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 and explores a variety of mathematical techniques to solve the master equations that govern these models. The models discussed are at the confluence of nanophysics, biology, mathematics and the social science, and they provide a pedagogical path toward understanding the complex dynamics of particle self-assembly with the tools of statistical physics.