These days it seems the world is spinning out of control, and despite all of our best efforts to tame the chaos, the chaos persists. What if instead of fighting against and trying to control this never-ending current of chaos, we leaned in and embraced it? This is the question Neil Chilson seeks to answer in Getting Out of Control, an engaging and accessible read in which he makes an admirable case for humility in the face of the daunting complexity of modern civilization.
Chilson’s argument is for emergent order, or the “complex behavior of a system created by the interactions of many smaller components following simpler rules with no central control.” One of the examples he offers is of “The Wave” at a sporting event – no one person is in control of when it starts or stops, it emerges of its own volition and ends in a similar manner.
Chilson sees similar examples of emergent order all around us and argues that if we simply embrace the order that springs not from the top down but from the bottom up, we will be more capable of dealing with an increasingly tumultuous world. Because no one person, or small group of people, are capable of having all the knowledge necessary to tame the chaos, we should approach proposed solutions to our increasingly complex problems with requisite humility and look instead to emergent order rather than central planning and control.
A framework is provided for policy-making with emergent order in mind, but this book is not simply for those interested in public policy or government – it also provides valuable frameworks and a set of principles for thinking about emergent order in the context of organizational leadership and even has strong relevant applications personal decision-making.
Ultimately, this is a thought-provoking book for anyone grappling with the major changes afoot in our world today and interested in embracing the chaos – and the opportunity it brings.
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From the Publisher
Peter Boettke, University Professor of Economics, George Mason Univ.
“[A] readable and important corrective to the social engineering mindset. ... significant implications not only for public policy but also for opening our eyes to beautiful patterns of complex natural and social systems and hidden order they exhibit.”
Maureen K. Ohlhausen, former acting chair, Federal Trade Commission
"[A]t a time when the failure of institutions is rampant . . . Chilson's focus on an pragmatic, incremental approach based on accumulated knowledge shows the way to better policy outcomes. Experience is the best teacher, and Chilson's book shows how regulation can best incorporate it."
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