This book presents simple interdisciplinary stochastic models meant as a gentle introduction to the field of non-equilibrium statistical physics. It focuses on the analysis of two-state models with cooperative effects, which are versatile enough to be applied to many physical and social systems. The book also explores a variety of mathematical techniques to solve the master equations that govern these models: matrix theory, empty-interval methods, mean field theory, a quantum approach and mapping onto classical Ising models. The models discussed are at the confluence of nanophysics, biology, mathematics and the social sciences, and they provide a pedagogical path toward understanding the complex dynamics of particle self-assembly with the tools of statistical physics.