees	p. 23
Ant Logic	p. 37
A Force in a Crowd	p. 49
Group Intelligence: The Majority or the Average?	p. 67
Consensus: A Foolish Consistency?	p. 83
Crazes, Contagion, and Communication: The Science of Networks	p. 105
Decision Rules OK?	p. 133
Searching for Patterns: Imagination and Reality	p. 155
Simple Rules for Complex Situations	p. 167
Notes	p. 173
Index	p. 247
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