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Critical systems thinking and the management of complexity
Jackson M., WILEY, Hoboken, NJ , 2019. 736 pp. Type: Book (9781119118398)
Date Reviewed: Jan 21 2025

This is the first of two books by Dr. Jackson about critical systems thinking (CST). I discussed the other, Critical systems thinking: a practitioner’s guide, in a previous review [1]. That book was essentially a Reader’s Digest version of this one, written for practitioners. This one, however, is for scholars and practitioners who want to better understand what systems philosophy, systems science, and systems practice can do to improve management.

The preface to Critical systems thinking and the management of complexity states the rationale for this book: “We are entangled in complexity.” The text is organized into four parts. Part 1 covers the roots of systems thinking in the disciplines of philosophy, the physical sciences, life sciences, and social sciences. Part 2 explores the systems sciences: general systems theory, cybernetics, and complexity theory.

Part 3 examines approaches for systems practice. It begins with a chapter on a system of systems methodologies (SOSM), drawing upon Dr. Jackson’s prior work and that of other luminaries such as Beer’s classification of systems and Snowden’s Cynefin framework. The result is a revised SOSM that Dr. Jackson uses in the remaining chapters of this section to organize and categorize ten systems approaches into six types depending upon the complexity of the problem or problems to be addressed.

Part 4 is a deep dive into CST, with chapters on critical systems theory, multimethodology, and critical systems practice (CSP). The latter is a bridge to Dr. Jackson’s follow-up book on CSP [1]. Along the way, Dr. Jackson critiques what methodologies, methods, and combinations work and when, including his own [2]. A conclusion, 39 pages of references, and an index complete the book.

While it is probably true that all that could be said about systems thinking has been said, it is also likely true that no one was listening, so Dr. Jackson is saying it again. I appreciate him doing so.

More reviews about this item: Amazon, Goodreads

Reviewer:  Ernest Hughes Review #: CR147873
1) Jackson, M. C. Critical systems thinking: a practitioner's guide. Wiley, Hoboken, NJ, 2024.
2) Soman, D. What works, what doesn't (and when): case studies in applied behavioral science. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada, 2024.
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