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Summary of Thinking In Systems 

4.6 . 3238 reviews

Short summary

“Thinking In Systems” is a concise and crucial book offering insight into solving problems from the personal scale to the global scale. It introduces readers to a different way of thinking about daily life problems that are found in nature, business or society. Written by American environmental scientist, teacher, and writer Diana Meadows, this book is sure to have a noteworthy impact on you. Meadows was well known for her work in changing the thought processes of her readers to enable them to see the world clearly, and she does this in this book as well. “The systems-thinking lens allows us to reclaim our intuition about whole systems and hone our abilities to understand parts, see interconnections, ask “what-if” questions about possible future behaviors, and be creative and courageous about system redesign.” ~ Donella H. Meadows

Table of content

  • Summary of Thinking In Systems
  • About the author
  • What is Thinking In Systems about?
  • Who should read Thinking In Systems
  • Topics in Thinking In Systems
first key point

The world will be a better place if we pay more attention to how systems operate

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A system is a group of interrelated things that create a pattern of behavior over time. For example, our digestive system comprises teeth, enzymes, stomach, and intestines. They are interconnected through the physical flow of food and through an elegant set of regulating chemical signals. The function of this system is to break down food into its essential nutrients and transfer those nutrients into the bloodstream (another system) while discarding unusable wastes. Most of the problems we face in the world today are a result of system failure. These issues cannot be resolved by trying to fix one part in isolation from the others. However, systems are influenced by external factors, and their response to those forces proceeds from their internal characteristics. Systems have the ability to change, adapt, respond to situations, seek goals, mend injuries, and survive naturally, although they may contain or consist of nonliving things. Inherent in systems is the capacity to organize and repair themselves when faced with problems. They are resilient, and many of them are evolutionary. However, out of one system, other completely new, never-before-imagined systems can arise.
System thinking gives us the liberty to know the root causes of the problems we see around and the new opportunities that come with it.
In this summary, you will learn about the different ways of seeing and thinking to make a difference in your life and world. In addition, you will understand how a system operates outside the realm of computers and equations.
There are no separate systems. The world is a continuum. Where to draw a boundary around a system depends on the purpose of the discussion. ~ Donella Meadows
second key point

A system is a fluid, organized setup of elements that all work hand in hand to achieve a general purpose

A system is any structure that contains sub-parts that are all geared toward one goal. A system isn't only a tech term; it describes every organization made up of much smaller units that are all working independently but united in the endpoint. A system is not a singular construct; it comprises parts that make it complete. These basic parts are what ensure a successful system. They are namely:
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third key point

A system behaves the way it does because of its flows and stocks; these are the defining factors for its general changes and activity

fourth key point

A system is characterized by its self-sufficiency which it achieves by being resilient, self-organized, and hierarchical

fifth key point

A system's behavior isn't primarily predicted by the linear expectation of human observations

sixth key point

A system will continue to struggle to perform at optimal levels if any of its subsystems are not functional

seventh key point

For a system to work effectively, you need to pay attention to the intangible constraints that are responsible for the system's performance

eighth key point

Conclusion

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What is Thinking In Systems about?

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Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

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