rossbm's review against another edition
challenging
informative
medium-paced
3.75
Been meaning to read this for a while. Enjoyed it. Shorter than expected, which is good thing. Some thought provoking examples illustrating how some simple rules can led to complex systems. Like the parts about importance of delay and feedback.
Surprised author was so anti-growth. Guess she was boomer who couldn't conceive of economic growth that didn't involve machines and fossil fuels. Too bad. I wonder what she would make of the Internet and AI?
Surprised author was so anti-growth. Guess she was boomer who couldn't conceive of economic growth that didn't involve machines and fossil fuels. Too bad. I wonder what she would make of the Internet and AI?
belovedsnail's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Reread for me. Always valuable to change the frame of thinking.
hairband_dude's review against another edition
4.0
will revisit after chewing and digesting. Dana moonlights the MIT systems lab and Jay Forrester a lot
dashtaisen's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
I came by this book through Sheryl Cababa’s “Closing The Loop”, and I’m glad I read them both. In any institution, particularly tech, it’s easy to feel like the predominant approach to problem-solving is the right one, despite the mounting evidence to the contrary. This book is a helpful challenge to that — I especially appreciated the suggestions to embrace complexity, focus on useful (not just quantitative) data, and be skeptical of applying mental models from one domain or use case to another
bogdanbalostin's review against another edition
5.0
I'm new to the whole System Thinking and Analysis framework so I cannot compare this book with others out there. I've read some reviews telling me that this book narrows the scope of system thinking and I have to ask How? Quite the contrary, this book was written as a humble introduction to Systems, and it does make me want to pick up other more in-depth papers, but at the same time, it made me aware of people claiming they understand systems. Nobody can understand systems so well that they can predict the consequences of the changes they seek to introduce in the system.
One thing you need to understand is that the book is written based on the author's notes as she didn't manage to publish it before her death, so some parts feel either giving in to "ramblings" or too muddy and unclear. Nevertheless, the whole book can change minds (and lives).
Let's say that not only systems experts need to be able to understand the complex nature of our world. System thinking is recommended for everyone, as this may make you more willing to listen to someone who is studying systems, for example when implementing a new policy or law or making changes to the global or national economy, very important stuff that affects all of us, and yet these decisions are taken by people who don't understand how the (complex) world works.
So read it whoever you are and try to apply it to your field of work (or just life).
One thing you need to understand is that the book is written based on the author's notes as she didn't manage to publish it before her death, so some parts feel either giving in to "ramblings" or too muddy and unclear. Nevertheless, the whole book can change minds (and lives).
Let's say that not only systems experts need to be able to understand the complex nature of our world. System thinking is recommended for everyone, as this may make you more willing to listen to someone who is studying systems, for example when implementing a new policy or law or making changes to the global or national economy, very important stuff that affects all of us, and yet these decisions are taken by people who don't understand how the (complex) world works.
So read it whoever you are and try to apply it to your field of work (or just life).
bearunderthecypresses's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
davidsandilands's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
melissa_muses's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Great intro into systems thinking delivered with humility, pragmatism and hope.