  Stable chaos is a generalization of the chaotic behaviour exhibited by
cellular automata to continuous-variable systems and it owes its name to an
underlying irregular and yet linearly stable dynamics. In this review we
discuss analogies and differences with the usual deterministic chaos and
introduce several tools for its characterization. Some examples of transitions
from ordered behavior to stable chaos are also analyzed to further clarify the
underlying dynamical properties. Finally, two models are specifically
discussed: the diatomic hard-point gas chain and a network of globally coupled
neurons.
