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Murray Gell-Mann
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The Quark and the Jaguar: Adventures in the Simple and the Complex Paperback – September 15, 2002

by Murray Gell-Mann (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 147 ratings
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From one of the architects of the new science of simplicity and complexity comes a highly personal, unifying vision of the natural world. As a theoretical physicist, Murray Gell-Mann has explored nature at its most fundamental level. His achievements include the 1969 Nobel Prize for work leading up to his discovery of the quark—the basic building block of all atomic nuclei throughout the universe. But Gell-Mann is a man of many intellectual passions, with lifelong interests in fields that seek to understand existence at its most complex: natural history, biological evolution, the history of language, and the study of creative thinking.

These seemingly disparate pursuits come together in Gell-Mann's current work at The Santa Fe Institute, where scientists are investigating the similarities and differences among complex adaptive systems—systems that learn or evolve by utilizing acquired information. They include a child learning his or her native language, a strain of bacteria becoming resistant to an antibiotic, the scientific community testing new theories, an artist implementing a creative idea, a society developing new customs or superstitions, a computer learning to play chess, or the human race evolving ways of living in greater harmony with itself and with other inhabitants of the Earth.

The Quark and the Jaguar is an engaging, elegantly written introduction to the life's work of one of this century's most accomplished and influential scientists. This is Gell-Mann's own story of finding the connections between the basic laws of physics and the complexity and diversity of the natural world. The simple: a quark inside an atom. The complex: a jaguar prowling its jungle territory in the night. Exploring the relationships between them becomes a series of exciting intellectual adventures.
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  1. Print length
    375 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Owl Books
  4. Publication date
    September 15, 2002
  5. Dimensions
    5.51 x 1.06 x 10.31 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    9780716727255
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0716727255
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review


"A stimulating, provocative, and uncommon cut across compartments of human knowledge that are usually hermetically sealed."—Carl Sagan

"An exhilarating voyage of learning. Not a sparrow takes wing, not an idea rises, not a quark quivers that does not inspire Murray Gell-Mann. He has made his life an adventuresome quest along the frontiers of knowledge."—Bill Moyers

"A grand tour of one of the most powerful and richly structured complex adaptive systems of our time: the mind of Murray Gell-Mann. The tour is very much worth taking."—Science

"A book every bit as interesting as its author. Gell-Mann weaves together such seemingly disparate elements as chimpanzee behavior, avalanche mechanics, superstring theory, and Shakespeare. Extraordinary!"—Mark J. Plotkin, author of Tales of a Shaman Apprentice

"A book about how the wonderful diversity of the universe can arise out of a set of fairly simple basic laws. It is written by an expert in both the fundamental laws and the complex structures they can produce."—Stephen W. Hawking

"The Quark and the Jaguar emerges as a work of considerable felicity. It can be read by anyone with an interest in science, and it has a clarity and integrity that can only be produced by sustained effort."—The New York Review of Books

"A most important book."—The Washington Post

"A wide- ranging book, reflecting a mind that has never ceased to be curious and that has been able to indulge that curiosity through travel and contact with experts from diverse fields. Thus, the book opens with a description of his close encounter with a jaguarundi—a wild cat—in the Guatemalan rain forest surrounding the Mayan ruins at Tikal. The moment was something of an epiphany: Gell-Mann perceived that out of the simple and uniform emerge the complex and individual—the organism or system with a history, able to interact with the environment. The book plays out this theme in chapters that move from quarks and superstring theory to biological evolution, language development, culture, consciousness, creativity, and the present world ecological dilemmas. Along the way, the author offers introductions to theoretical constructs like measures of complexity, randomness, and depth; and he gives discourses on entropy and the arrow of time. All in all, this is a wonderfully heady experience. It is not particle physics made easy; it is an insight into the mind of an idealist and theorist—and polymath—whose company is a pleasure to share."—Kirkus Reviews

"A grand tour of one of the most powerful and richly structured complex adaptive systems of our time: the mind of Murray Gell-Mann. The tour is very much worth taking."—Science

About the Author


Murray Gell-Mann is Professor and Co-Chairman of the Science Board of the Santa Fe Institute, and Robert Andrews Milikan Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology. In 1969 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his contributions and discoveries concerning the classification of elementary particles and their interactions.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0716727250
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Owl Books (September 15, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 375 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780716727255
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0716727255
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 1.06 x 10.31 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 147 ratings

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Murray Gell-Mann

Murray Gell-Mann

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
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147 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Illinois
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect condition - Brand new book!
Reviewed in the United States on August 16, 2023
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The book arrived promptly and is in perfect condition. Thank you very much.
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Steve C
5.0 out of 5 stars Book is in excellent condition, speedy delivery, and fair price.
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2022
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The book is in amazingly good condition with all of the original components including the jacket. The delivery was quick with no damage. The price was very fair for the quality of the book.
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mark seligman
4.0 out of 5 stars An entry into a great scientists mind.
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2017
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I bought this for a friend; read it when it first came out. Gell-Mann's thinking and writing are able to engage the full awe of the wonders of the world that is first rate science. When you watch a great athlete, you can get the feeling that you can duplicate the feat. Reading this book makes you think that you can have the kind of mind that a great scientist has. Of course, one can't be a great athlete or a Nobel worthy scientist, but this book made me feel that those things are within reach.
9 people found this helpful
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David Marciel
5.0 out of 5 stars The book was received in good condition and within the expected delivery schedule
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2017
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The book was received in good condition and within the expected delivery schedule.
I am pleased with the book, though I haven't had time to read much of it, as yet, I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of Mr. Gell-Mann's writing - he writes very well and what I have read so far has been interesting and compelling to get back to the book and read more...
I ordered the book because I watched a video of the author giving a TED Talk, which inspired interest in seeing what else he has to say along the lines he explored in the talk.
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Joanne
5.0 out of 5 stars If you like books about chaos theory (and I do ....)
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2012
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"The Quark and the Jaguar" is Nobel laureate Maurray Gell-Mann's exploration of the relationship between the basic laws of physics and complex adaptive systems. As one of the discoverers of the quark, a basic sub atomic particle, Gell-Mann extrapolates from the basic laws governing all matter to the evolution of complex systems and the evolution of individuality, adaptability, and the interactive complexities of entire ecosystems. Along the way, he also illustrates his point by exploring how children learn language. As someone intrigued by chaos theory but who can only understand complex mathematics verbally, I'm always on the look out for books that I don't need advanced calculus to understand. The books definitely satisfies "my Jones."
8 people found this helpful
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Cr
5.0 out of 5 stars This could have been physics for dummies
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2012
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A wonderful explanation of quantum physics that even I could follow. A complex subject easily presented.. I liked the way he used examples from daily life to illustrate points. A thought provoking book that forces one to think about the ynterconnecedness among the myriad things that comprise our galaxy/univrerse and each person's responsibility to understand the gifts we have been given (whether you are religious or an atheist) and to protect the legacy we leave our children.
One person found this helpful
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Ken
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good condition book.
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2021
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Very good condition. No markings.
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Art A.
5.0 out of 5 stars A very informative read.
Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2015
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Really liked this book. You don't have to be a scientist to learn a lot from this book. I especially liked the latter chapters where he talks about our responsibility to take care of our planet. This book was written a couple of decades ago but is still relevant.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Chinmoy
5.0 out of 5 stars Good service
Reviewed in India on October 10, 2023
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Hope the book is not a xerox one. If not , I am happy
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GH
5.0 out of 5 stars A Fabulous Read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2019
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If you're a layman like me, buy this book. Don't listen to the pompous, negative-sounding reviews above/below. Complexity, Information Theory, Financial Markets - this one book alone explains in language you can understand concepts of pseudo-randomness that illuminate all these topics and more. Its a delight to read. Having read a lot on Information Theory and Complexity, this book is simply a marvel in making it all just that bit clearer, and if you haven't read anything on these subjects, start with this one.
3 people found this helpful
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Winston Kodogo
1.0 out of 5 stars Only contains 2 pages. Do not buy.
Reviewed in Australia on August 14, 2023
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The Kindle version is rubbish. It only contaons 2 pages, a picture of the front and back covers, with none of the book content. I’d give it zero stars if I could.
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Karl
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully written.
Reviewed in Canada on October 15, 2016
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I've had this book on my bedside table ever since I bought it. Gell-Mann is a world renowned physicist who never seems to get the credit (from layman) in the same way as other more famous physicists. That being said, I don't know of any other physicist who is so accessible. Feynman shines at explaining the simple, in writing, but struggles when he has to talk. Gell-Mann is brilliant at both public lectures and written discourse. This book is wide ranging and wonderful in it's scope and insight. It is highly recommended.
One person found this helpful
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CAM scarl
5.0 out of 5 stars Un libro che deve essere letto
Reviewed in Italy on November 30, 2013
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Quark and the Jaguar;
Questo e' un libro che deve essere letto;specialmente per capire i tempi che stiamo vivendo;nonostante viviamo una vita intera nel quotidiano, cio' non deve impedirci una piccola riflessione; questa e' sufficiente a tutti per capire che l'essenza della vita e' di tipo complessa sia essa evolutiva che adattativa(Quark and the Jaguar );tutti coloro che hanno avuto la fortuna di incontrare l'autore sono stati arricchiti di questa consapevolezza.grazie al Prof. Murray Gell-Mann.
by Michele Falduto
One person found this helpful
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