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Rating: 
Summary: beginner's choice
Review: after reading other users reviews i was under the impression that this book would be a fairly easy read, explaining what chaos is in laymens terms. not so.
the first 9 chapters are devoted to giving you the mathematical tools you need to understand the later chapters. if you have ever tried to learn math out of a book by yourself and failed miserably, you know its no fun.
unfortunatly, if you dont understadn the math tools, you wont really understadn the rest of the book.
so if you are a layman like me, find something easier
Rating:
Summary: Chaos theory for the rest of us
Review: As an applied social scientist with an interest in dynamical systems theory, this book was a revelation to me--technically accurate without being overwhelmingly technical. One of the two best introductions to dynamical systems for those of us who are involved in this area of research but forgot to major in math as undergrads. (The other one that I recommed, by the way, is Kaplan and Glass's work Understanding Nonlinear Dynamics.)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent introducion to chaos theory!
Review: I am very happy having chance to read this book. Actually after the Gleicks Chaos I've tried to read "Understanding nonlinear dynamics" but some chapters were too hard to understand for me. After reading "Chaos theory tamed" the previous book was overcame in a meantime cause Williams book builds up a very strong background and is excellent step for further exploration for a non-mathematician.
thanks to gnutella network:)
Rating: 
Summary: One of Many
Review: This book is one of many of the science for the general interest reader.
Rating:
Summary: Do not let this book get away
Review: This is the most comprehensive, clear-cut, to the point book on Chaos theory I have read. My only regret is that I did not read it earlier. I could have avoided a lot of confusion left from reading authors who do not clearly understand Chaos theory (I have read some books that have the right equations with the wrong answers), or understand the science but lack the ability to articulate the concepts clearly. Williams succeeds in both these areas. Williams devotes a considerable number of pages to building a foundation of understanding before jumping into particular topics. For example, he selectively covers specific (relevant) areas of geometry, trigonometry, statistics, information theory, etc. before uncovering the mysteries and ideas of Chaos Theory that rest on that foundation of knowledge. It is almost as if he wrote the book as he learned about the topic. The reader can see the evolution of ideas and how they amalgamate into a collective understanding and perspective of Chaos. However, the easy navigation, superb writing style, and diverse references make this book also applicable for the experienced Chaos practitioner. Before reading Chaos Theory Tamed I had read over 20 books on the subject and still lacked the conceptual framework and necessary tools to begin applying the theories. This book ties it all together and makes the theory useful and applicable. I intend on writing Williams personally and thank him for his valuable contribution to this field of study.
Rating:
Summary: Do not let this book get away
Review: This is the most comprehensive, clear-cut, to the point book on Chaos theory I have read. My only regret is that I did not read it earlier. I could have avoided a lot of confusion left from reading authors who do not clearly understand Chaos theory (I have read some books that have the right equations with the wrong answers), or understand the science but lack the ability to articulate the concepts clearly. Williams succeeds in both these areas. Williams devotes a considerable number of pages to building a foundation of understanding before jumping into particular topics. For example, he selectively covers specific (relevant) areas of geometry, trigonometry, statistics, information theory, etc. before uncovering the mysteries and ideas of Chaos Theory that rest on that foundation of knowledge. It is almost as if he wrote the book as he learned about the topic. The reader can see the evolution of ideas and how they amalgamate into a collective understanding and perspective of Chaos. However, the easy navigation, superb writing style, and diverse references make this book also applicable for the experienced Chaos practitioner. Before reading Chaos Theory Tamed I had read over 20 books on the subject and still lacked the conceptual framework and necessary tools to begin applying the theories. This book ties it all together and makes the theory useful and applicable. I intend on writing Williams personally and thank him for his valuable contribution to this field of study.
Rating:
Summary: The best!
Review: This is the most understandable book in chaos theory I have read. It clearly explains the theory and the tools to understand it. I have read several books and papers but this is the one I like the most. If you are interested in Chaos theory try this book first and then read other technical stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Good introduction on chaos theory
Review: Very accessible introduction on chaos theory. Style is informal and nontechnical. You're not required to have a particular background in mathematics to understand the content. Reading it is particularly easy, and it provides excellent pointers to more advanced topics on chaos theory. If you already have some background in dynamic systems and modeling, i would recommend Morrison's book : "The Art of Modeling Dynamic Systems : Forecasting for Chaos, Randomness, and Determinism" which is somewhat more technical but certainly more helpful for getting a good idea of what chaos theory is, at an engineering point of view. In addition, for getting a very broad view of chaos in the real world, Schroeder's "Fractals, Chaos, Power laws: Minutes from an Infinite Paradise" is incomparable ! It overwhelms you with the footprints of chaos in every possible context. A must-read ! But very technical and requires some important knowledge in physics and science engineering... However, as an easy nontechnical introduction on chaos theory, this book really deserves its 5 stars !
Rating:
Summary: beginner's choice
Review: Very easy to read. It is an excellent tool to readers that want a first contact with chaos theory. The math is very simple and even if you are rusty or need some basic theory the book has 7 chapters to reinforced you. If by chance you don't understand this tools then probably chaos theory is not for you.
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