Book excerpt: A First Course in Chaotic Dynamical Systems: Theory and Experiment is the first book to introduce modern topics in dynamical systems at the undergraduate level. Accessible to readers with only a background in calculus, the book integrates both theory and computer experiments into its coverage of contemporary ideas in dynamics. It is designed as a gradual introduction to the basic mathematical ideas behind such topics as chaos, fractals, Newton's method, symbolic dynamics, the Julia set, and the Mandelbrot set, and includes biographies of some of the leading researchers in the field of dynamical systems. Mathematical and computer experiments are integrated throughout the text to help illustrate the meaning of the theorems presented.Chaotic Dynamical Systems Software, Labs 1–6 is a supplementary laboratory software package, available separately, that allows a more intuitive understanding of the mathematics behind dynamical systems theory. Combined with A First Course in Chaotic Dynamical Systems, it leads to a rich understanding of this emerging field.