Reviews

Coveney and Highfield, coauthors of The Arrow of Time (LJ 6/15/91), rigorously examine the concept of complexity in such scientific disciplines as mathematics, biology, chemistry, and physics. Stating that the scope and significance of complexity extend far beyond the concept of chaos, the authors assert that complexity represents a fundamental move away from the reductive principle that has served as a cornerstone of science over the centuries. They trace and illustrate this evolution from reductionism to complexity in the works of influental scientists such as Babbage, Boole, Gödel, Von Neumann, and Turning. Their discussion is presented within an informative and stimulating philosophical context. This work is an excellent addition to the current literature of complexity, one of the emerging scientific disciplines. While rigorous in scope and treatment, its presentation is clear. Recommended for scholars, specialists, and informed lay readers.‘Donald G. Frank, Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta

Coveney and Highfield, scientist and journalist, respectively, who collaborated on the acclaimed The Arrow of Time, have composed a marvelous and comprehensive work explaining recent insights into the genesis and analysis of complexity. ``Within science, complexity is a watchword for a new way of thinking about the collective behavior of many basic but interacting units, be they atoms, molecules, neurons, or bits within a computer.'' The interactions can ``lead to coherent collective phenomena''‘profuse in the real world and ranging from human brain function to the setting of concrete‘ which the book considers in some depth. The authors emphasize interdependence of advances in computing, as well as in conceptualizing complexity, then describe a new generation of approaches for developing artificial intelligence and for viewing life itself. This articulate and exceptionally readable account elucidates a new field that transcends old boundaries between disciplines and that may have the most far-reaching impact of all contemporary basic research. Virtually any scientist or interested lay reader will find this book engrossing, edifying and inspiring. Illustrations. (Oct.)