Society in Silico Book Structure

Book Structure

Repository Layout

society-in-silico/
├── manuscript/              # The book itself
│   ├── front-matter/        # Introduction, preface
│   ├── part-1-origins/      # History of microsimulation
│   ├── part-2-building/     # PolicyEngine journey
│   └── part-3-future/       # AI and what's next
├── research/                # Background research
│   ├── people/              # Key figures
│   ├── concepts/            # Technical concepts
│   ├── timeline/            # Chronology
│   └── references/          # Sources
├── assets/                  # Images, diagrams
└── build/                   # Compilation (Pandoc)

Book Outline

Part I: Origins

The intellectual history of microsimulation.

• Guy Orcutt's 1957 vision
• DYNASIM and early mainframe models
• IFS TAXBEN and institutional microsimulation
• NBER TAXSIM
• The closed-model era

Part II: Building

The open-source turn and PolicyEngine journey.

• OpenFisca and rules-as-code
• Tax-Calculator as gateway
• Founding PolicyEngine with Nikhil
• UK expansion
• US expansion
• The messy reality of encoding law

Part III: Future

AI implications and what's next.

• LLM limitations (67% accuracy finding)
• Why deterministic tools matter more
• Agents need reliable infrastructure
• Cosilico thesis
• Democratic vs. autocratic simulation
• The choice being made now

File Conventions

Manuscript Files

• Named: NN-title.md (e.g., 01-introduction.md)
• Start with # Chapter Title
• Use ## Section headers
• Wiki-links to research: [[concept-name]]

Research Notes

• Named: kebab-case.md
• Have metadata section at top
• End with ## Links and ## Tags

Chapter Template

# Chapter Title

[Opening hook - story, question, or surprising fact]

## Section One

[Content with [[wiki-links]] to research]

## Section Two

[More content]

---

## Research Links

- [[relevant-concept]]
- [[relevant-person]]

Navigation Commands

When asked about the book:

• "Where does X fit?" → Check outline above
• "What's in Part II?" → Building section
• "Show chapter structure" → List files in manuscript/

Current Status

Check .beads/ for project issues and progress tracking. Use bd list to see open items. Use bd ready to see what's ready to work on.

Key Relationships

• Introduction sets up Rehoboam/Serac contrast
• Part I establishes what microsimulation IS
• Part II shows how it became OPEN
• Part III shows what's NEXT (with Cosilico launch)
• Ending returns to Serac: "What if Rehoboam were open source?"