Simulation and Similarity
Using Models to Understand the World
Michael Weisberg
Reviews and Awards
"In my own view, Simulation and Similarity satisfactorily serves such a general purpose, though at a rather formal and abstract level that takes the form of a compilation of advances in meta-theoretical research... For the general reader with a background in the philosophy of science (and I would include here science educators), I see two strong values in the book: (1) it provides a schematic state-of-the-art of semantic stances on what models are and how they can be classified, which is clear and solid, and (2) it contains a careful treatment of (past and present) examples of models and modelling that clarifies theoretical constructs and provides ideas on how to perform good-quality case studies on real instances of scientific modelling, which would be illuminated by those constructs." --Science and Education
"[This book] is lively, well-written, and should be accessible to novice audiences as well as informative and provocative to disciplinary insiders. It skillfully makes use of a relatively small set of carefully explained and not-overly-complicated examples to give an account that succeeds in being sophisticated and attentive to the details of scientific practice without getting overly mired in the details of 'case studies' that sometimes plague the literature on scientific modeling."--Eric Winsberg, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
"[Simulation and Similarity] is well written and detailed in its exposition, providing concrete examples to ground the discussion. It is a very interesting complement to standard mathematical modeling treatments for scientists, engineers, and mathematicians."--CHOICE