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Title: Hidden Order: How Adaptation Builds Complexity by John H. Holland, Heather Mimnaugh ISBN: 0-201-44230-2 Publisher: Perseus Publishing Pub. Date: September, 1996 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.27 (11 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Great insights into hard questions
Comment: Dr. Holland is a truly remarkable person. After creating the study of genetic algorithms he has gone on to further investigate concepts like complex adaptive systems. This book is an amazing look into his mind and an examination of some interesting theories on complexity science. He provides here a proposal for research and lays down a theoretical framework that can be used to examine questions like emergence and agent interaction. A must read for anyone interested in these questions. It is important to remember that this is an introductory text meant to be read by the general public. If you want more detailed looks into Dr. Holland's work I reccomend any number of his articles as well as his landmark treatise Adaption in Natural and Artificial Systems. The monograph that founded the study of genetic algorithms and was a major contribution to the study of evolutionary programming. Overall this book is rich with much insight and has many exciting ideas for possible research.
Rating: 5
Summary: John Holland is the master
Comment: In the worlds of Complexity and Artificial Intelligence, the name of John Holland is revered, and for good reason. One of the most important contributions to both fields was Holland's invention of genetic algorithms, a class of optimization techniques that applies a survival-of-the-fittest heuristic to a broad range of otherwise intractable problems. He is certifiably a genius, and his words on the subject of complexity should be considered close to the gospel.
To the benefit of all mankind, this god of complexity has seen fit to lay down his word on the subject in a manner suitable to the masses. He posits seven basic properties of complex adaptive systems (worth reading and memorizing in their own right), then uses the rest of the book to demonstrate that adaptive systems possess these properties and shows us how a computer can capture such adaptive mechanisms. Pure gold and totally accessible.
This book excels as an exposition of complex adaptive systems for the masses, and as a tutorial for the technically inclined. If you are so technically inclined, follow this book with Holland's "Emergence" and "Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems." Then head on over to Goldberg's book on genetic algorithms and maybe some Koza (a quick Amazon search can find these for you).
Rating: 2
Summary: Interesting ideas, bad writing
Comment: The ideas presented in this book by John Holland are no doubt interestring. The thought of spontaneous self-organization though hardly new has intrigued humans for centuries. Intuitively it makes sense and appeals to most peoples physical and methaphysical sensibilities. We know and hope that there is more to life than our common sense knowledge of it and the often dull and mechanistic accounts of natural science. Emergence theory therefore has an immediate appeal. Holland manages to keep this "flame" alive for one chapter (the first one) then the wholle enterprise is drowned in techno babble and most "non-hacker" readers are bored and dissappointed. This book is one more instance of a genuinly interesting idea being mercilessly slaughtered by bad writing. It's a true waste. It makes you wish writing courses were made compulsory for natural scientists and techo folks. Unfortunatelly it is hard to reckommend a better book on this subject... Most of the existing books are either written by litterary incompetent but hard core techno devotees or by soft science writers ruminating the self evident and riding the tidal wave of hype. All for the buck and a snapshot in the spotlight. A non-trivial sign of an over-hyped field of inquiry, dangerously bordering the realms of pseudoscience. At least chaos theory had Edward Lorenz as a respectable and astute front figure, managing to keep the delicate balance between scientific integrity and popular appeal. As for emergence theory that post is still vacant. Holland may be an important contributor to the field of emergence theory but he fails the requirements for that post.
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Title: Emergence: From Chaos to Order (Helix Books) by John H. Holland ISBN: 0738201421 Publisher: Perseus Book Group Pub. Date: April, 1999 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: At Home in the Universe: The Search for Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity by Stuart Kauffman ISBN: 0195111303 Publisher: Oxford Press Pub. Date: October, 1996 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: COMPLEXITY: THE EMERGING SCIENCE AT THE EDGE OF ORDER AND CHAOS by Mitchell M. Waldrop ISBN: 0671872346 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 15 January, 1992 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems: An Introductory Analysis with Applications to Biology, Control, and Artificial Intelligence by John H. Holland ISBN: 0262581116 Publisher: MIT Press Pub. Date: 29 April, 1992 List Price(USD): $23.00 |
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Title: The Complexity of Cooperation by Robert Axelrod ISBN: 0691015678 Publisher: Princeton Univ Pr Pub. Date: 18 August, 1997 List Price(USD): $17.12 |
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