Thinking in Systems: International Bestseller

There are a few books that encapsulate a way of thinking so simply, so clearly and so compellingly that I find myself giving little kisses of delight to the cover. I read this on a Kindle, so this resulted in quite a lot of smudging. I am not a student of systems or someone who ever spent much time thinking about systems at all, although, like practically everybody, my life and work are all about either creating, maintaining, supporting, or surviving various systems. I heard about this book from a Tweet referring to its twenty-fifth anniversary and linking to an article singing its praises, which it does better than I can. For me, it has been a truly revelatory experience, a platonic slave-in-the-cave moment, which I believe will divide my cognitive experience into pre and post its reading. As Meadows warns at its outset, studying systems leads one to see systems everywhere, which, of course, is because they were there all along. But being able to see and interpret them allows us to better participate and avoid traps that commonly lead to system failure. Sadly, it also allows us to understand why some decisions taken by executives, politicians, and others that manage systems in which we have little or no control are doomed to failure and to undermine their own goals. This awareness will help readers become better citizens/coworkers and critics of leadership. But it can also help us avoid issues that threaten our own, smaller systems, our relationships, families, homes, work, and health. This book draws heavily on examples from the time in which it was written, which artificially sets the book in a particular historical moment. Meadows simply had so many examples to chose from, that she took quotes from contemporaneous newspaper articles. But the examples might as well be chosen from today’s stories or those from hundreds of years ago. They are just examples. This book is timeless. These quotes from the early nineties have the added benefit of proving her point, as in most cases history has borne out the predictions that stem from the flaws and features that Meadows points out. Note that there were some oddities in the Kindle version. A few words seem to have disappeared in various places in the transposition. I bought a hard copy of the book and was able to fill the gaps (just a few words here and there, nothing that would keep me from recommending the Kindle edition). I hope the editors will correct this. The end of the book contains a very useful appendix that I am tempted to tear out and put up on the wall, detailing fundamentals of systems thinking. I could not recommend this highly enough.

Thinking in Systems, a Primer is good reading for everybody. The author Donella Meadows who during her lifetime was a scientist trained in chemistry and biophysics, and ultimately was a teacher and researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Despite her academic standing and the sophisticated world of research in which she worked and lived, her writing is accessible to anyone, from middle school onward through high school and university students. The book is replete with charts and graphs, short asides to emphasize particular points, problem-solving scenarios, and it uses familiar examples to make its points. Systems are nonlinear, and they are almost infinitely scalable, with different effects and consequences at each level observed. Scoping out the system into its component parts, and observing the functionalities of how it operates, will tell you a great deal about what you would need to do in order to accomplish a particular goal, and what to watch out for along the way. Thinking in systems as an ongoing daily activity is a necessary adjunct to wisdom and maturity. Actions have consequences; and consequences can be planned and proactive, or they can be regressive than reactive. In terms of human activity, systems create and channel energy; they store and utilize energy; and as they decay, they lose energy and either dissipate or die. We are all part of one system or another, or many at a single point in time, now and throughout our lives. It pays to know how to deal with system dynamics; because those who fail or refuse to do so are likely to be unsuccessful in whatever goal they are seeking to accomplish. You do not need to be a scientist or mathematician in order to appreciate the values of this book. I highly recommend it.

Useful overview of system structure and behavior. List of recommendations of how to interact with systems or what signals to pay attention to. Near the end veering a bit into the mystical or metaphysical when talking about hard-to-measure qualities and moral or ethical values.

I ordered this book because the title intrigued me. I didn't know what to expect, but have found it to be a fascinating read. Most of the concepts the book presents have never crossed my mind before and I am learning so much about a field I knew nothing about. This is a serious, well-researched, well-written, and thoroughly accessible introduction to system thinking.

If you read this deeply, it will inevitably change how you look at the world: let it do so! Systems thinking is truly a powerful lens, applicable to all fields; furthermore, the author made it into a very practical and easy read.

I’ve read several books on systems thinking, over the years, and wish I’d found this one first. Meadows builds a clear, solid foundation and layers on insights. The book is both practical and inspiring. It can change how you see the world. Highly recommend.

Overview: Thinking in Systems: A Primer is exactly as the title suggests. Though this book will help give the reader an overview of systems, it is only a primer. This book is good for a beginner in systems thinking, looking for an overview of the basic parts, implications, and workings of systems. Meadows has the ability to take the reader to a level where one can see how systems work in this world as a whole. At the same time, Meadows is detailed enough to show how an everyday system, such as a thermostat, works in detail. Problems: Though Thinking in Systems is a primer to systems thinking in general, the book contains more than that, it contains Meadows world view. Any future reader should be prepared to witness Meadows directly, or indirectly presenting her far left worldview throughout the book. Issues such involving the economy, population control, global warming, religion, and evolution are brought into the book, and held have primary examples for systems. In spite of this fact, there is much that the reader can learn about systems. Benefits: Though Thinking in Systems may not be the best textbook, and does contain strong personal views, there is still much that can be learned about systems thinking. For anyone looking for a book to read that provides general information about how systems function, their role and influence on this world, and how to use them to ones benefit, this book is recommended. For academic purposes: This book is made up of a compilation of Meadow’s personal unpublished notes, which makes the book follow a somewhat unsystematic order. Thinking in Systems brings covers a wide range of topics such as, global warming population control, religion, evolution, and the economy and could be more useful as a book for ethics, rather than systems. Though is book would make a good required reading for a class setting, it is not advised for a main textbook. Structure: This book is divided into three parts: 1. System structure and Behavior, 2. Systems and Us, and 3. Creating Change- in Systems and in our Philosophy. Part one deals with the basics of what systems are and how they function, part two discusses how systems work in the world around us, and part three talks about how we can leverage systems to create change.

I was trained as a nuclear plant operator. As such, my whole career has dealt with system thinking. But those systems were physical, mechanical, electrical and analog & digital controls. As my career advanced I became more involved with management of large scale projects. I read The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and realized organizations like companies are people systems. That led me to expand my understanding of systems. That's why I picked up this book. It didn't disappoint. Although a number of examples are dated, this the 4 star rating, they are still good enough to get the message across. As a test engineer, I really appreciate the book's conclusion: That systems are complex and one discipline will not be able to completely understand them. Successful understanding of systems requires interdisciplanary effort with all parties being somewhat humble and working together to define the best possible solution. Note: Based on my experience, when silos are allowed to exist between disciplines, you will find system problems will exist at the interfaces between disciplines. Start your search there and take steps to remove the silos. Removing the silos should create a cooperative balance between the disciplines leading to a team effort to develop a good understanding if the system. I recommend this book for those beginning with system training or for those with experience, like myself, who want to expand the application of system thinking into other areas.