ANEW YORK TIMESNOTABLE BOOKAVOICE LITERARY SUPPLEMENTTOP 25 FAVORITE BOOKS OF THE YEARANESQUIREMAGAZINE BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TRADITION OFBEING DIGITALANDTHE TIPPING POINT,STEVEN JOHNSON, ACCLAIMED AS A "CULTURAL CRITIC WITH A POET'S HEART"(THE VILLAGE VOICE),TAKES READERS ON AN EYE-OPENING JOURNEY THROUGH EMERGENCE THEORY AND ITS APPLICATIONS. EXPLAINING WHY THE WHOLE IS SOMETIMES SMARTER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS, JOHNSON PRESENTS SURPRISING EXAMPLES OF FEEDBACK, SELF-ORGANIZATION, AND ADAPTIVE LEARNING. HOW DOES A LIVELY NEIGHBORHOOD EVOLVE OUT OF A DISCONNECTED GROUP OF SHOPKEEPERS, BARTENDERS, AND REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS? HOW DOES A MEDIA EVENT TAKE ON A LIFE OF ITS OWN? HOW WILL NEW SOFTWARE PROGRAMS CREATE AN INTELLIGENT WORLD WIDE WEB?IN THE COMING YEARS, THE POWER OF SELF-ORGANIZATION -- COUPLED WITH THE CONNECTIVE TECHNOLOGY OF THE INTERNET -- WILL USHER IN A REVOLUTION EVERY BIT AS SIGNIFICANT AS THE INTRODUCTION OF ELECTRICITY. PROVOCATIVE AND ENGAGING,EMERGENCEPUTS YOU ON THE FRONT LINES OF THIS EXCITING UPHEAVAL IN SCIENCE AND THOUGHT.