Linked

What do AIDS, al Qaeda, the Internet, and Kevin Bacon have in common? In this clever and accessible flight of fancy by a Notre Dame physics professor, we are treated to the practical and theoretical math concepts that explain "how everything is connected to everything else and what it means for science, business and everyday life." While studying the function of nodes, hubs, and links on the Internet, Professor Barabasi observed that the same principles and patterns operate in highway systems and social groups, on galactic and on cellular scales. Henry Leyva has the ideal voice and reading style for nonfiction, reading Barabasi's analysis in a way that emphasizes the author's fun and fascination as he discusses such topics as Internet search engines, epidemiology, and the party game "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon." S.E.S. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine