Table of Contents

Hierarchy: A Short History of a Word in Western Thought.- Biological and Ecological Systems Hierarchical Organisation.- Size, Scale and the Boat Race; Conceptions, Connections and Misconceptions.- Hierarchy, Complexity, Society.- Hierarchy in Lexical Organisation of Natural Languages.- Hierarchy in Cities and City Systems.- Alternative Explanations of Hierarchical Differentiation in Urban Systems.- Conclusion.

Reviews

From the reviews: "This book, consisting of seven chapters from eight authors in addition to editor Denise Pumain, looks at the nature of hierarchy in a variety of disciplines. … The book is an excellent compilation of studies on the nature of hierarchy, which ought to be of importance to scholars in a variety of fields. Pumain’s thoughtful introduction and conclusion offer new directions in examining complexity." (Linda Harris Dobkins, Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 47 (3), 2007) "This volume 3 of the Methodos Series examines the major methodological problems faced by the natural and social systems sciences. … Both the Introduction and Conclusion by the editor are indeed invaluable! … the book are a directive to those professionals who ought to be concerned with hierarchy concepts–all professionals are to be involved! … Numerous types of classification of hierarchies are available to fulfill various demands." (Karl H. Wolf, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 36 (5), 2007)