“The original edition of Hierarchy was in its day a seminal work. That it has taken thirty years for a second edition is almost a crime. During the intervening years, Hierarchy’s concepts have found application in a vast number of fields, and the lessons learned thereby have gone on to affect the accepted wisdom in ecological studies. Considerations of hierarchy are critical if one is to have an understanding of communication within any ecology or system. Thus, a work that explores the hows and whys of the formation, maintenance, and degradation of hierarchies is equally critical. This needed update will be invaluable.”

Michael Lissack, executive director of the Institute for the Study of Coherence and Emergence and president of the American Society for Cybernetics

“Allen and Starr focus on the elementary, but often disregarded, fact that ecological systems cannot avoid considerations as hierarchies. This analysis is fascinating stuff and deserves the compliment of being read very slowly.”

Lawrence B. Slobodkin | Quarterly Review of Biology, on the first edition

“Given the scope and novelty of the subject, Allen and Starr have attempted an ambitious task in drawing together many of the threads of thinking on hierarchies. They present this in a very personal synthetic style with wit and zeal, incorporating jargon and concepts from systems science, statistics, and science fiction. . . . This book should fill an important role if it helps to stimulate a future systematic and rigorous treatment of hierarchies.”

George Sugihara | Nature, on the first edition