Thinking in Systems: A Primer
author: Donella Meadows
related books: How the World Really Works, Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder
The main take-away
A system is a set of interconnected things in such a way that they produce their own behaviour. Outside forces can influence it, though internal feedback is more likely to drive it — a living cell, a forest or a city are good examples of systems. If we want to understand and manage such systems, it is better to act on the system rather than on external disturbances and perturbations. For example, to keep your garden free from pests, it is better to create enough diversity to provide niches for predators such as ladybugs rather than to try to eradicate them using pesticides directly.
Systems that work well (strong economy, good farmland, productive research group) usually have the following properties:
they are resilient and robust to changes;
they show a high degree of self-organization;
they are hierarchically organized.
When systems fail, there is usually also a system solution. For example, when dealing with the tragedy of the commons, you can change incentives by educating, regulating or privatizing.
Who is this for?
For all scientists and engineers, the book gives new mental tools to understand the world around you. It is even helpful for investing, policy-making and management. It uses virtually no mathematics, so it is accessible to everyone. A gem!