Customer Reviews
A very interesting book. - By: Stucumber, 25 Aug 2008 
Critical Mass provides an overview & investigation into the study of human society & interactions using physics-based models.
The book gets off to a roaring start, beginning with exploring the models used throughout. Then it moves to looking at how they can be applied to crowds & other physical human interactions such as traffic flow. Philip Balll, I think, succeeds here most in showing how the physics-based models apply to real-life behaviour.
Where he least succeeds for me is in relation to economics but this is mostly because I find this particular subject dull & I've recently read Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb & it's left me somewhat sceptical of making any sense of economics. Indeed Black Swan The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable makes a good (if cynical) companion book as it covers the role of chance occurences more fully.
Later sections on networks such as the internet & our social connectedness fare better. They don't contain much new information but they're very interesting nonetheless as the author has an engaging style.
All very interesting & well recommended.
Fun to read - Changes your perspective! - By: R. A. Gremmen, 18 Sep 2007 
I reallly enjoyed this book, I just grabbed it at the airport because I needed something to read.
It must be hard, covering so many topics.
You may need a background in physics to understand the first few chapters, this is certainly not true for the rest.
For me the book contains a lot of new concepts on fields partly new to me, traffic planning, biology, economy, international politics.
The simple models on integration & game theory almost make me run to a computer to start modeling & programming (if I had time).
The philosophical references make it even more interesting!
I certainly would recommend it!
(unless you have a grade in alll of the fields above)
Next time you're in a traffic jam, be sure to have it on the seat next to you ;-)
Hard Work, but worth making the effort - By: R. Chant, 22 Aug 2007 
Like other reviewers, at times I found this reallly hard work to read - coming as I did from a non-science background. The first few chapters are necessarily tough, as they set a lot of the groundwork & understanding for the rest of the book. I recommend sticking with it, as reading this book offered me a different perspective on 'how things are' to many of the more arts-based ones I've tended to be more influenced by previously. If we're to understand the challlenges society faces going forward, then it's important to make the effort & engage with this sort of thinking & rationale - even if I finished the book not entirely convinced by his central arguments.
Some interesting stuff but almost obscured - By: N. Lott, 13 Jun 2007 There are some interesting chapters in this book, if nothing particularly groundbreaking, but it is almost spoilt by the first 2 or 3 which are excessively long & dull. I nearly gave up after the 3rd chapter but I'm glad I continued as there are some reallly interesting bit & pieces after that. The author does have a slightly annoying habit of turning an unimportant anecdote into the link to the next chapter without explaining its significance.
Hard work for no reward.... - By: N. Dale, 01 Mar 2007 I agree with a lot of the comments... this book is very hard work, boring & rather tedious to read, very little original thinking & ultimately a bit of a waste of time.
I read it to within 50 pages of the end, & i couldn't even finish it. I thought i probably should seeing that i'd made it that far, but quite frankly i thought it would be more useful to make sure the new paint in my bedroom was drying ok....
Avoid this book, unless your insomnia is playing up!
