Ask HN: What to read after “Thinking in Systems”? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What to read after “Thinking in Systems”?

84 pointsyash814143 comments

I recently finished thinking in systems and i want to learn more.So i am looking for book reccomendation.If possible any books related to programming and math and systems thinking.

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Take a look through Brian Castellani's Map of the Complexity Sciences (2018):

https://www.art-sciencefactory.com/complexity-map_feb09.html

the map looks magnificent.

The Fifth Discipline by Senge. Also a great introduction to systems thinking.

Also everything written by Goldratt.

In particular: The Goal and It's not luck Both are business novels, they read lightly but the lessons are profound.

The Goal is both insightful and hilarious.

The system-oriented lessons/examples are great. The 80s style dialogues, integrations, and throwbacks are fun sideshows.

Depends, do you have ~$500 to spare?

I ask because the single best book on cybernetics (and I mean it, it feels a tad bit absurd how much better than other works on the topic it seems to me) costs roughly that, isn't available on Libgen, and nobody dares mention it anywhere in fear of driving prices on used copies up, because nobody wants the publisher to get any money for it, cause while they sure charge a lot for it, they actively hampered efforts by the original authors for a new edition of the book. (The rights to it eventually did end up in the right hands - a decade too late.)

If you wanna know why we don't see widespread adaption of systems thinking, it seems almost singularly caused by the nega-butterfly effect of that book not sitting on Libgen & having a price tag on it so gigantic people don't even wanna talk about it.

So ironic, makes me want to puke.

Brand?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

ok i am curious what is the name of the book?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

Are you talking about the 2nd edition of "Design for a Brain"?

There are embarassingly many cybernetics books this could refer to (particularly from the midcentury)...

Probably not: https://openlibrary.org/books/OL5791995M/Design_for_a_brain

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

Well now I need to know.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

I'm super curious as the rest. Wild guess, are you talking about Brain of the firm?

That's only $120 new from the publisher.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

Well, I can spare 500 on it, can you please share the title, here on in an email, otherwise, what is the point?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

I can spare $500 if the book is good . can you DM Me ?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

Can you please DM me the title of the book?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

Is this....a troll comment on HN? Well set up, if so.

It's not, but seeing how I get accused of all kinds of things here by now and people have started swarming my DMs on Twitter, here y'all go — but one of you better put it on Libgen:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Encyclopedia_of_...

Seems I recalled the price wrong - over $600, apparently.

And here, links to two reviews of the first edition:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/%28SICI%2910...

Also, here, a slide deck about the second edition:

http://benking.de/systems/encyclopedia/BBK-Saur-Library-Fran...

I hope the third edition comes around at some point...

If this is true, i would be interested as well.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

beautiful example of testing a market combined with a little pickup artist style negging. Bravo

Not quite. But: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

I would like to have it also. Please DM me

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20229045

Hey I just bought this book, at the back she gives a great suggested reading list, I encourage you to take a look and pick one that sparks your interest :).

yes I have seen that but as said in question I am looking some mathy and programming of systems,if not that then something different according to the reader liked.

Sterman's "Business Dynamics" may be of interest to you, but it's pricey. You may be able to find a PDF online. Morecroft's "Strategic Modelling and Business Dynamics" is available on Safari Books Online if you have a subscription.

both books look good.Thanks

I'll do you one better, and give you a whole bibliography: http://pcp.vub.ac.be/CSBOOKS.html

Some of the books on that list aren't readily available, because as cybernetics went out of style they went out of print.

New Books in Systems and Cybernetics podcast is also a good resouce.

https://newbooksnetwork.com/category/systems-and-cybernetics...

“The Origin of Wealth” is an excellent take on macroeconomics from a complex adaptive systems view.

Also recommend this course by Scott Page from the Santa Fe Institute: https://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/understanding-comple...

SFI generally is an excellent source of complexity science research and writing.

https://www.santafe.edu

The Model Thinker is excellent.

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