A Dive into “Thinking in Systems” book by Donella H. Meadows

Carles Carrera
4 min readSep 18, 2023

My summary and notes hoping they help you understand if you want to get deeper into the book, or just scrap the surface with this (I’ll try to be short) summary.

Thinking in Systems book

I recently turned the last page of “Thinking in Systems” by Donella H. Meadows, a text that walks us through the entwining pathways of systems that constitute our world. Before we venture into the heart of this read, I’d like to share my personal thoughts on it: while I found the theme interesting, I also found it a bit heavy on theory with not as much practical application as I would have liked. It seemed to lack a direct pathway to employ the knowledge shared in improving one’s life or the lives of those around us.

Now, without further ado, let’s delve into the heart of this system-centric universe.

Understanding The World of Systems

Meadows uncovers the complex, interconnected web of systems that make up our world. In this book, a ‘system’ is described as an interconnected set of elements that are organized to achieve something specific. What’s vital to remember here is that understanding a system goes beyond merely recognizing its elements — it is equally about comprehending the interconnections and functions that orchestrate its operations.

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Carles Carrera
Carles Carrera

Written by Carles Carrera

www.carlescarrera.com | Writing mostly about what I learn from books about investing, business, marketing and life in general.

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