System Wisdom - PDF eBook with Audiobook

By

Methodically Processing

A Book About Systems

The entire world is made up of parts that act upon each other. These parts may have clear boundaries, or their boundaries may be fuzzy. Anything that is pieced together with two or more interacting parts is a system. In practice, that means everything is a system because interacting pieces and parts form everything. As the number of parts and their visible (and hidden) interactions increase, systems grow complex, and the rules you’re used to no longer apply. System Wisdom is a book about how the rules of the game change as you cross the boundary from complicated to complex.

System Wisdom is a collection of 17 essays split into four main parts. In the first part you’ll learn some key concepts about different kinds of systems and their importance to our lives. Next you’ll learn how complexity thwarts our human desire to control the people and things around us. In the penultimate section you’ll learn the common mistakes that lead us to make poor decisions in complex situations. Finally, you’ll learn strategies to avoid negative outcomes when faced with complexity.

Table of Contents

Everything is a system.

Is it simple, complicated, complex, or just plain nuts? 

Not working or not working as intended?

The importance of systems.

They want to control the bad.

Control the uncontrollable. 

The desire to do good.

They’ve got things to show.

Don’t look so clever.

Big ambition goes nowhere.

Crystal balls.

Take a different approach.

Left with broken things.

New isn’t simple.

The “why” isn’t important. 

Forget the logic.

Discomfort is your edge.