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An Introduction to General Systems Thinking (Silver Anniversary Edition) Anniversary Edition

by Gerald M. Weinberg (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 148 ratings
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For more than twenty-five years, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking has been hailed as an innovative introduction to systems theory, with applications in computer science and beyond. Used in university courses and professional seminars all over the world, the text has proven its ability to open minds and sharpen thinking.

Originally published in 1975 and reprinted more than twenty times over a quarter century -- and now available for the first time from Dorset House Publishing -- the text uses clear writing and basic algebraic principles 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 in the new preface to the Silver Anniversary Edition, "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.”

Now an award-winning author of nearly forty books spanning the entire software development life cycle, Weinberg had already acquired extensive experience as a programmer, manager, university professor, and consultant when this book was originally published.

With helpful illustrations, numerous end-of-chapter exercises, 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.

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  1. ISBN-10
    0932633498
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0932633491
  3. Edition
    Anniversary
  4. Publisher
    Dorset House
  5. Publication date
    April 15, 2001
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.25 x 0.5 x 9.25 inches
  8. Print length
    320 pages
  9. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
148 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book offers great insights that are easy to understand and challenging. They say it teaches them how to be more analytical and the recommended literature in exercises is useful. Readers also describe the presentation as accessible, elegant, and well-thought-out.

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InsightPresentation
7 customers mention "Insight"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers great insights that are easy to understand and challenging. They say it teaches them how to be more analytical. Readers also mention the recommended literature in exercises is useful. They say the book changes their way of thinking and organizes thoughts of natural system thinkers.

"...It offers a lot of great insights which are easy to understand but also challenge classical ontological thinking...." Read more

"...Or even an event?Well, this book was life-changing (my first reading was some 32 years ago, bought the Kindle version recently) in both..." Read more

"...The recommended literature in exercises is also useful." Read more

"...This will teach you how to be more analytical, and will demonstrate the ways in which you already are." Read more

4 customers mention "Presentation"3 positive1 negative

Customers find the book's presentation accessible, elegant, and well-thought-out. They also say it's useful for designers.

"...from von Bertalanffy's classic and manages to present it in a very accessible fashion...." Read more

"...provides is not a discussion of systems thinking as such, but an elegant and well thought out set of proofs that demonstrate why systems thinking..." Read more

"...Really poor presentation.____________________________________________________________________I learned a few neat things...." Read more

"IS A CLASIC VERY USEFUL FOR DESIGNERS" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Zentao
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction...
Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2002
Verified Purchase
Weinberg distills the essence from von Bertalanffy's classic and manages to present it in a very accessible fashion. The book has been out of print for quite a while so it is great to see a new edition. The message and information contained in here, although originally published in 1975, is now more relevant than ever.
Weinberg covers many aspects of systems theory beginning with the main stumbling block with the present scientific paradigm: the idea that the universe is mechanistic. His treatment is much more general than Robert Rosen's in "Life Itself" but still conveys why the mechanistic notion is flawed.
He then outlines the general systems theory approach before leading into the idea that a system is simply a way of looking at the world. He then outlines the principle of indifference. This leads straight into two sections outlining various aspects of making observations. Finally he discusses behaviour and then some general systems questions.
Throughout the book he uses many examples from disparate fields in conjunction with questions for further research. It is great to see someone who doesn't preach systems but actually uses the ideas.
Definitely a must-read as we decided how to solve the myriad of issues before us.
61 people found this helpful
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Retired Reader
4.0 out of 5 stars Theory of Systems Thinking
Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2011
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"Systems thinking" is a straight forward concept that concerns an understanding of a system by examining the linkages and interactions between the elements that compose the entirety of the system. The reader looking to this book for an exposition of this concept and perhaps examples of its application will be very disappointed.
The operative word in the title of this book is "Introduction." What Weinberg provides is not a discussion of systems thinking as such, but an elegant and well thought out set of proofs that demonstrate why systems thinking actually works and provide the foundation of an underlying theory of systems thinking. This is quite different from most of the literature on systems analysis and systems research, but this book provides a foundation for both of these disciplines. As such it has a unique place in the literature of this subject.
11 people found this helpful
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Helge Loebler
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Thoughts
Reviewed in the United States on July 18, 2010
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Gerald Weinberg book "An Introduction to General Systems Thinking" is one of the best books I ever read. When I started to think about system theory in the early 70s when my English was too weak to read English books I had only access to several translated books including of course authors like John von Neumann and Ross Ashby and alike. Now I'm doing research on service systems and discovered Weinberg's wonderful book. It's not only a book for experts in the field it is also a book for people who are interested in thinking. It offers a lot of great insights which are easy to understand but also challenge classical ontological thinking. For example it makes clear that a system is a set of entities which "we sat down". It's not pregiven. It is the way off looking at the world. It also makes clear that if science reduces the observable reality there always is another perspective to reduce it which is condensed in the generalized law of complimentary. The content of the book is too rich to be summarized in this short review each chapter is a gold mine but you have to dig.

In addition the book is not only something to read but it is something to work with. After each chapter it contains wonderful exercises and challenging questions. Everybody can train his thinking abilities which I think is very important for learning society. I definitely recommend this book to everybody who wants to improve her or his thinking. Who ever goes to university should, from my perspective, read this book. This book is also an entertaining one as it offers nice surprises in the way we usually think. I am very thankful to Gerald Weinberg that I had the opportunity to read his wonderful book.
15 people found this helpful
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Darrell Donahue
3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2017
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Have only looked at book briefly,
One person found this helpful
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SimonGWin
5.0 out of 5 stars Life changing events - and books
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2012
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Honestly, now. How many people can recollect a life-changing book? Or even an event?

Well, this book was life-changing (my first reading was some 32 years ago, bought the Kindle version recently) in both regards. Difficult to explain, but read it and see. (Quick plug - another life-changer was The Brothers Karamazov. The two books have a strange affinity)

It is not a General Systems textbook. Nevertheless, if you are planning to read General Systems, then read this book first.

Even if General Systems is not your turn-on, this book will make you think so hard, smoke may come out of your ears. Joyous smoke.

This book should be compulsory beginning reading for any Masters or PhD candidate.

The print version is more than 35 years old, recently reprinted, costs some $50.

Get the Kindle version and send the balance to me, but you may well want the print version after you Kindle it.
4 people found this helpful
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archie
2.0 out of 5 stars way and way to long
Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2014
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This book is way to long, it should have been about one 5th the length. The book is also missing structure, making it hard to skip to the interesting parts.
2 people found this helpful
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Kurt W. Gochko
4.0 out of 5 stars Condition & Delivery as promised
Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2021
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It's a book -- Condition & Delivery as promised
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Michael Prell
5.0 out of 5 stars A framework for thinking
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2012
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I've spent most of my life wondering why I am drawn to chemists, computer scientists and the law. Although Weinberg doesn't necessarily explain the first part of my quandary, he does give significant insight into what the three listed items have in common. The answer is that they all relate to systems. I believe that most people are exposed to systems thinking intermediate and advanced math classes in high-school and college, but I don't believe that we ever that we are ever taught how to use those models and apply them in a practical way to real-world problems. Weinberg presents a mode of thinking to do just this: see the world, even our day-to-day, in a way that lends itself to rational, systematic analysis and decision-making. In order to do this he has to find a way to merge the creative and logical thought processes. I think he pulls it off extremely well in this book.
8 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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DanielL
5.0 out of 5 stars Right direction
Reviewed in Germany on May 23, 2021
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The book feeded my ideas and new ways of viewing the world. Also life lessons, not only for technical systems. From another book "for each system, there is its observer", or something like that.
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Adrian Neftalí Martínez
5.0 out of 5 stars Excelente libro
Reviewed in Mexico on March 5, 2019
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Excelente libro para adentrarte en el mundo del análisis, aunque aún lo termino, es muy interesante. El libro fue enviado en excelentes condiciones.
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Jorge Agudo Praena
5.0 out of 5 stars As great as a systems thinking book can go
Reviewed in Spain on December 23, 2019
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The content is huge, and it makes it a long reading. Some examples might seem out of date, but they help to visualize the concepts explained very well.
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Srinidhi Narayana
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in India on November 2, 2016
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Fantastic way to describe and make one understand on something like a General System.
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Pomelo
5.0 out of 5 stars Matchless
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 28, 2015
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I have read the kindle version and then ordered this paper version. It is dense. I need to read and re-read its parts and chapters because every time I get deeper understanding. The important thing is, this book and its examples and notions will be part of your mindset. It improves your mental models, the models that you think through them. I haven't read such a well written book on fundamentals of system thinking. A must read for anyone who is interested in thinking and ,indeed, better thinking
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