Of Ants and Men : The Unexpected Side Effects of Complexity in Society

From Bad to Worse -- Of Ants and Men -- A Tangled Web -- The Eye of the Beholder -- The Animal Within -- More things in heaven and earth -- The Sting in the Tail -- Divide and Rule -- One thing leads to another -- The Snowball Effect -- A Deadly Cascade -- Collateral damage -- The Straw that Broke the Camel's Back -- The Herd Instinct -- The Subatomic Family -- The Global Village -- The Root of All Evil -- Fouling the Nest -- Shaping the Future.;Why do things go wrong? Why, despite all the planning and care in the world, do things go from bad to worse? This book argues that it is because we are like the ants. Just as ants create an anthill without being aware of it, unintended side effects of human activity create all manner of social trends and crises. The book traces the way these trends emerge and the role they play in some of the major issues of our time. One of the greatest challenges today is the complexity of our social and economic systems. Every action has side effects that people often ignore or fail to see. The book examines the ways in which limitations in our thinking and behaviour lead to unintended side effects. It looks at the role played by complex networks of interactions. Finally, it looks at the way side effects of new technologies, especially computers and communication, have created an Information Revolution, the full repercussions of which are yet to be seen. In our race to create new technologies and sustain indefinite economic growth, we are at best dimly aware of the ways in which we are transforming society and threatening our environment. Front Matter....Pages i-xi From Bad to Worse....Pages 1-9 Of Ants and Men....Pages 11-19 A Tangled Web....Pages 21-33 The Eye of the Beholder....Pages 35-44 The Animal Within....Pages 45-56 More Things in Heaven and Earth....Pages 57-65 The Sting in the Tail....Pages 67-80 Divide and Rule....Pages 81-94 One Thing Leads to Another....Pages 95-102 The Snowball Effect....Pages 103-115 A Deadly Cascade....Pages 117-129 Collateral Damage....Pages 131-144 The Straw that Broke the Camel’s Back....Pages 145-158 On Being Well Connected....Pages 159-170 The Herd Instinct....Pages 171-184 The Subatomic Family....Pages 185-193 The Global Village....Pages 195-209 The Root of All Evil....Pages 211-223 Fouling the Nest....Pages 225-239 Shaping the Future....Pages 241-255 Back Matter....Pages 257-271