Chance and Chaos

Rating:
Summary: simple, elegant, and witty insights and explanations
Review: David Ruelle provides the reader of any level with an extremely readable overview of his pursuits of chaos theory. As a student of sociology, I found his study of physics captivating, especially with his connections between physical theory and sociology, economics, astrology, theology, and, well, sex. It's a quick and easy read, very understandable with little physics/math background. I recommend it to anyone who likes to think about new ways of viewing and understanding the world

Rating:
Summary: A vivid, lively presentation on Chaos Theory
Review: I used this audiotape as a supplement to a doctoral seminar in applied mathematics which I taught to business students. Most of them already had some background in Chaos and Complexity Theory and the level of the tape is really just a notch above the layman's understanding. However, it is very entertaining as well as informative for the more sophisticated audience. Basically we played a side of each of the two tapes in each class session. It was very much like having a Nobel Laureate as a guest lecturer (except that there is no Nobel in mathematics because Nobel's wife apparently had an affair with a mathematician!). Thoroughly enjoyable.

Rating:
Summary: a bit chaotic after all
Review: Interesting book but it tries to cover too much material some of which cannot be adequately grasped without the maths (though some of the explanatory notes help). It also ends with some worn out admonitions about the future of humanity and such stuff which plagues science popularization books.

Rating:
Summary: Good introduction to chaos theory
Review: It's nice to be hearing how a physicist places chaos theory in its place amongst possible explanations for natural phenomena. He doesn't oversell chaos, and doesn't undersell it. Not too big a tome -- a good read.

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Summary: An Introduction to Chaos
Review: The book is deception by the author! He says he is letting you in on chaos, but doesn't. He tries but is not talking in the language that he actually thinks should be used to talk about these systems. He is only decieving himself and not the reader! I wish he had written this as if he were trying to explain it to his children and not as a way to make money. Your unique Associates ID is: thefractaltransl.

Rating:
Summary: Ruelle's Chance and Chaos
Review: This is the best popular book on chaos, dynamic systems, and entropy that I have ever read, by one of the pioneers of this field. I have remarked in my reviews of Gribbin, Kaku, and others that Creative Geniuses in science (unlike Ingenious Followers who are so abundant) inspire others and themselves often by popularizing science in ordinary English. It is a good sign if they do this often, but sometimes they only do it seldom or never. Ruelle, as far as I know, only did it once, in this book, and the reader who loses the opportunity to obtain this book has lost a classic. Ruelle inspired me at an important place in my career (my fields are related to the probability-logic-entropy-physics interface). I am especially fond of recalling his description of how extremely new creations or inventions are typically received in science: journal reviewers will usually contradict each other in their haste to oust the newcomer. There are still journals which do not touch chaos, entropy, dynamic systems, fractals, not to mention my own field of logic-based probability.

Rating:
Summary: Ruelle's Chance and Chaos
Review: This is the best popular book on chaos, dynamic systems, and entropy that I have ever read, by one of the pioneers of this field. I have remarked in my reviews of Gribbin, Kaku, and others that Creative Geniuses in science (unlike Ingenious Followers who are so abundant) inspire others and themselves often by popularizing science in ordinary English. It is a good sign if they do this often, but sometimes they only do it seldom or never. Ruelle, as far as I know, only did it once, in this book, and the reader who loses the opportunity to obtain this book has lost a classic. Ruelle inspired me at an important place in my career (my fields are related to the probability-logic-entropy-physics interface). I am especially fond of recalling his description of how extremely new creations or inventions are typically received in science: journal reviewers will usually contradict each other in their haste to oust the newcomer. There are still journals which do not touch chaos, entropy, dynamic systems, fractals, not to mention my own field of logic-based probability.

Rating:
Summary: Outdated/inaccurate and self-indulgent; little of value
Review: Who knows why Ruelle felt compelled to write this book? He makes a lot of sweeping statements about fields he doesn't have a mastery over. Only tangentially does he bring in chaos, and he doesn't bother staying on any point long enough to add any insight on any of the issues presented. It's such a weak book that it doesn't even have "brainstorming value" -- the collection of ideas is limited in breadth and depth. Perhaps in 1991 it was fashionable to come up with books like this; having read it in 1999, I found little of value.