Critical Mass

Philip Ball

$35

Paperback

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English

Arrow
01 April 2005

Social, group or collective psychology; Mathematics & Sciences; Philosophy of science

The winner of the Aventis Prize for Science Books, this is a fascinating exploration of the age-old question- are there 'laws of nature' that guide human affairs? Is there anything inevitable about the ways humans behave and organise themselves? Do we have complete freedom in creating our societies, or are we trapped by 'human nature'?

Is there a 'physics of society'? Philip Ball's investigation into human nature ranges from Hobbes and Adam Smith to modern work on traffic flow and market trading, across economics, sociology and psychology. Ball shows how much of human behaviour we can understand when we cease trying to predict and analyse the behaviour of individuals and look to the impact of hundreds, thousands or millions of individual human decisions, in circumstances in which human beings both co-operate and conflict, when their aggregate behaviour is constructive and when it is destructive. By perhaps Britain's leading young science writer, this is a deeply thought-provoking book, causing us to examine our own behaviour, whether in buying the new Harry Potter book, voting for a particular party or responding to the lures of advertisers.

By: Philip Ball
Imprint: Arrow
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 131mm, Spine: 40mm
Weight: 448g
ISBN: 9780099457862
ISBN 10: 0099457865
Pages: 656
Publication Date: 01 April 2005
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Formerly on the staff of Nature, Philip Ball is now a full-time writer. He lives in London.

Reviews for Critical Mass

Exquisitely produced and painstakingly researched... Ball writes patiently and eloquently.. Exciting... A rousing call-to-arms, and an elegant answer to the shallow tradition of British empiricism. * Independent * In his fascinating new book, Critical Mass, Philip Ball tells the story of this research in a comprehensive and often captivating way... Ball delves far beyond today's headlines... Impressively clear and breathtaking in scope... Substantial, impeccably researched and...persuasive. For anyone who would like to learn about the intellectual ferment at the surprising junction of physics and social science, Critical Mass is the place to start. * Nature * Lucid, accessible and engaging... Ball makes a persuasive, comprehensive case and it's a welcome antidote to popular individualistic thought. * Glasgow Herald * Critical Mass fizzes with ideas and insights * The Guardian * more than a book, this in an intellectual curiosity * Independent on Sunday *