This book is brilliant. It braids together stories of multiple scientists, illuminating their respective areas of research one by one, into a tale of an unusual institute of Santa Fe. Despite the main topic, complexity theory, being not the simplest thing around, the author introduces it bit by bit, never boring you with too many technicalities but also never delving into too much of historical details about the particular figures.

Although it is a bit dated by now (which makes it even more of a history book as opposed to popular science one), this book is still very thought-provoking. Going to the meta-level of synergy between disciplines as different as economics and physics is just…​ the best kind of tingly in the brain. I believe every person who reads this book will see parallels and patterns in their own field(s) of expertise.

★★★★★

(384 pages, ISBN: 0671872346, Worldcat, Open Library)