A "VOICE LITERARY SUPPLEMENT" TOP 25 FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEAR

AN "ESQUIRE" MAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

In the tradition of "Being Digital" and "The Tipping Point, " Steven Johnson, acclaimed as a "cultural critic with a poet's heart" "(The Village Voice), " takes readers on an eye-opening journey through emergence theory and its applications. Explaining why the whole is sometimes smarter than the sum of its parts, Johnson presents surprising examples of feedback, self-organization, and adaptive learning. How does a lively neighborhood evolve out of a disconnected group of shopkeepers, bartenders, and real estate developers? How does a media event take on a life of its own? How will new software programs create an intelligent World Wide Web?

In the coming years, the power of self-organization -- coupled with the connective technology of the Internet -- will usher in a revolution every bit as significant as the introduction of electricity. Provocative and engaging, "Emergence" puts you on the front lines of this exciting upheaval in science and thought.