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A Crude Look at the Whole: The Science of Complex Systems in Business, Life, and Society
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Complexity explained; transcend reductionism for insights.
If you're intrigued by how intricate systems—from ecosystems to financial markets—interact and shape each other, "A Crude Look at the Whole" is a compelling read for you. John H. Miller will guide you through complex adaptive systems with an elegance that makes sophisticated concepts accessible. This book could be your doorway to understanding how a holistic approach can illuminate the interconnectivity of our world, possibly changing how you perceive and tackle problems.
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
A Crude Look at the Whole: The Science of Complex Systems in Business, Life, and Society
Regular price
Compare to estimated retail price: S$39.21
- Unit price
- / per
The item you've got your eye on is secondhand. You probably already know that, but just in case!
The estimated retail price shown next to any listed item represents the first-hand prices we've seen elsewhere, or the estimated original retail price of a comparable item of the same quality, construction and material offered elsewhere in new condition.
ISBN: 9780465055692
Authors:
John H. Miller
Publisher: Basic Books
Date of Publication: 2016-01-05
Format: Hardcover
Related Topics:
Sociology,
Evolution,
Economics,
Ecology,
Popular Science,
Biology,
Mathematics,
Nature
Goodreads rating: 3.7
(rated by 194 readers)
Description
A top expert explains why a social and economic understanding of complex systems will help society to anticipate and confront our biggest challenges. Imagine trying to understand a stained glass window by breaking it into pieces and examining it one shard at a time. While you could probably learn a lot about each piece, you would have no idea about what the entire picture looks like. This is reductionism -- the idea that to understand the world we only need to study its pieces -- and it is how most social scientists approach their work. In A Crude Look at the Whole, social scientist and economist John H. Miller shows why we need to start looking at whole pictures. For one thing, whether we are talking about stock markets, computer networks, or biological organisms, individual parts only make sense when we remember that they are part of larger wholes. And perhaps more importantly, those wholes can take on behaviors that are strikingly different from that of their pieces. Miller, a leading expert in the computational study of complex adaptive systems, reveals astounding global patterns linking the organization of otherwise radically different systems. It might seem crude, but a beehive's temperature control system can help predict market fluctuations and a mammal's heartbeat can help us understand the "heartbeat" of a city and adapt urban planning accordingly. From enduring racial segregation to sudden stock market disasters, once we start drawing links between complex systems, we
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Complexity explained; transcend reductionism for insights.
If you're intrigued by how intricate systems—from ecosystems to financial markets—interact and shape each other, "A Crude Look at the Whole" is a compelling read for you. John H. Miller will guide you through complex adaptive systems with an elegance that makes sophisticated concepts accessible. This book could be your doorway to understanding how a holistic approach can illuminate the interconnectivity of our world, possibly changing how you perceive and tackle problems.
Note: While we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.
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