SWK 3010: Human Behavior & the Social Environment

General System Theory by Ludwig von Bertalanffy The classic book on a major modern theory Bertalanffy's selected writings on his theory of lawsapplicable to virtually every scientific field. This conceptual approach hashad a profound impact on biology, economics, psychology, and demography, withnew relevancies today. The new foreword by University of Vienna system theory professor, Wolfgang Hofkirchner, and Centre for Systems Philosophy director, David Rousseau, discusses the theory's contemporary applications.  

An Introduction to General Systems Thinking by Gerald Weinberg For more than twenty-five years, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking has been hailed as an innovative introduction to systems theory, with applications in computer science and beyond. Used in university courses and professional seminars all over the world, the text has proven its ability to open minds and sharpen thinking.Originally published in 1975 and reprinted more than twenty times over a quarter century-and now available for the first time from Dorset House Publishing-the text uses clear writing and basic algebraic principles to explore new approaches to projects, products, organizations, and virtually any kind of system.Scientists, engineers, organization leaders, managers, doctors, students, and thinkers of all disciplines can use this book to dispel the mental fog that clouds problem-solving. As author Gerald M. Weinberg writes in the new Preface to the Silver Anniversary Edition, "I haven't changed my conviction that most people don't think nearly as well as they could had they been taught some principles of thinking."Now an award-winning author of nearly forty books spanning the entire software development life cycle-including The Psychology of Computer Programming: Silver Anniversary Edition and Exploring Requirements (with Donald C. Gause)-Weinberg had already acquired extensive experience as a programmer, manager, university professor, and consultant when this book was originally published.With helpful illustrations, numerous end-of-chapter exercises, and an appendix on a mathematical notation used in problem-solving, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking may be your most powerful tool in working with problems, systems, and solutions.

Systems One: An Introduction to Systems Thinking by Draper Kauffman The first textbook on systems thinking written for a broad audience, and now updated for the modern reader, Systems 1 is a perfect introduction to the complex systems that make up the world around us. Originally written in 1980, it has remained a classic and a mainstay of workshops and classrooms around the world for 40 years. It has been used in courses for gifted middle schoolers as well as graduate programs. It is the introductory text in Roadmaps, the MIT course on systems theory for educators, and has been incorporated into many business and military training programs. The Chinese translation of the 3rd edition is also widely available. The book begins with a basic summary of systems theory, and proceeds through simple steps to help the reader understand some of the more complex systems that we deal with every day. It concludes with “Kauffman’s Rules,” 30 proverbs that every systems thinker needs to know. The 4th edition has been completely updated, including an entirely new chapter on exponential growth.