The Knowledge-Based Economy: Modeled, Measured, Simulated [Paperback]

Loet Leydesdorff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1581129378 | ISBN-13: 978-1581129373 | Publication Date: August 18, 2006

"Challenging, theoretically rich yet anchored in detailed empirical analysis, Loet Leydesdorff's exploration of the dynamics of the knowledge-economy is a major contribution to the field. Drawing on his expertise in science and technology studies, systems theory, and his internationally respected work on the 'triple helix', the book provides a radically new modelling and simulation of knowledge systems, capturing the articulation of structure, communication, and agency therein. This work will be of immense interest to both theorists of the knowledge-economy and practitioners in science policy." Andrew Webster Science & Technology Studies, University of York, UK ________________________________________ "This book is a ground-breaking collection of theory and techniques to help understand the internal dynamics of the modern knowledge-based economy, including issues such as stability, anticipation, and interactions amongst components. The combination of theory, measurement, and modelling gives the necessary power with which to address the complexity of modern networked social systems. Each on its own would partly illuminate an innovation system, but the combination sheds a far brighter light." Mike Thelwall Information Science, University of Wolverhampton, UK ________________________________________ "The sociologist Niklas Luhmann is considered one of the few social scientists possibly able to explain a decisive event once it has happened. In this book, Loet Leydesdorff answers the challenge to take Luhmann's analysis one step further by introducing anticipation into the theory. This book provides a fascinating exploration of the use of recursion and incursion to model social processes." Dirk Baecker Sociology, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Germany ________________________________________ How can an economy based on something as volatile as knowledge be sustained? The urgency of improving our understanding of a knowledge-based economy provides the context and necessity of this study. In a previous study entitled A Sociological Theory of Communications: The Self-Organization of the Knowledge-based Society (2001) the author specified knowledge-based systems from a sociological perspective. In this book, he takes this theory one step further and demonstrates how the knowledge base of an economic system can be operationalized, both in terms of measurement and by providing simulation models.

Product Details

• Paperback: 392 pages
• Publisher: Universal Publishers (August 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581129378
• ISBN-13: 978-1581129373
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,273,437 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knowledge Complexifies Relationships, August 18, 2008

By 

W. Sheridan "Epistemological Entrepreneur" (Ottawa, Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Knowledge-Based Economy: Modeled, Measured, Simulated (Paperback)

As the quantity of knowledge grows, it changes the quality of the interaction of all of the users of that knowledge. This is the theme of Prof. Loet Leydesdorff's book on The Knowledge-based Economy. The questions that Leydesforff asks are "What is the rate of growth in knowledge accumulation?" and "What are the differential impacts of that knowledge on the economy, political decisions, and novelty generation?" To answer these kinds of questions, intuition is not enough - you need a methodology. To his credit, Leydesdorff has developed what is undoubtedly one of the most sophisticated frameworks to date. With it he defines fundamentally new concepts, operationalizes these concepts into indicators and measures, and presents the data and analysis needed to triangulate the phenomenology of "knowledge value-added". This is not a book for the intellectually lazy - it is rigorously reasoned and well illustrated, but for those willing to follow the logic and the argument, it is a new paradigm for the knowledge-based economy.