Product Description

'He's the man who taught computers how to have sex. And now, for an encore, he's working on a theory to explain the complexity of life and its myriad manifestations on planet earth.' New York Times In this book, one of today's most innovative thinkers, John H. Holland, explains the theory of emergenceDSa simple theory that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Emergence demonstrates that a small number of rules or laws can generate incredibly complex systems. From the checkers-playing computer that learnt to beat its creator again and again, to a fertilized egg that can program the development of a trillion-cell organism, to the ant colonies that build bridges over chasms and navigate leaf-boats on streams, this fascinating and groundbreaking book contains wide-ranging implications for science, business, and the arts. 'John Holland is an exceptionally imaginative person. Often surprising, and always engaging, he takes the reader on a journey from simplicity to complexity' Sir Robert May

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #32708 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03-16
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

About the Author
John H. Holland is Professor of Psychology and Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He is a MacArthur Fellow, a Fellow of the World Economic Forum, and is known world-wide as the 'father of genetic algorithms'. He is the author of the ground-breaking book Hidden Order: How Adaptation Builds Complexity (Helix Books/Addison-Wesley).

Customer Reviews

Disappointing
I picked up a copy of Emergence hoping to find an illuminating and thought provoking overview of the topic.

The initial chapters eulogize a co-worker research on checkers players in a mollycoddling and frustrating unrigourous fashion. It skims over minimax strategies, and at one point draws analogies between the scoring function used and integrating artificial neurons, a relationship which is so weak it is banal.(Any decision based on considering several factors would fit the bill)
Later the author claims that "Chess models the real world", saying that it has its origins in powers manouvering on early battlefields? Does the author believe that checkers is also a model of early warfare, or that GO! is an attempt to recreate the frustrations of a morning commute?
The overall result is a weak book. It handles only certain aspects of Emergence, and completely omits other important phenomena. I found the brief coverage offered by "Creation" far more insightful and worthwhile.

I am not an expert in the field, and if experts out there wish to correct me I would be interested in their opinions. I am currently of the strong opinion that this book is extremely weak, and will sell purely on the merit of the author's (well-deserved) reputation.
Don't buy it unless you are also a member of the Art Samuel fan club.

Good book for AI and software agents
This is a good book for people interested in Artificial Intelligence and Software agents (especially reactive agents). The book gives examples of emergent behaviours in the world. An interesting read.