Hierarchy in Natural and Social Sciences

• Hierarchy: A Short History of a Word in Western Thought.- Biological and Ecological Systems Hierarchical Organisation.- Size, Scale and the Boat Race; Conceptions, Connections and Misconceptions.- Hierarchy, Complexity, Society.- Hierarchy in Lexical Organisation of Natural Languages.- Hierarchy in Cities and City Systems.- Alternative Explanations of Hierarchical Differentiation in Urban Systems.- Conclusion.

From the reviews: "This book, consisting of seven chapters from eight authors in addition to editor Denise Pumain, looks at the nature of hierarchy in a variety of disciplines. ... The book is an excellent compilation of studies on the nature of hierarchy, which ought to be of importance to scholars in a variety of fields. Pumain's thoughtful introduction and conclusion offer new directions in examining complexity." (Linda Harris Dobkins, Journal of Regional Science, Vol. 47 (3), 2007) "This volume 3 of the Methodos Series examines the major methodological problems faced by the natural and social systems sciences. ... Both the Introduction and Conclusion by the editor are indeed invaluable! ... the book are a directive to those professionals who ought to be concerned with hierarchy concepts-all professionals are to be involved! ... Numerous types of classification of hierarchies are available to fulfill various demands." (Karl H. Wolf, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 36 (5), 2007)