
The Origins of Order
Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution
Stuart A. Kauffman(Author)
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 16. September 1993
Book
Paperback/Softback
734 pages
978-0-19-507951-7 (ISBN)
Description
In what will certainly be one of the key works in the emerging science of complexity, Kauffman here presents a brilliant new paradigm for evolutionary biology. It extends the basic concepts of Darwinian evolution to accommodate recent findings and perspectives from the fields of biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. The book drives to the heart of the exciting debate on the origins of life and maintenance of order in complex biological systems. It focuses on the concept of self-organization - the first time this concept has been incorporated into evolutionary theory. The book shows how complex systems, contrary to expectations, can spontaneously exhibit stunning degrees of order, and how this order in turn is essential for the emergence and development of life on Earth. Origins of Order will advance our understanding of evolution and provoke considerable discussion among evolutionary, molecular, and developmental biologists.
Reviews / Votes
. . . an integrative book that will become a landmark and a classic as we grope towards a more comprehensive and satisfying theory of evolution. * Stephen Jay Gould * Stuart Kauffman's book . . . is a global representation of a new field, that will greatly enhance our physical understanding of Nature . . . A superb reading, not limited to physicists and biologists, having most important implications in natural philosophy. * Manfred Eigen * Here is a big book with a big purpose. . . . The Origins of Order is the first book to be written by any of the complexity theorists themselves, and it presents Kauffman's view of the biological realm. . . . The Origins of Order will be seen as a major work in the progression of biological theory. At the very least, Kauffman has made a persuasive case to have his bold hypothesis heard. * Roger Lewin *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
halftones, numerous line figures, tables
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 39 mm
Weight
1038 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-507951-7 (9780195079517)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
06/1993
1st Edition
OUP USA
€49.99
Available for download
Person
Stuart Kauffman, M.D., is a MacArthur Fellow, and a philosopher, biologist, evolutionary theorist, and one of the founders of the discipline known as complexity.
Author
Professor of BiochemistryProfessor of Biochemistry, University of Pennsylvania
Content
PART I: ADAPTATION ON THE EDGE OF CHAOS; PART II: THE CRYSTALLIZATION OF LIFE; PART III: ORDER AND ONTOGENY