Read this book, and even if you don't read it, buy it and display it proudly. Scientists, engineers, and coffee tables the world over should be interested in the revised edition of the seminal book that first gathered and developed the critical mass of ideas from mathematics, computational science, and systems theory necessary to launch and fuel the ongoing revolution in complex innovating systems. From mathematical optimization to the immune system, from machine learning to the central nervous system, from automatic control systems to even something as complex as human society itself, all innovating systems fall under the spell of Holland's mathematical-computational magic, and all individuals interested in understanding or engineering such systems ignore Holland at their peril. --David E. Goldberg, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Genetic algorithms are playing an increasingly important role in studies of complex adaptive systems, ranging from adaptive agents in economic theory to the use of machine learning techniques in the design of complex devices such as aircraft turbines and integrated circuits. Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems is the book that intitiated this field of study, presenting the theoretical foundations and exploring applications. Copyright (C) Muze Inc. 2005. For personal use only. All rights reserved.