The authors of this concise, approachable book, an urban philosopher and a mathematician-physicist, describe the startling new scientific results that are beginning to change environmental design in the contemporary day. Fractals, networks, self-organization, dynamical systems, and other ground-breaking concepts are explored by Michael Mehaffy and Nikos Salingaros, who do it in a manner that is clear and interesting to readers who are not scientists. The book also looks at several exciting new design-related subjects, such as Agile, Wiki, Design Patterns, and other "open-source" software development methodologies. The authors come to the conclusion that modern design is undergoing a fundamental shift, and that students and professionals today need to be aware of its implications for the future.