ABSTRACT
One danger in writing a chapter about computer simulation methods is that it will be read only by the cognoscenti: those who already know a great deal about the topic. Book chapters and journal articles describing particular computer simulations too often are either so abstract that it is hard for anyone but an expert to imagine how those simulations are actually implemented, or so technically detailed that nonexperts are quickly overwhelmed by the thick catalog of particulars. As a consequence, both types tend to be ignored by those with little or no background in computer simulation methods.
