General Systems Thinking
General Systems Thinking
An Introduction
About the Book
For forty years, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking has been hailed as an innovative introduction to systems theory, with applications in software development and testing, medicine, engineering, social sciences, architecture, and beyond. Used in university courses and professional seminars all over the world, the text has proved its ability to open minds and sharpen thinking. Originally published in 1975 and reprinted dozens of times, the book uses clear writing to explore new approaches to projects, products, organizations, and virtually any kind of system.
Scientists, engineers, organization leaders, managers, doctors, students, and thinkers of all disciplines can use this book to dispel the mental fog that clouds problem-solving. As author Gerald M. Weinberg writes, "I haven't changed my conviction that most people don't think nearly as well as they could had they been taught some principles of thinking."
With more than 50 helpful illustrations and 80 examples from two dozen fields, and an appendix on a mathematical notation used in problem-solving, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking may be your most powerful tool in working with problems, systems, and solutions."
John D. Richards wrote, ". . . one of the classics of systems or science of computing. I recommend it to all; it will cause both scientists and non-scientists to examine their world and their thinking. This book will appear on my reading table at regular intervals, and one day I hope to update to the golden anniversary edition." He continues, "I've found myself returning to An Introduction to General Systems Thinking again and again in the twenty-plus years since I first stumbled across it. I know no better spark to revive a mind that's stuck in dead-end thinking than to open this book, dive into one of Gerald Weinberg's wonderful open-ended questions, and rediscover how one looks at the world."
In sum, another reviewer called this book, "a quiet little masterpiece showing all of us how we can deal with the big, bad world in a friendly, humourous, courageous, and empowered way."
About the Author
Bundles that include this book
Table of Contents
- Preface to the Silver Anniversary Edition
- Original Preface
- How To Use This Book
- Acknowledgments
-
Chapter 1. The Problem
- The Complexity of the World
- Mechanism and Mechanics
- The Square Law of Computation
- The Simplification of Science and the Science of Simplification
- Statistical Mechanics and the Law of Large Numbers
- The Law of Medium Numbers
- QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- READINGS
-
Chapter 2. The Approach
- Organism, Analogy, and Vitalism
- The Scientist and Her Categories
- The Main Article of General Systems Faith
- The Nature of General Systems Laws
- Varieties of Systems Thinking
- QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- READINGS
-
Chapter 3. System and Illusion
- A System Is a Way of Looking at the World
- A System Is a Set
- Observers and Observations
- The Principle of Indifference
- QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- READINGS
- NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
- ANSWERS TO NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
-
Chapter 4. Interpreting Observations
- States
- The Eye-Brain Law
- The Generalized Thermodynamic Law
- Functional Notation and Reductionist Thought
- Incompleteness and Overcompleteness
- The Generalized Law of Complementarity
- QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- Archaeology
- Micrometeorology
- Physics
- Biology and Chemistry
- Philosophy and Biology
- Language Training
- Sky-watching
- READINGS
- NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
- ANSWERS TO NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
-
Chapter 5. Breaking Down Observations
- The Metaphors of Science
- Boundaries and Things
- Qualities and the Principle of Invariance
- Partitions
- Reflexivity
- Symmetry
- Transitivity
- The Strong Connection Law
- QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- READINGS
- NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
- ANSWERS TO NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
-
Chapter 6. Describing Behavior
- Simulation—The White Box
- State Spaces
- Time as a Standard of Behavior
- Behavior in Open Systems
- The Principle of Indeterminability
- QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- READINGS
- NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
- ANSWERS TO NOTATIONAL EXERCISES
-
Chapter 7. Some Systems Questions
- The Systems Triumvirate
- Stability
- Survival
- Identity
- Regulation and Adaptation
- The Used Car Law
- QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
- READINGS
-
Notes
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Appendix
- FURTHER READING
- COVER PHOTO
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