Crashes, Crises, and Calamities: How We Can Use Science to Read the Early-Warning Signs

by Len Fisher

Why do certain civilizations, societies, and ecosystems collapse? How does the domino effect relate to the credit crunch? When can mathematics help explain marriage? And how on earth do toads predict earthquakes? The future is uncertain. But science can help foretell what lies ahead. Drawing on ecology and biology, math and physics, Crashes, Crises, and Calamities offers four fundamental tools that scientists and engineers use to forecast the likelihood of sudden stability, catastrophe, complexity, and game theories. In accessible prose, Len Fisher demonstrates how we can foresee and manage events that might otherwise catch us by surprise. At the cutting edge of science, Fisher helps us find ways to act before a full-fledged catastrophe is upon us. Crashes, Crises, and Calamities is a witty and informative exploration of the chaos, complexity, and patterns of our daily lives.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2011

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. I liked they way it stared, but then it turned into more of a textbook that I had expected. As I was reading I found myself asking "what is this book about again" several times.