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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
This is a must read for anyone who hopes to understand how the world, society or organizations work. Or more generally how systems work. We're surrounded by systems, embedded in systems, yet most of us have the barest understanding of them. In this books you'll be introduced to systems analysis; how, when or if to intervene; common traps and more. It is brief and accessible to the layperson.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This was a totally decent book with an introduction to systems, inputs/outputs, feedback loops, etc. I think for me it was only a 3 star book because being a chemical engineer already introduced me to "systems thinking" so for at least half the book I felt like I was reading things I already knew.
The later parts of the book, however, do a great job of explaining how to apply systems corrections to complicated systems with examples in social and political systems, which was fascinating and relevant. Our general public discourse about social/political/economic systems tends to focus on tiny aspects of a huge system (we focus on taxes and interest rates, not general wellness and quality of life).
Worth a read, especially if you want to understand why quick fixes that only adjust 1 or 2 parameters never actually change big systems.
The later parts of the book, however, do a great job of explaining how to apply systems corrections to complicated systems with examples in social and political systems, which was fascinating and relevant. Our general public discourse about social/political/economic systems tends to focus on tiny aspects of a huge system (we focus on taxes and interest rates, not general wellness and quality of life).
Worth a read, especially if you want to understand why quick fixes that only adjust 1 or 2 parameters never actually change big systems.
I found it difficult to get through the first half. All the diagrams, flows and intricate feedback loops seemed like too much information at once, but WOW am I glad I pushed through!
The second half of the book I am sure to reread many more times. Full of insights which are complex, yet intuitive. A definite mindshift :)
The second half of the book I am sure to reread many more times. Full of insights which are complex, yet intuitive. A definite mindshift :)
the subtitle says it all; this is an excellent introduction to the field of systems thinking.
Meadows clearly introduces all of the concepts critical to the foundation of learning in this area including: systems concepts of stocks, flows, feedback, time delays, resilience, bounded rationality, and system boundaries. More importantly she includes countless real world examples, ranging from the level of the personal to the level of global social institutions, that bring the richness of the field and applications of systems thinking to life.
Recommended for anyone looking for an introduction to the field.
Meadows clearly introduces all of the concepts critical to the foundation of learning in this area including: systems concepts of stocks, flows, feedback, time delays, resilience, bounded rationality, and system boundaries. More importantly she includes countless real world examples, ranging from the level of the personal to the level of global social institutions, that bring the richness of the field and applications of systems thinking to life.
Recommended for anyone looking for an introduction to the field.
A basic introduction to Systems Thinking that takes a patterns-based approach (although the author refers to it as a "Systems Zoo"). After explaining the components of systems (Flows, Stocks, Reinforcing Feedback Loops, and Balancing Feedback Loops), and identifying some common systems, Meadows gives us some key leverage points for affecting systems, and then gives us a series of tips for thinking in terms of systems.
Highly useful introduction, and a quick read. Recommended.
Highly useful introduction, and a quick read. Recommended.
Everything is built out of systems from our bodies to the environment, to society and government, to the entire universe. This book is a fun to read, clear explanation of how systems work. A classic in the field. Guaranteed to provide a new perspective. And now my TBR is in trouble!
This book was a very pleasant surprise. While short, Meadows provides a concise, cogent, and humane account of the structural nature of systems. Her approach is commonsensical and includes many good examples of each archetype she discusses. While this may sound dry, it is not. Meadows always remembers the human side of things, and provides constant reminders of optimism even when explicating all the ways systems fail. The book ends up articulating a call to reason informed by compassion, and what more can you ask for than to be uplifted while being educated?
I picked this book up as a software engineer to learn principles for building distributed software systems. I knew that this book was interdisciplinary when it came to thinking about systems, useful not only in software engineering, but in economics, politics, environmental sciences, and other sciences. However I came away floored by how applicable this book was towards not only my own career and thinking as a software architect, but also as a human being living in an interconnected, increasingly complex world.
The beginning of the book walks through the basics of systems thinking, through the definitions of terms to describe the flows within systems, the feedback loops that balance or reinforce different outputs (constructive or destructive). The more you learn about systems during this part of the book, the more you realize how complicated the world is, even as you attempt to break systems down into different subsystems and subcomponents in order to isolate the flows in between different parts of the system.
The author goes through plenty of real-life examples early in the book. A simple example is that increasing inflow rate isn't the only way to fill a bathtub quickly, but that decreasing outflow rate is just as effective, even if less obvious.
Delays in systems cause more problems than we realize, and lead to unexpected system behavior if we're too reactive or not reactive enough. Perhaps sometimes, it is just as effective to reduce delays in a system, than to continue applying policy fixes to rapidly evolving changes. An example that this insight is that slowing economic growth could be easier than forcing faster technological development. A simpler example would be setting a thermostat in your house when the outside temperature is also changing.
Those are just a few examples of systems thinking I learned from this book. Other tips I learned: Exponential growth is hard for humans to comprehend, even though we live in a world that largely experiences nonlinear growth. Bounded rationality due to imperfect information available to people in a system can lead to unintended consequences for the system as a whole, i.e. the tragedy of the commons. The drift to low performance where decision-makers tend to believe bad news more than good news can set a system down a destructive path, particularly if the drift leads to an erosion of morality.
While the first half of the book go through examples and make use of inflow/outflow diagrams to help the reader develop a framework for thinking in systems, the last half of the book is where the biggest lessons are learned: understanding systems traps, leverage points, and systems wisdoms.
This is a book I expect to re-read or review my notes for throughout my career. I highly recommend reading this for any software engineer, any public policy and law maker, any economist, any company decision-maker, and anyone who wants to learn how to take a small step towards breaking down the world to begin to understand why systems are the way they are.
The beginning of the book walks through the basics of systems thinking, through the definitions of terms to describe the flows within systems, the feedback loops that balance or reinforce different outputs (constructive or destructive). The more you learn about systems during this part of the book, the more you realize how complicated the world is, even as you attempt to break systems down into different subsystems and subcomponents in order to isolate the flows in between different parts of the system.
The author goes through plenty of real-life examples early in the book. A simple example is that increasing inflow rate isn't the only way to fill a bathtub quickly, but that decreasing outflow rate is just as effective, even if less obvious.
Delays in systems cause more problems than we realize, and lead to unexpected system behavior if we're too reactive or not reactive enough. Perhaps sometimes, it is just as effective to reduce delays in a system, than to continue applying policy fixes to rapidly evolving changes. An example that this insight is that slowing economic growth could be easier than forcing faster technological development. A simpler example would be setting a thermostat in your house when the outside temperature is also changing.
Those are just a few examples of systems thinking I learned from this book. Other tips I learned: Exponential growth is hard for humans to comprehend, even though we live in a world that largely experiences nonlinear growth. Bounded rationality due to imperfect information available to people in a system can lead to unintended consequences for the system as a whole, i.e. the tragedy of the commons. The drift to low performance where decision-makers tend to believe bad news more than good news can set a system down a destructive path, particularly if the drift leads to an erosion of morality.
While the first half of the book go through examples and make use of inflow/outflow diagrams to help the reader develop a framework for thinking in systems, the last half of the book is where the biggest lessons are learned: understanding systems traps, leverage points, and systems wisdoms.
This is a book I expect to re-read or review my notes for throughout my career. I highly recommend reading this for any software engineer, any public policy and law maker, any economist, any company decision-maker, and anyone who wants to learn how to take a small step towards breaking down the world to begin to understand why systems are the way they are.