SIMULATION AND SIMILARITY Using Models to Understand the World (Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Science)

Michael Weisberg has given us a lovely book on models. It has very broad coverage of issues intersecting the nature of models and their use, an extensive consideration of long ignored concrete models with a rich case study, a discussion and classification of the many diverse kinds of models, and a particularly groundbreaking and innovative discussion of similarity concerning how models relate to the world ... his analysis is both clear and rich. (William C. Wimsatt, Biology and Philosophy)

[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. (R. A. Kolvoord, CHOICE)

The book provides a useful and intuitive classification of kinds of models, kinds of modelling methodologies, and model components that is sensitive to the diversity of scientific practice. (Michael Weisberg, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science)

...a compelling account of models and can be highly recommended to philosophers of science as well as to scientists of any particular discipline, especially those practicing modeling and simulation in their everydays work. (V. S. Pronskikh, Metascience)