This is definitely a good read for beginners in the area and it does a good job of balancing both application of and theory behind the algorithms. Highly recomm

This is definitely a good read for beginners in the area and it does a good job of balancing both application of and theory behind the algorithms. Highly recommended. Another good read which covers some of the same ground (also by a professor at George Mason University, Professor Kenneth De Jong) would be "Evolutionary Computation" http://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Computation-Kenneth-Jong/dp/0262041944 http://www.amazon.com/Evolutionary-Computation-Kenneth-Jong/....