An Introductory Guide to Systems Thinking

By: David Kerr

Narrated by: David Kerr

The world around us is comprised of systems - organisational systems, business systems, political systems, family systems, inter-personal systems, biological systems, economic systems - the list goes on.

This audiobook, written by an experienced systems thinker and consultant, helps the reader develop an appreciation of the nature of systems - what they comprise of, how they function, how they sustain and organize themselves and what they influence and are influenced by.

With this knowledge people and organisations can obtain a greater understanding of themselves and can develop the ability to identify the structure of problems and make interventions with far greater skill and precision.

©2012 Watt Works Consulting Ltd (P)2012 Watt Works Consulting Ltd

Few surprises to anyone loosely familiar with this

This is, of course, quite short. Going in, I was not sure what level of sophistication this assumes in the listener; the answer is none. Mention is made of another forthcoming book which might be more interesting. It was pleasant and mildly thought-provoking at turns. I didn't think this added big value for me, inasmuch as any educated thinker who has exposure to any notions of biology, ecosystems or management, has probably heard or intuited much of this already. Hey, changing one component of a system affects other components, sometimes in ways unforeseen. Surprise, surprise.

Short but good...

Extremely short. Enough for you to "get the gist" but yearn for more, hence my performance rating. To add insult to injury, I researched the website only to find a very graphic page with but one pithy comment-"email us" @.....etc etc. I have to admit, I was a bit put off. Great short intro though.

Concise and clear

A great introduction into systems thinking. Well explained with simple examples. Free of confusing and intimidating jargon. I also enjoyed the British accent. .

great intro to systems

nice and succinct but clear. articulate narrator. I don't have more to say until 15 words minimum.

Just couldn't pay attention

I'm sure the concepts are great, but between the speaker's unengaging voice and the dryness with which content was presented, I couldn't stay awake. Tried twice. Turned it off. Preferred silence...

Overpriced and extremely basic overview

This should have been 2$. It was like the introduction to a book that didn't come after. 7$ for an hour of content that was thin and rudimentary at best.

Very light on actual systems

The description of this book suggests the author provides an adequate definition of systems in the world -- "organisational systems, business systems, political systems, family systems, inter-personal systems, biological systems, economic systems" -- and explains how the universal nature of the development of these systems can be applied to organizations to help them run at an optimal level.

In my estimation, the author completely fails to explain the universal nature of systems/networks/emergence. He spends the majority of the book trying to explain how to apply systems thinking to organizations, but I am not convinced he understands systems thinking to begin with. So why bother?