Systems Thinking
A reading list on systems thinking, cybernetics, and first-principles problem solving, from Meadows and Wiener to Bateson and Mitchell.
On this page
Resources
Classics
- Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows
- The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge
- General System Theory by Ludwig von Bertalanffy
- Aristotle’s First Principles
- René Descartes: Discourse on Method
- Feynman’s Lecture: “Cargo Cult Science”: thinking skeptically from first principles
- Richard Feynman: "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" (Problem-solving approach)
- Charlie Munger: "Poor Charlie's Almanack" (Mental models approach)
- Norbert Wiener: "Cybernetics" (1948)
- Gregory Bateson: "Steps to an Ecology of Mind" (1972)
- Heinz von Foerster: "Understanding Understanding" (2003)
- Jay Forrester: "Industrial Dynamics" (1961)
- Russell Ackoff: "Creating the Corporate Future" (1981)
- Systems Thinking Made Simple: New Hope for Solving Wicked Problems by Derek Cabrera
- The Systems Bible by John Gall
- Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups by Peter Thiel
- The Structure of Scientific Revolutions - Thomas Kuhn
- Self-Organization in Biological Systems - Camazine et al.
Modern
- https://systemsthinkingalliance.org/glossary/
- https://modelthinkers.com/playbook/starting-your-side-hustle
- System Dynamics MIT Workshop
- Complexity: A Guided Tour - Melanie Mitchell
- Complex Adaptive Systems (Miller & Page)
- Introduction to Systems Biology (Alon): feedback motifs in gene regulation.
- Designing Regenerative Cultures - Daniel Christian Wahl
- Being You - Anil Seth
- The Embodied Mind - Varela, Thompson, Rosch