I’ve come the realization that I’m really not very good at informal writing, so I’m continuing my ‘book reviews’ in the hopes of improving. Check back later today or tomorrow for more on what I’ve actually been up to these last few days. Don’t hold your breath, it’s nothing too exciting.

Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code has made quite a stir lately. It has topped the best seller list for some time now, and the author has even been accused of plagiarism, which seems to be something a high-water mark for fiction these days (see Harry Potter). I’ve become rather fond of historical or “intellectual” thrillers lately, so when I had a chance to borrow the Da Vinci Code I jumped on the opportunity. Brown’s latest is a fast read, and despite its intellectual pretenses, it is readily accessible to anyone looking for lightweight but smart reading material

The protagonist of the novel, Robert Langdon, a Harvard symbologist who specials in pagan symbolism, unexpectedly finds himself at the center of a police investigation and a global conspiracy after he misses a meeting with Louvre curator Jacque Saunière. Langdon is aided by Parisian cryptography expert named Sophie, and the two of them must unravel the mystery of a two thousand year old secret that encompasses conservative Christianity, ancient secret societies, and even the Holy Grail.

Brown has obviously done his homework (well as much as one can when the subject in question is veiled in so many pseudo-mystical theories), but at its core the Da Vinci Code is a traditional thriller, and is falls prey to some of the traditional problems of that genre. The character development is somewhat weak, and though we learn quite a bit about Sophie and her relationship with her family, Brown does not flesh Langdon out, preferring another plot twist or suspenseful moment to an exploration of his protagonist’s personality. The plot also includes some standard clichés. The romantic interest works out exactly as expected, and some of Brown’s clues are rather blatant.

Those criticisms aside, the Da Vinci Code is a very entertaining novel. Brown may stick to fairly standard conventions, but he does them well, and his novel is not without unique qualities. The setting is well developed, and Brown brings to life the museums, castles, and churches in which the action takes place. Ultimately, the highest praise I can give the book is that I read it in three days. Da Vinci Code is exciting and fun, and that makes it worth a read in and of itself.

I’ve decided that I will post reviews of some of the books I’ve been reading on this blog. I know it may not make for the most exciting reading in the world, but it helps me better understand the books I’ve been reading and forces me to improve my writing as well. My initial review is of Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software by Steven Johnson

Complexity has buzzword in the sciences for the last several years, and the media has been quick to jump on the bandwagon. From Stephen Wolfram’s hefty tome, A New Kind of Science, to Michael Chrichton’s latest thriller, Prey, complexity has become the latest scientific media darling. Despite the hype, complexity is a fascinating interdisciplinary field, and it promises, if not a paradigm shift, than at least a new tool for examining the world. Steven Johnson’s Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software promises to introduce the reader to the basics of emergent systems and self-organizing behavior, and by and large it delivers. Though he doesn’t include any hard science, Johnson explores the interdisciplinary nature of the field, and offers an enlightening and entertaining read.

A complex adaptive systems is one in which a higher-level order emerges out of the simple and random interaction of its parts. Johnson explains the phenomenon using the example of an ant colony. Though individual ants are short-lived and stupid, the colony as a whole is capable of amazing feats of “intelligence.” It can find the shortest path to food, wage war on other colonies, and change over time. The startling thing about this behavior is that none of the individual ants are aware of the colonies action or purpose. As individuals they operate by a few simple biological rules, and lack the capacity to control or even comprehend the ultimate goal of the colony. The higher level order arises only through the interaction of thousands of individual ants each going about their own lives.

The story does not end with ants, and Johnson describes emergent phenomenon in systems as diverse as 12th century Florence and the human brain. He describes how sciences, programmers, and sociologists are trying to harness complexity to develop new software and new ways of creating cities and networks. These individual examples are well researched and entertaining, and point to the deep significance of complex systems. Whether emergence indicates a paradigm shift or merely a detour in the road of scientific exploration, Emergence provides a broad description of the interactions that define our world. And if nothing else, it’s worth reading merely for the fascinating tidbits on everything from ants to Sim City.