Systemantics: How Systems Work and Especially How They Fail n Edition

by John Gall (Author), R. O. Blechman (Illustrator)

20 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-0812906745

ISBN-10: 0812906748

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Editorial Reviews

Hardcover: 111 pages
Publisher: Quadrangle; n edition (May 12, 1977)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812906748
ISBN-13: 978-0812906745
Package Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 20 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #329,332 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #105 in Books > Science & Math > Physics > System Theory
- #10930 in Books > Textbooks > Science & Mathematics

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Joseph Reddy

So short, so easy, so no excuse not to read and THINK

January 8, 2009

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

Systemantics was probably my favorite technical read of the year for my software development career. Like The Design of Everyday Things, this book is not about software development, at least not directly. This book addresses all the things that are arguably true about systems. The book refers to large systems like government and public school systems, and medium systems like city garbage collection, and even smaller systems like families, or a system for managing a small group of employees. These systems are all set up to solve or at least manage a problem the same way we develop software systems to do the same.

The author refers back and forth to these common systems as it explains over 20 truisms of systems, especially large ones. Some of my favorites include:
- First rule of systems design: do without out one if possible
- New systems mean new problems
- A large system produced by expanding a smaller system will not behave like the smaller system
- Things are as they appear to be, not what they are

The book is written in a very lighthearted yet serious way which makes it easy to read, even funny. Everywhere, things are not working well and those outside of the systems that are failing are sure they could fix them if only their ideas were universally adopted. However, this book admittedly offers no solution. There is no single method to follow and all axioms are too fundamental for direct application. Rather the axioms provide clues and guidance to awareness of what makes a particular system faulty. The Systematics student, understanding the risk of failure, even catastrophic failure, knows that the undertaking should only be begun where the present evil is very clear and the consequences of utter failure are no more unbearable than the original unsatisfactory situation.

8 people found this helpful

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Marcus J. Ranum

Five Stars

February 4, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great satire is hard to distinguish from reality.

2 people found this helpful

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Ignacio

Very Good Re

September 1, 2018

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Lovely and fun book a good reminder for any system deployment

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Sanjay

Five Stars

September 12, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This is an easy read about Systems... funny at times, but a lot of common sense.

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alan c heuer

Absolutely Everybody in Mgt must read and study

February 6, 2014

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

The Ultimate Comprehensive Rules of every organization of every kind ever assembled. I've given copies to friends for decades...

Don't take it all in one dose...

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A. Railean

Insightful humour

December 23, 2010

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

This book is a must-read for engineers, programmers or anyone who designs, builds or maintains systems of any kind.

It is very funny and very educational.
It made me a better person.

One person found this helpful

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Richard B. Renner

Systems review

May 18, 2013

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I have a masters degree in systems analysis, and this book tempers the enthusiasm one has upon leaving school. It should be included in the curriculum.

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rhhardin

Why Things Are Not Working Out

March 30, 2000

Format: Hardcover

There is no better book, with more startlingly accurate insights into one's current predicament.
It has the slight failing that it can't quite decide if it ought to be another _Stress Analysis of a Strapless Evening Gown_ or not, so there's a few paragraphs to skip here and there.
The rest is great.
I can quote from memory my favorite system axioms:
``Systems grow, and as they grow they encroach.''
``Systems attract systems-people.''
``Intra-system goals come first.''
``Reality is whatever is reported to the system.''
``Fail-safe systems fail by failing to fail safe.''
My favorite chapter is ``Administrative Encirclement,'' where each researcher is asked to write out his objectives.
The deepest insight, very subtle indeed, is Orwell's Inversion: the confusion of input and output:
``Example: A giant program is to Conquer Cancer is begun. At the end of five years, cancer has not been conquered, but one thousand research papers have been published. In addition, one million copies of a pamphlet entitled ``You and the War Against Cancer'' have been distributed. Those publications will absolutely be regarded as Output rather than Input.''
Nobody who knows the book will be surprised that the biggest killers of dogs today are humane societies.
People who follow the book will understand why the small early version _General Systemantics_ (1975), privately published, is an absolute gem; this version is pretty good, almost the same; and today's version (_...the underground text..._) is expanded beyond belief. The author has made it a system.

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Systemantics: How Systems Work and Especially How They Fail n Edition

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