Reviews

"Publishers Weekly" (Starred Review)-Just before her death, scientist, farmer and leading environmentalist Meadows (1941-2001) completed an updated, 30th anniversary edition of her influential 1972 environmental call to action, "Limits to Growth," as well as a draft of this book, in which she explains the methodologyasystems analysisashe used in her ground-breaking work, and how it can be implemented for large-scale and individual problem solving. With humorous and commonplace examples for difficult concepts such as a areinforcing feedback loop, a (the more one brother pushes, the more the other brother pushes back), negative feedback (as in thermostats), accounting for delayed response (like in maintaining store inventory), Meadows leads readers through the increasingly complex ways that feedback loops operate to create self-organizing systems, in nature (afrom viruses to redwood treesa) and human endeavor. Further, Meadows explicates methods for fixing systems that have gone haywire (aThe worldas leaders are correctly fixated on economic growth a]but theyare pushing with all their might in the wrong directiona). An invaluable companion piece to "Limits to Growth," this is also a useful standalone overview of systems-based problem solving, aa simple book about a complex worlda graced by the wisdom of a profound thinker committed to ashap[ing] a better future.a