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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ttlucier
Houston, US
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Beautiful and soft
Color: 06 - Gingham Brown, Size: King
Love the feel. Soft, solid, stunningly beautiful. Simply gorgeous. Solid sewing seems. For bed perfectly with enough room for moving bed. A little pricey. Bought a set for my mom too. Worth it
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Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2026
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Color: 02 - Pure White, Size: Queen
Good quality
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Kristi
West Palm Beach, US
★★★★★ 1
Terrible sheets - absolutely terrible
Color: 02 - Pure White, Size: King
These are thin - so thin that I can see my mattress pad easily through them. They are rough in texture and quite possibly the worst sheets I've ever slept on. I ordered two sets, I'll be returning the second set that is unopened.
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Amazon Customer
Waukegan, US
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Bed Sheets
Color: 01 - Linen Beige, Size: Queen
The package was received in very good condition and the sheets were packed in a professional way. The queen size fit my bed very well with large pockets at the corners and strong elastic holding all around. The sheets do seem to be a bit heavier than I expected and were very wrinkled after the first washing. I ironed the pillow cases and they did up well. The material is a bit rougher than I expected, but I have slept very well with them and I am pleased overall.
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Waukegan, US
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Top quality sheets that are soft, cool, and absolutely worth it
Color: 02 - Pure White, Size: Queen, Color: 02 - Pure White, Size: Queen
Absolutely impressed with the quality of these sheets. I wanted to switch to cotton sheets to get the hotel feel, but have a lot of sensory issues and was worried that they would be scratchy. These sheets are incredibly soft, crisp, and smooth and are not rough at all. They are made with high quality stitching and didn’t have any loose strings. The pillowcases are also thick and heavyweight and are very durable. Some reviews complained about wrinkles, but this will absolutely not be an issue if you lightly steam your sheets after drying. It took 5 minutes and my sheets look so crisp and fresh. They also come with a cloth bag to put leftover pillowcases/bedding in which is so convenient to keep my extra set in. absolutely worth the quality and better than brands like brooklinen and west elm. I paired them with the bedside duvet + washed cotton duvet cover in bright white.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2026

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