Thinking in Systems

A Primer

De: Donella H. Meadows

Narrado por: Tia Rider Sorensen

In the years following her role as the lead author of the international best seller, Limits to Growth - the first book to show the consequences of unchecked growth on a finite planet - Donella Meadows remained a pioneer of environmental and social analysis until her untimely death in 2001.

Thinking in Systems is a concise and crucial book offering insight for problem-solving on scales ranging from the personal to the global. Edited by the Sustainability Institute's Diana Wright, this essential primer brings systems thinking out of the realm of computers and equations and into the tangible world, showing listeners how to develop the systems-thinking skills that thought leaders across the globe consider critical for 21st-century life.

Some of the biggest problems facing the world - war, hunger, poverty, and environmental degradation - are essentially system failures. They cannot be solved by fixing one piece in isolation from the others, because even seemingly minor details have enormous power to undermine the best efforts of too-narrow thinking.

While listeners will learn the conceptual tools and methods of systems thinking, the heart of the book is grander than methodology. Donella Meadows was known as much for nurturing positive outcomes as she was for delving into the science behind global dilemmas. She reminds listeners to pay attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable, to stay humble, and to stay a learner.

In a world growing ever more complicated, crowded, and interdependent, Thinking in Systems helps listeners avoid confusion and helplessness, the first step toward finding proactive and effective solutions.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2008 Sustainability Institute (P)2018 Chelsea Green Publishing

Great book

Great book. It feels like here are visuals that would have been helpful. I have to find if there’s a graphic supplement.

Very smart book

Obviously applicable to many things. Not something you want to listen to in the background.

more than meets the title

This was an extremely well thought out and written dialogue that covered much more than systems theory. or perhaps it exposed many more things relevant to systems theory than I was previously aware of. An excellent read!

Genius in a book.

I could relate so much to Donella’s point of view. Who knew there was even a subject that could be studied like this? We all underestimate our power to change society’s systems to be more humane, less wasteful and more successful in making us happy, simply by changing our goals to better suit our core values. A great read for anyone who wants to make the world a better place to live in together.

Mind transformed

Completely expanded my view on how to think structurally and for good. Perfect balance between technical and humanitarian.