Robert Axelrod and Michael D Cohen, Harnessing Complexity, (The Free Press, USA, 1999)

This is a clear summation of the scientific view of complexity. It lays out all the components of emergent systems, names them, and demonstrates how they work. Quite a dry read.

 
Philip Ball, Critical Mass, (Heinemann, United Kingdom, 2004)

This is one of the most comprehensive popular science books I have found on the subject of complexity, chaos, and emergent behaviour. It begins with the history of the nature of scientific thought and carefully documents a vast range of key developments that have led to some amazing recent breakthroughs in scientific understanding of living systems.

  
E. Bonabeau, M. Dorigo, G. Theraulaz, Swarm Intelligence, (Oxford University Press, New York, 1999)

This is a scientifically credible work concerning the state complex systems and emergent behaviour research in 1999. It contains many of the equations and data from studies that relate to swarm intelligence. I have not read this book cover to cover, but rather used it as a reference guide.

 
Callum Coats, Living Energies, (Gateway Books, UK, 1996)

This is a summation of the work done by Viktor Schauberger, a practical scientist that did most of his work with what he called natural energies. Though he examined many natural processes, the bulk of his work was with water and air flows and resulted in many unorthodox conclusions. He was proven right a number of times in the face of established opposition, so even if some of his work was a bit fanciful (over-unity engines, for example), I think he is worth a look, especially for those interested in healthy natural processes.

 
Richard Dawkins, The Ancestor’s Tale, (Weidenfeld and Nicolson, United Kingdom, 2005)

This is his latest book in his never-ending promotion of the scientific view of evolution which began with The Selfish Gene. This book is particularly interesting because he traces humankind’s genetic evolution as far back in time as the limits of science permit. There are some fascinating facts in this book.

 
Arie de Geus, The Living Company, (Nicholas Brealey, United Kingdom, 1997)

This is written by a retired director of Shell/Royal Dutch. The initial impetus was an internal Shell study that the average lifespan of a Fortune 500 was only 40-50 years. He goes on to identify and study the characteristics that differentiated the very long-lived corporations from normal corporations. They will be quite surprising for some. His vast experience in Shell led him to recognise key nodal points in the business model and outline several methods of reprogramming business to create enormous benefits for shareholders and society alike.

James Gleick, Chaos, (Viking Penguin, USA, 1987)

This is the hugely popular book that started it all for many non-scientists. It opens up the entire field of chaos for an inquiring reader. There are lots of relevant illustrations and individual stories that keep the story interesting. It’s worth reading a larger version as some of the illustrations are incredibly complex and beautiful.

  
John Gribbin, Deep Simplicity, (Penguin, USA, 2005)

The subtitle, Chaos, Complexity and the Emergence of Life, says it all. This book looks at the implications of the new science in relation to the emergence of life and consciousness. The emphasis is on how simple laws create mind-boggling complexity.

Stephen Hawking with Leonard Mlodinow, A Briefer History of Time, (Bantam Press, London, 2005)

This is an overview of how physicists view time. Quite readable and the hardback version has pretty drawings in it.

 
Steven Johnson, Emergence, (Scribner, USA, 2001)

This book focuses mainly on swarms, such as ant’s nests, and computers and the new understandings we have gleaned from emergent behaviour. This is a very readable book, though he seems to avoid the larger implications of emergent behaviour and prefers to stick to the safe ground of likely changes in computing and advertising as a result of these new understandings.

 
Richard Layard, Happiness, (The Penguin Press, New York, 2005)

I think everyone should read this book. This explains the science of happiness and the implications of what has been discovered so far. The book is easy to read and the author has included a number of suggestions about how we could all be happier. One interesting topic was precise description of how productivity incentives have caused a decline in productivity and workplace happiness. Cause and effect are not linked in systems in the way we suppose. He has included a number of specific policy suggestions that governments and businesses could follow.

Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World, (Bantam, USA, 1995)

I read this Christian book during my anti-Christian phase and still loved it. It is primarily a sales person’s motivational book, but it is a wonderful human story.

Jane Roberts, Seth Speaks: The Eternal Validity of the Soul, (Amber-Allen Publishing, US, June 1994)

If you want to get a taste of the subtle complexity of spirituality, this is the book that hooked me twenty years ago. However, I am a little reluctant to recommend spiritual books because even though their ideas frequently overlap, they rarely build on each other. From my point of view, many of the authors are trying to describe benefits of a particular peak that they have found. This is quite similar to self-help books. Like shoes, fitting oneself to these peaks is a very personal thing. I would suggest to anyone newly interested to browse the personal growth/spirituality section of their local bookshop or do an internet search.

Ziauddin Sardar and Iwona Abrams, Introducing Chaos, (Totem Books, USA, 1999)

J.P. McEvoy and Oscar Zarate, Introducing Quantum Theory, (Totem Books, USA, 1999) 

These “Introducing…” books are like comic books for anyone interested in an informal introduction to significant scientific ideas. They are full of irreverent humour but are masters of taking difficult concepts and making them simple and accessible. There are a number of “Introducing…” titles for those who might be interested.

Karen Stephenson, The Quantum Theory of Trust, (Financial Times, not yet released)

Obviously, I have not read this yet, but this author has spent twenty years using scientific methods to study how the behaviour of groups change depending on how they have formed their connections within and outside their group. Most of her work has been focused towards improving business and government organizations, but her insights in the behaviour of networks and nodes within organizations are fascinating.

 
Ronald Wright, Stolen Continents, (Viking Penguin, New York, 1992)

This is a study of how history progressed from 1492 onwards from the Native American point of view. This book conveys the immense tragedy that the Native Americans felt as their civilisations were destroyed over the last 500 years.