Making Sense of Chaos

The man reinventing economics with chaos theory and complexity science * New Scientist *
Farmer convincingly argues that by using big data and today’s more powerful computers, we can build more realistic models and simulations of the global economy . . . [His] vision will undoubtedly be significant in how economics evolves -- Tej Parikh * Financial Times, 'Best New Books on Economics' *
Both a manifesto for a revolution in economics and a memoir of an unusual career -- Ed Ballard * Wall Street Journal *
Remarkable book pulling together chaos theory and economics. Provides the first possibility that economics could become a real science -- Brian Clegg * Popular Science book reviews *
Doyne Farmer is the world's leading thinker on technological change. For decades he has focused on the question of how we can make sense of the data of today to see where the world is going tomorrow. This wonderful book applies these insights to economics, addressing the big global issues of environmental sustainability, and the well-being and prosperity of people around the world -- Max Roser, Founder of Our World in Data
Farmer is navigating a third economic way between the scylla of traditional free market economics and the charybdis of de-growth economics. Seriously smart stuff from one of the world’s brainiest men -- Andrew Keen * Keen On podcast *
Farmer, a leading expert on complexity economics at Oxford University, [argues] we can and must be more radical. . . . With greater investment, he says, far more progress in understanding the economy could be made -- Martin Wolf * Financial Times, 'Best summer books of 2024: Economics' *
This book is a real achievement from which I learned a great deal. The economics profession should be much more open to Farmer type complexity approaches. I hope this book is an inspiration to young scholars from many disciplines concerned with economic questions -- Lawrence Summers, former US Secretary of the Treasury
After 2008, everybody except conventional economists seemed to realise that conventional economics is failing us. I applaud this bold and exciting new approach, born out of the 21st century rather than the 19th. It’s about time! -- Brian Eno
In this riveting book, Doyne Farmer profoundly unravels the role played by complex systems in our economy. From the time he was living in a tent while working on climate models on the American west, to his more recent years in the hallowed halls of Oxford University, Farmer’s lifelong journey is a testament to the creativity and perseverance needed to succeed in the rugged landscapes of multidisciplinary science -- César Hidalgo, author of Why Information Grows