The Dripping Faucet As A Model Chaotic System, Robert Shaw
This is a delightful introduction to applied chaos theory and information theory, written by a physicist for other physicists. I found it very accessible, unlike my previous encounters with information theory which were entirely impenetrable.
It's something of a classic, apparently, and I can see why. Not only is it well thought out, planned and executed, there are some delightful turns of phrase, too, e.g:
"The longer a string of text the easier it is to predict the next lette."
How often can you say that about something the author repeatedly refers to as a "paper"? (It's 111p of main text plus appendices...) It is also charmingly set in some ancient mechanical type-writer font with all the equations requiring Greek or integral signs hand-written in before going to press. It's both a shame and a testament to its usefulness that my copy is beaten up and verging on falling apart...
