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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
on aeg tunnistada, et ma ikkagi ei loe seda raamatut l2bi, sest pole kordagi temaga nii kaugele j6udnud, et huvitavaks l2heks. ja nii v2ga ma systeemidest ka ei hooli, et igavat raamatut lugeda.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Found the concepts in this book very helpful for framing problems in work and life. Many reviews here point out that there is a lot more to say about systems theory, but I don't think the book is for those reviewers: This is called "A Primer" and for someone who is looking for perspective instead of comprehensive knowledge, it's an easy book to recommend.
informative
medium-paced
One of those books you wish you'd read decades ago, that helps connect many disparate threads in your thinking. Very readable, more than I expected - but that's completely in line with one of the characteristics of systems thinkers (Use language with care and enrich it with systems concepts).
Undoubtedly, Dr. Meadows was a genius and we have lost an important thinker much too soon. (She died in 2001 at only 60.) This book is about how to think, and it is a profound analysis of big picture thinking. She is a clear writer, and it's obvious the book could easily have been twice as long. It might have helped even to get some of the ideas to sink in better. If you like to think, or think that thinking might actually be important, this book in mandatory. I have not run across another book like it, it breadth and insight. Utterly profound on a multitude of levels. Deserves to be read thrice, especially by people in leadership.
"Thinking in Systems": an overview of how to think about systems in terms of flows, stocks, delays, goals, etc. Donella Meadows talks about how to recognize common system "traps" (including well-known failure modes like Tragedy of the Commons) and different approaches to resolve those failures. Her hierarchy of "leverage points" (which can be found as a standalone article online) is really a guidebook to determining how to best alter the behavior of a system. The book is filled with illustrative examples from industry and political history. Recommended for anyone thinking about how to change systems.
challenging
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This is one of those books that where it was almost useless to highlight valuable statements because I was highlighting multiple things every page. Meadows does not go into the mathematics of systems theory. As the title suggests, she focuses on the key ideas so that the reader learns to think about systems and their common properties.
One of the key takeaways from this book -- if I had to choose just one -- is that systems have common properties that apply regardless of their type. There are ways of thinking about environmental, human, technological, and other systems that show their deep similarities and give insights into their differences.
Overall, this book was readable and should be a required read for anyone who designs or influences systems, big or small.
One of the key takeaways from this book -- if I had to choose just one -- is that systems have common properties that apply regardless of their type. There are ways of thinking about environmental, human, technological, and other systems that show their deep similarities and give insights into their differences.
Overall, this book was readable and should be a required read for anyone who designs or influences systems, big or small.
A very readable and enjoyable book on systems thinking - good introduction, grounding you in what is possible and what is not. Recommended if you are new to this (like me) and want to start exploring.
challenging
informative
medium-paced