The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory ReviewPeople new to systems thinking and cybernetics are looking for handy resources to get started. This book requires something more. However, once a person gains a basic understanding, this book has proven to me to be one of the best. It points the reader in a number of directions for further study, and gives a useful summary of what the reader will find there.
Its treatment of the famous Luhmann-Habermas debates was especially helpful, and I plan to use a number of other sections in my own studies and college teaching for some time to come. I find that the writer understood the importance of orienting the reader who hadn't been comfortable with the science and mathematics that often go with systems thinking.
The author does an especially good job trying to integrate certain concerns with democracy, participative management, and widespread involvement that a systems approach sometimes neglects in pursuit of social engineering by a technical elite.
This book was heavier than a simple introduction, so it is not exactly the front door to systems thinking, but I have found it to be a hallway to many rooms that I am still exploring -- thanks to Kenneth Bausch.The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory OverviewIn The Emerging Consensus of Social Systems Theory Bauschsummarizes the works of over 30 major systemic theorists. He then goeson to show the converging areas of consensus among these out-standingthinkers. Bausch categorizes the social aspects of current systemic thinking asfalling into five broadly thematic areas: designing social systems,the structure of the social world, communication, cognition andepistemology. These five areas are foundational for a theoretic and practicalsystemic synthesis. They were topics of contention in a historicdebate between Habermas and Luhmann in the early 1970's. They continueto be contentious topics within the study of social philosophy. Since the 1970's, systemic thinking has taken great strides in theareas of mathematics, physics, biology, psychology, and sociology.This book presents a spectrum of those theoretical advances. Itsynthesizes what various strains of contemporary systems science haveto say about social processes and assesses the quality of theresulting integrated explanations. Bausch gives a detailed study of the works of many present-day systemstheorists, both in general terms, and with regard to social processes.He then creates and validates integrated representations of theirthoughts with respect to his own thematic classifications. He providesa background of systemic thinking from an historical context, as wellas detailed studies of developments in sociological, cognitive andevolutionary theory.This book presents a coherent, dynamic model ofa self-organizing world. It proposes a creative and ethical method ofdecision-making and design. It makes explicit the relations betweenstructure and process in the realms of knowledge and being. The newmethodology that evolves in this book allows us to deal with enormouscomplexity, and to relate ideas so as to draw out previouslyunsuspected conclusions and syntheses. Therein lies the elegance andutility of this model.

Want to learn more information about The Emerging Consensus in Social Systems Theory?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Energy: Engine of Evolution Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Energy: Engine of Evolution? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Energy: Engine of Evolution. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Energy: Engine of Evolution ReviewI have no connection to the author of this book, financially or socially. So what I say here is just my honest opinion based on the content of this book.
This book should be required reading for every college student, every senior government official, and every economist. In prose accessible to everyone, Niele explains what everyone needs to understand: that all organization and all economic activity is based on energy flows. Niele traces the origins and evolution of life based on how life adapted to and utilized available energy sources. In more detail, he outlines the history of humanity from our unique taming of fire, through the agricultural harvesting of solar energy, into the incredible transformations of the fossil fuel age and on into the emerging age of efficiency and renewable energy sources. He makes a vivid connection between the deep flow of evolution and the immediacy of our society's current energy and environmental crisis. This book gives us wisdom, not just current opinion. Niele presents many unique insights, along with some of the best ideas of luminaries such as Kauffman, Smil, Chaisson, de Duve, Pyne and others. In my own endless quest to understand our world and our society from a systems perspective, I have read hundreds of books by these authors and many others. Many have inspired me and taught me. But of all of those, this book by Frank Niele "brings it all together" in a way that is concise, intuitive, and readable. I wish that this book had a much lower price, because I think everyone should read it. I encourage Mr. Niele to do all he can to get it out in a paperback or electronic form. However, if you have any interest in energy, social policy, evolution, complexity theory or systems theory, buy this book even if you have to skip the next ten meals to do so!Energy: Engine of Evolution OverviewEnergy: Engine of Evolution is a compelling book that provides a compact history of energy over the last four billion years, with the aim of creating a sound basis to understanding the possible futures of the energy industry.It describes the role that energy has played in the evolution of nature and culture, the impact it has had on the world over time and the implications that we are faced with concerning the role of energy in the future.This book describes the relationship between life and energy through time, outlining how the major revolutions in the evolution of life on earth were driven by developments at the energy frontiers.Energy: Engine of Evolution states that we are on the verge of the next energy revolution, where we will learn how to master new energy forms in a new way.As a result of years of research and discussions by leading experts in the oil and gas industry, this publication offers inspiring insights and examples of new approaches to technological and evolutionary developments, paving the way towards a more sustainable future.* Provides evolutionary insight * Introduces an Energy Time Scale that shows key relationships between energy and the history of planet Earth* Contains exciting examples of new approaches to sustainable development

Want to learn more information about Energy: Engine of Evolution?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Artificial Life Models in Software Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Artificial Life Models in Software? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Artificial Life Models in Software. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Artificial Life Models in Software ReviewRemember Conway's Game of Life? Surely you must, if you are interested in this book. The Game has been around since the 70s. The editors have cultivated recent research papers that demonstrate how far the field has advanced. Reinforced by some pretty colour plates that depict artificial entities [dare we call them living?] in some surroundings. These include the modelling of bee flights through a garden, and simulated trajectories of a group of bacteria.
Nor is the Game of Life ignored. One plate shows it in three dimensions. The Game is played in 2 dimensions, with time as the third dimension. An obvious choice that gives interesting trajectories of the cells.
The narrative adds to the illustrations. By describing a variety of computer simulations [worlds?]. Where the experimenter can tweak many parameters, and watch her world unfold. Some worlds are impressively rich in complexity of observed behaviours.
The only drawback in the book is its skimpy index. A mere two pages. It should have been more detailed.Artificial Life Models in Software OverviewThe advent of powerful processing technologies and the advances in software development tools have drastically changed the approach and implementation of computational research in fundamental properties of living systems through simulating and synthesizing biological entities and processes in artificial media. Nowadays realistic physical and physiological simulation of natural and would-be creatures, worlds and societies becomes a low-cost task for ordinary home computers. The progress in technology has dramatically reshaped the structure of the software, the execution of a code, and visualization fundamentals. This has led to the emergence of novel breeds of artificial life software models, including three-dimensional programmable simulation environment, distributed discrete events platforms and multi-agent systems. This second edition reflects the technological and research advancements, and presents the best examples of artificial life software models developed in the World and available for users.

Want to learn more information about Artificial Life Models in Software?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

What Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy What Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on What Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

What Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement ReviewA great overview of complexity and human dynamics which also includes some methods and tools to start to use immediately. The book stimulates one's thinking by one's reviewing past projects that didn't have desired results and how to use complexity for a different approach to solve problem (or get different results).What Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement OverviewWhat Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement provides new tools for managing and sustaining process improvement in today's complex non-linear environments and helps readers apply new, relevant theory to their own management practices. With more than 50 combined years of change management and process improvement consulting experience, the authors offer valuable practical insights for creating dynamic organizational change.
The first section of the book describes the key bodies of knowledge and process improvement processes (Lean, Six Sigma, and Human Systems Dynamics) used throughout the text. The next two sections focus on the case story of TryinHard Marine. The authors first highlight the dynamics of a typical linear process improvement implementation. They then present ways to combat a range of complex, non-linear, and emergent organizational issues as they arise during the implementation of a Six Sigma initiative. The last part explains how to assess readiness to begin a process improvement initiative, select consultants and internal "Belt" candidates, and choose the appropriate tools for projects. The authors also introduce additional tools and concepts to enable adaptive action at all levels of an organization.
This book provides useful information for thinking and behaving in adaptive ways that can be applied to any organization. By using the concepts, models, and tools presented, readers can improve their own business improvement processes.
The book has an accompanying website with more information.

Want to learn more information about What Works for GE May Not Work for You: Using Human Systems Dynamics to Build a Culture of Process Improvement?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...

Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis ReviewThis book describes Alloy, a tool for specifying and analyzing data structures and other relationships within your programs. The book walks you through a tutorial, showing you how you can find the bugs in your specifications before you actually write any code, and then goes into the details of the language and its semantics.
I think I was exactly the target audience for this book (and the Alloy language), as I write a lot of Java software and have been looking for a practical specification tool. I've heard of other people who were less happy with this book, as they were trying to learn _about_ Alloy rather than learning Alloy itself. There is some material at the beginning and end that compares and contrasts Alloy with other specification languages, but the real value of this book comes in the middle where it teaches you how to use Alloy effectively.Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis OverviewIn Software Abstractions Daniel Jackson introduces a new approach tosoftware design that draws on traditional formal methods but exploits automatedtools to find flaws as early as possible. This approach--which Jackson calls"lightweight formal methods" or "agile modeling"--takes from formal specificationthe idea of a precise and expressive notation based on a tiny core of simple androbust concepts but replaces conventional analysis based on theorem proving with afully automated analysis that gives designers immediate feedback. Jackson hasdeveloped Alloy, a language that captures the essence of software abstractionssimply and succinctly, using a minimal toolkit of mathematical notions. The designercan use automated analysis not only to correct errors but also to make models thatare more precise and elegant. This approach, Jackson says, can rescue designers from"the tarpit of implementation technologies" and return them to thinking deeply aboutunderlying concepts.Software Abstractions introduces the key elements of theapproach: a logic, which provides the building blocks of the language; a language,which adds a small amount of syntax to the logic for structuring descriptions; andan analysis, a form of constraint solving that offers both simulation (generatingsample states and executions) and checking (finding counterexamples to claimedproperties). The book uses Alloy as a vehicle because of its simplicity and toolsupport, but the book's lessons are mostly language-independent, and could also beapplied in the context of other modeling languages.

Want to learn more information about Software Abstractions: Logic, Language, and Analysis?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now

Read More...