SKU: 69697034940

Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads to Another

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Critical Mass: How One Thing Leads to AnotherAre there "natural laws" that govern the ways in which humans behave and organize themselves, just as there are physical laws that govern the motions of atoms and planets? Unlikely as it may seem, such laws now seem to be emerging from attempts to bring the tools and concepts of physics into the social sciences. These new discoveries are part of an old tradition. In the seventeenth century the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, dismayed by the impending civil

Are there "natural laws" that govern the ways in which humans behave and organize themselves, just as there are physical laws that govern the motions of atoms and planets? Unlikely as it may seem, such laws now seem to be emerging from attempts to bring the tools and concepts of physics into the social sciences. These new discoveries are part of an old tradition. In the seventeenth century the philosopher Thomas Hobbes, dismayed by the impending civil war in England, decided that he would work out what kind of government was needed for a stable society. His solution sparked a new way of thinking about human behavior in looking for the "scientific" rules of society.

Adam Smith, Immanuel Kant, Auguste Comte, and John Stuart Mill pursued this idea from different political perspectives. But these philosophers lacked the tools that modern physics can now bring to bear on the matter. Philip Ball shows how, by using these tools, we can understand many aspects of mass human behavior. Once we recognize that we do not make most of our decisions in isolation but are affected by what others decide, we can start to discern a surprising and perhaps even disturbing predictability in our laws, institutions, and customs.

Lively and compelling, Critical Mass is the first book to bring these new ideas together and to show how they fit within the broader historical context of a rational search for better ways to live.



Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Farrar Strauss & Giroux-3pl
Published: 05/16/2006
ISBN: 9780374530419
Pages: 520
Weight: 1.35lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 1.50d
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SKU: 69697034940

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alena
Houston, US
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 5
WOULD BUY AGAIN.
EASY TO PUT TOGETHER. WORKS EXATCLY AS i NEEDED. I USED ONLY 3 PANELS.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2026
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Debbie Flynn
Houston, US
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 5
Love it it was perfect for what I needed it for. Good quality!
Size: 4 Panel, Color: Black
It like a very dark chocolate brown/black. What I liked most about it is that you just pull it out of the box take the long plastic film off of it and it's ready to go. It has protective feet on the bottom. It's very attractive and it was so easy. It's so nice when you have a product you don't have to assemble.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2026
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Suphisara B.
Waukegan, US
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 5
Good quality. Nice design
Size: 4 Panel, Color: Chocolate Brown
Love it. Beautiful and good material. Just a little bit too high for my room.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2026
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GrandmaJeanie
Lake Worth, US
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 4
Shipped quickly and as described
It was what I expected as functionality, lightweight and easy to move about. I plan to use it in my enclosed patio to obscure weight bench and wts. My only complaint is that the bamboo cover on one edge is not secure. But I will probably use a magic marker to cover the natural back that is showing. I don’t have time to return it as my event is coming soon.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2025
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Jaime Colombani
Waukegan, US
β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜…β˜… 5
Good product, needs double hinges for versatility.
Size: 6 Panel, Color: Brown
Blocks out all the light, looks good, good color. Only con is that it is not double hinged so it is hard to position the extra panels because I bout 6 panels instead of the 4 I usually get. Good deal, very decent price with the free delivery. Very clean packaging, came in great shape, no smell or odor from the factory.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 9, 2025

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