A slim little text designed to acquaint advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students of physics (knowledge of classical mechanics, statistical mechanics and computer programming is assumed) with the art and excitement of the topic to which the title refers. Four chapters (Introductory examples, Computer-simulation methods, Deterministic methods, Stochastic methods) provide the student with what is in effect a computer-lab workbook, an invitation to learn "hands-on" some exciting things both about applied computation and about physics. An appendix provides information about random number generators, and there is a useful bibliography. (NW) Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.