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Stuart Kauffman is a brilliant renaissance man; a man who was a playwright, philosopher, physician, and ultimately seminal theorist of the principles of complexity and emergence at the Santa Fe Institute. His ideas are widely influential, groundbreaking, and bear upon the largest questions: what is the origin of life? In the face of the 2nd law of thermodynamics, what explains the richness of order we observe all around us? What are the underlying mathematical principles of emergent phenomena? What are the underlying mathematical principles of evolution (both natural and technological)? Indeed, until Kauffman, I had trouble defining evolution without a tautology at all (i.e. "evolution is survival of the fittest - and 'the fittest' are defined as the ones who survive"). Kauffman gives you a lexicon for understanding evolution, including why there is more radical divergence of form in early evolution and less later on. The principles of emergence bear directly on such diverse topics as ontogeny, economics, the formation of galaxies, coevolution of related species, etc... "At Home in the Universe" is Kauffman's synthesis - his attempt to tie up his decades of work in an explanatory way for the layman. The book is full of intricate diagrams illustrating the concepts discussed and, while sometimes challenging, is readable by any moderately educated person. These ideas have the power to change people's world views - and certainly have transformed my own. Stuart Kauffman's ideas have resonated deeply for me and have inspired me in a multitude of ways.
So, what's the problem? It's the writing. Kauffman can't seem to decide if he is writing a book of philosophy or a book of science. He spends an inordinate amount of space discussing the philosophical implications of his ideas, often before he has even presented the ideas - let alone the experimental or theoretical support. As a book of exposition of science, "At Home in the Universe" is almost inexcusably poor. He presents a complex idea accompanied by a complex diagram which he explains. Often, however, he fails to explain the nature of the experiment or research that generated the diagram. He doesn't describe experimental or theoretical support for these ideas. The paucity of descriptions of the science behind these powerful ideas is doubly galling in the presence of repetitive presentation of inappropriate philosophical analysis. Many times in the course of this book I had to throw up my hands in frustration, wishing for exposition of the experiments hinted at in the diagrams - and being given long range cultural and religious context in its stead. For God's sake, let me put the context together for myself! But please give me the evidence.
In conclusion, this book ultimately teases. If you have any interest in emergence or complexity theory you will need to read this - the ideas are that profound. However, having read it, you will have to look elsewhere for empirical or theoretical support for the powerful ideas presented here.
- Paperback: 336 pages
- Publisher: Oxford University Press; Reprint edition (November 21, 1996)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0195111303
- ISBN-13: 978-0195111309
- Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 0.9 x 5.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
- Average Customer Review: 59 customer reviews
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Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
#332,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #324 in Quantum Theory (Books)
- #392 in Cosmology (Books)
- #78 in Organic Evolution
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