The Quark and the Jaguar: Adventures in the Simple and the Complex
by Murray Gell-Mann

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Book Reviews of The Quark and the Jaguar: Adventures in the Simple and the Complex

Book Review: A major disappoinment
Summary: 1 Stars

The first section of the book asks what the concept of complexity means. This struck me as not a fruitful question to ask, and indeed the answers offered have little payoff.

We are then treated to a quick tour of quantum physics--too quick, really, to be of any value. The review mostly conveys the impression that modern particle physics has a rather complex and arbitrary structure (in fairness, Gell-Mann himself shares this assessment).

I read through the whole book, thinking that surely it must get better. It never did. Throughout, the style is annoyingly discursive, breaking off for little anectdotes chiefly concerning who gets bragging rights for certain discoveries. There are also constant advertisements for the Santa Fe institute, as well as smug congratulations about how clever everyone involved is. I'm sure they are, but on the basis of this book, they have yet to produce any broadly useful insights.

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