I highly recommend 'Self Organization in Biological Systems' by Camazine et. al.

Each chapter describes a single mechanism found in biology: e.g., ant foraging, termite nest building, etc. For each such mechanism they first provide an accessible, well-written description of the process from a biological perspective, and then go on to simulate it using numerical analysis and computer simulation.

http://www.amazon.com/Self-Organization-Biological-Systems-P...

Thanks for the recommendation. It's in my to-read list ~ along with far too many other books ;-)

Before I saw your comment I made a top level comment about a book but wanted to repeat it here so that you saw it. If you are interested in ants take a look at Ants by holldobler and wilson.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ants-Bert-Holldobler/dp/0674040759

Blimey... at £104.95 I think I'll grab it from the library. ;-)

When I saw the price I was a little surprised too. I bought it back when I was in grad school--in a non-ants discipline--so I have no idea how I convinced myself to pony up the cash, but I am glad I did.

Also reading Edward O. Wilson (aka "Lord of the Ants") or watching any of the fine documentaries about him is well worth it. I highly recommend "Consillience" - it's written in a fresh and lively style and it can't help but capture your imagination.