Critical Mass

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.

ISBN 0099457865   Pages 656 ISBN13 9780099457862 (What's this?)   Weight (grammes) 476 Publisher Cornerstone   Published in London Imprint Arrow Books Ltd   Height (mm) 198 Format Paperback   Width (mm) 129 Publication date 03 Feb 2005   Spine width (mm) 34 DEWEY 501   Academic level General DEWEY edition DC22

"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

Blackwell review:
Critical Mass is a highly ambitious book that attempts to find similarities and patterns between the hard and social Sciences to help make a better and safer world. As with all great non-fiction you feel like a more informed and interesting person as a result of reading it.



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Version	Price	Published	Edition
Hardback	£25.00	2004