⭐⭐⭐⭐ Thinking In Systems by Meadows
| Full Title | Thinking In Systems: A Primer |
|---|---|
| Authors | Donella H. Meadows, Diana Wright |
| Year Published | 2008 |
| Date Read | March 10, 2022 |
| Rating | 4/5 stars |
As someone who considers themselves a big believer in “thinking in systems,” I think I would find it hard to actually dislike a book that tries to support this mental orientation. Most of the concepts introduced here weren’t necessarily new to me, and many of the insights presented I had to learn the “hard way” through my own systems failing. That said, there was still enough new content for me, and Meadows presented a deeper analysis of fairly established concepts (eg, stocks vs. flows) to keep my attention.
Perhaps the section I found most insightful was the last one, where the author discusses her view on where we should focus our attention if we desire to change a system (she terms these places “leverage points”). I think it was a great idea to structure this section as worst-to-best, as I found that many of the things I thought of primarily (buffers, feedback loops) the author actually considered to be fairly low-leverage. Instead, she promotes changing/moving past
paradigms as the top two. Self-organization is also given heavy weight. I’d like to spend more time considering these things when thinking about molding my systems for long-term success.
I think this book is worth a read for anyone that thinks critically about how systems can help achieve their personal goals. I also think it would be useful for knowledge workers that have the ability to create and modify systems as part of their career.