Chaos

A physicist, Gleick (The Information) takes an exploration of chaos theory beyond the confines of science to explain how it informs other disciplines. He begins with Edward Lorenz's discovery of the Butterfly Effect and Mitchell Feigenbaum's calculation of a universal constant, then discusses Benoit Mandelbrot's concept of fractals, which created a new geometry of nature. According to Gleick, "It is a book about ideas that somehow caught the imagination and refused to go away. " Such ideas include the self-similarity of nature and its infinite complexity. Gleick is at his best when he provides concrete examples from nature. Aesthetically pleasing illustrations enhance this informative presentation.