Cover via Open Library
Matt's pick · not sponsored
Thinking in Systems: A Primer
- systems thinking
- feedback loops
- complexity
- sustainability
- decision making
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Why I'd hand it to you
Donella Meadows explains how systems, from bathtubs to businesses to ecosystems, behave through stocks, flows and feedback loops. Once you see those patterns, you understand why quick fixes so often backfire and why problems keep coming back. The book is short and the diagrams are simple. It was published after her death, put together from her drafts, and in places that shows. The writing is abstract, and some of the examples feel dated. Readers who want stories or action steps may find it dry. If you lead an organization or just like understanding why things work the way they do, it repays a slow read.
— Matt Jordan
Quick summary
- Book
- Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella H. Meadows
- Who it's for
- Leaders and curious readers willing to take a slow, somewhat abstract read on why problems keep coming back.
- Key topics
- Systems thinking
- Stocks, flows and feedback loops
- Why quick fixes backfire
- Complexity and sustainability
- Shelves
- Economics, Science, Business
