In this original application of information theory to social analysis, Orrin Klapp examines how and why societies are producing more stress than they ever can handle. He argues that the reduction of 'social noise', the chaos from which we try to construct meaning is a major goal of individuals and groups alike. Individuals, groups, even entire societies normally cycle rhythmically between two basic modes of adaptation to the constant communication flow: opening, or scanning for desired information; and closing, or defending against noise. For example, in a society functioning in the opening mode, movements like ecumenicism and expansionism achieve momentum. Extreme reactions in either mode lead to an opposite swing, according to Professor Klapp's model. His wide-ranging conceptual scheme incorporates hypotheses about the variety and redundancy of information, as well as about human channel capacities and the need for homeostatis. His research reveals intriguing relationships among such phenomena as the concern about industrial population and the search for ethnic roots.

Human Settlements: An Annotated Bibliography is an annotated bibliography on human settlements and includes books, journal articles, reports, and documents. Documents from Habitat: United Nations Conference on Human Settlements with National Reports are arranged alphabetically by country, along with other Conference documents. This book is comprised of four chapters and begins with a list of books, journal articles, reports, and documents dealing with topics such as housing policies, housing problems in underdeveloped areas, and the effects of land reform and rural ordinance programs. The next chapter is devoted to a bibliography of bibliographies, covering topics ranging from land-use planning to rural roads and their potential. The third chapter includes national reports from countries such as Afghanistan, Algeria, and Bangladesh. The bibliography concludes with a subject index of key words subdivided geographically; a secondary author index that includes personal and corporate authors, editors, compilers, and authors of significant introductions; and a list of libraries consulted. This monograph should be of interest to housing officials and policymakers.