The excerpts which are available here are from the MS version, not from the final version of the book to be published by Cambridge UP (http://www.cambridge.org) in June 2007.

Preface (click)

Contents (click)

Part I Bridging the gap between physics and the social sciences (click)

Chapter 1 Probing bonds (*)

Chapter 2 The battle against noise in physics (click)

Chapter 3 The battle against noise in the social sciences (click)

Chapter 4 Equilibrium and metastable states (*)

Chapter 5 Are the data reliable? (click)

Part II Macro-interactions (click)

Chapter 6 Shaping the Zeitgeist (click)

Chapter 7 Bonds of vassalage (click)

Chapter 8 The absentee ownsership syndrome (click)

Part III Micro-interactions: a network explanation of suicide (click)

Chapter 9 Effects of a male-female imbalance (click)

Chapter 10 Effect of weakened marital bonds on suicide (*)

Chapter 11 Effect of social isolation on suicide (*)

Chapter 12 Apoptosis (click)

Chapter 13 Perspectives (*)

References (click)

(*) These chapters are not yet available online. To get a copy please write to: roehner@lpthe.jussieu.fr