On Thursday 15 Jan 2009 10:01:54 am Mayank Dhingra wrote: > 1) Emergence - Steven Johnson > Is about how various and sometimes complex patterns evolve out of seemingly > simple things/beings. The book delves into how ants operate and how their > colonies get sophisticated over time, with proper planning for space(for > ex: their colonies have graveyards and dust bin at opposite corners) and > work distribution etc. I also liked the bit about how cities evolve, their > planning etc and self improving software. How various things and beings use > feedback to improve themselves. > All in all a very interesting read. > > 2) The Human Zoo - Desmond Morris > Its a zoologist's take on anthropology themed around the basic fact that > humans have culturally advanced really fast but biologically(and in most > other senses) they haven't advanced that much, in the sense that we are not > well programmed to fit the city needs, pressures and problems. He refers > to a city as human zoo not a concrete jungle as our behaviour and problems > resemble more to animals kept in over crowded zoos.
Thanks If I were to have to choose between the two above, which one would you recommend over the other. I don't want to make my "to be read" list bigger than what I can manage in my lifetime. shiv
