Thinking in Systems: A Primer,   ISBN:9781603580557

Customer Rating: 

I had been curious about Systems Thinking for awhile and wanted an entry into the topic area. This book did just that. The only thing else that I would want from it is more information around the modeling approach involved.

Customer Rating: 

I'm fascinated by the premise of the book. As someone who has no formal training in the mechanics of high-level systems oversight I'm convinced that this is a good primer. Thinking in Systems is really more of a Logic 101 in the first half. It could serve as a useful tool for readers who want to be more organized or who want to see the world through a different lens.

The book shows how to build a systems map and identify the "choke points" in a system. Some of the diagrams were a bit muddled from my perspective but overall the book was well organized and informative. It helped me modify my way of seeing problems a little bit. I've since started using a mind mapping tool called Freemind which is changing the way I approach life in ways I never expected.

Customer Rating: 

Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows is the perfect primer for people who want to learn more about system thinking. The book is clear, provides multiple examples and clear diagrams/illustrations to help people understand what systems are, how they work, and how you can use systems thinking to understand and manage complexity.

I have read other systems thinking books by people like Peter Checkland and they are good but this book is better to introduce people to the principles of systems thinking. The book does more than just discuss systems but also systems traps and how to intervene to change systems.

I highly recommend this book to people who want to understand systems thinking, documentation and management. If you are someone who knows system thinking and want to teach others, then start with this book.

Customer Rating: 

I enjoyed this book and it was very informative, but it was very dry. It was different from a lot of reading that I do for fun in how dry it was. If I were reading this for fun, I'd recommend skimming the book or only reading the beginning. The different perspective from other kinds of modeling was what was particularly nice & rewarding about this book.

Customer Rating: 

Great perspective on feedback loops and why systems are so hard to control and how the intuitive approach sometimes produces backwards results. I couldn't help but wish the author had a greater variety of real world examples ... maybe something from chemistry, psychology, accounting, computers, mechanics or even gardening. However, I think the author gives us enough new insight and ideas so we can do that ourselves. The book gives one hope that we can wrestle bits of understanding out of the chaos.