Thinking in Systems

Donella Meadows (1941-2001) was a well-known systems theorist who worked for three decades on the limits of growth agenda. This book was completed in the mid-1990s and is based on seminars she gave in universities and elsewhere. It is an excellent introduction to the field, and one that should be read by politicians around the world. Just as it suggests in the first chapter, managers do not solve problems, rather they manage messes -- complex systems of changing problems that interact with each other. This requires systems thinking if one is not to be caught up in unintended consequences. There is an important chapter on leverage points, or places to intervene in a system. Interestingly, Jimmy Carter tried a systems approach when he was president, but found it difficult to get across to the public. At the end there is a useful glossary and summary of systems principles.