# What systems thinking books would you recommend? **URL:** \ **Category:** Discussions\ **Tags:** learning, books, process, systems-thinking\ **Created:** [27 February 2025 14:44 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244 "2025-02-27T14:44:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmosley5](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/jmosley5/32/14324_2.png) [@jmosley5](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/jmosley5)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 14:44 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/1 "2025-02-27T14:44:25Z")
While watching Episode Nine: Exploring Systems Thinking, many books were mentioned. This is a space to capture those recommendations and to add your own! What book would you recommend? ---
**Author:** ![sarahk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/sarahk/32/5239_2.png) [@sarahk](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/sarahk)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 14:56 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/2 "2025-02-27T14:56:23Z")
There were so many good titles mentioned, here are some: **“Human Factors Methods for Design: Making Systems Human Centred” by C P Nemeth: [Human Factors Methods for Design by Christopher P. Nemeth | Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2483551.Human_Factors_Methods_for_Design)** **“Soft Systems” by Checkland and Poulter in “Systems Approaches to Making Change: A Practical Guide” (2020): [https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9781447174714/systems-approaches-to-making-change-a-practical-guide/used](https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9781447174714/systems-approaches-to-making-change-a-practical-guide/used)** **Thinking in Systems - Donella H. Meadows** **An Introduction to General Systems Thinking - Jerry Weinberg** **Learning Systems Thinking - Diana Montalion** **The ETTO Principle: Efficiency-Thoroughness Trade-Off - Erik Hollnagel** Some books that are about disrupting thought patterns which help with breaking vicious circles: - E de Bono “Six Thinking Hats” - M Bonifer & J Shternshns “Ctrl Shift” - T Katan “Creative Trespassing” - L Hyde “Trickster Makes This World” - C Duhigg “Power of Habit” ---
**Author:** ![ansha\_batra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/ansha_batra/32/12845_2.png) [@ansha\_batra](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/ansha_batra)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:00 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/3 "2025-02-27T15:00:55Z")
If I only changed the Software, why is the phone on fire?: Embedded Debugging methods Revealed ---
**Author:** ![simon\_tomes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/simon_tomes/32/14009_2.png) [@simon\_tomes](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/simon_tomes)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:09 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/4 "2025-02-27T15:09:51Z")
Great idea to start this topic, @jmosley5. We could eventually add recommendations on this post to the [Software Testing Books wiki](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/software-testing-books-wiki/72518) ---
**Author:** ![ezeetester](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/ezeetester/32/13490_2.png) [@ezeetester](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/ezeetester)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:23 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/5 "2025-02-27T15:23:04Z")
**The Systems Bible** by **John Gall** is a kinda funny **Freakonomics A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything** by **Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner** ---
**Author:** ![simon\_tomes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/simon_tomes/32/14009_2.png) [@simon\_tomes](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/simon_tomes)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:24 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/6 "2025-02-27T15:24:06Z")
[The Fifth Discipline](https://www.awesomebooks.com/book/9780712656870/the-fifth-discipline-the-art-and-practice-of-the-learning/used): The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization: First edition (Century business) ---
**Author:** ![ansha\_batra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/ansha_batra/32/12845_2.png) [@ansha\_batra](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/ansha_batra)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:24 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/7 "2025-02-27T15:24:26Z")
The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization: First edition ---
**Author:** ![ansha\_batra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/ansha_batra/32/12845_2.png) [@ansha\_batra](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/ansha_batra)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:29 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/8 "2025-02-27T15:29:18Z")
The Programmer’s Brain : What every programmer needs to know about cognition - Felienne Hermans ---
**Author:** ![ansha\_batra](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/ansha_batra/32/12845_2.png) [@ansha\_batra](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/ansha_batra)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:30 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/9 "2025-02-27T15:30:28Z")
The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford ---
**Author:** ![rosie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/rosie/32/7719_2.png) [@rosie](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/rosie)\ **Post date:** [27 February 2025 15:31 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/10 "2025-02-27T15:31:49Z")
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M Goldratt, Jeff Cox As mentioned by @curiousduck ---
**Author:** ![simon\_tomes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/simon_tomes/32/14009_2.png) [@simon\_tomes](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/simon_tomes)\ **Post date:** [28 February 2025 10:22 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/11 "2025-02-28T10:22:55Z")
[This is Strategy](https://seths.blog/tis/) by Seth Godin. Some notes from the book. > 1. Systems deliver value. Coordinated human effort creates productivity and value. People are rarely rational so systems adjudicate disagreements even if we’re not in sync, we can move forward. Consistency allows slack. Power and leverage of systems can cause undesirable effects. > 1. The building or the roads? Systems have nodes (buildings) and connections (roads). Connections tend to stay longer than nodes. > 1. The unseen assistant (and the mysterious vandal). Working with a system = always makes your work better. Working against a system = harming. ---
**Author:** ![ujjwal.singh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/ujjwal.singh/32/13861_2.png) [@ujjwal.singh](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/ujjwal.singh)\ **Post date:** [3 March 2025 15:16 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/12 "2025-03-03T15:16:30Z")
As for me, this topic is new and I’m still exploring, and so far I haven’t found any book that is focused on system thinking, however, I recently found this website that has content related to system thinking particularly : > **[Systems Thinking: What, Why, When, Where, and How? - The Systems Thinker](https://thesystemsthinker.com/systems-thinking-what-why-when-where-and-how/)** > > f you’re reading The Systems Thinker®, you probably have at least a general sense of the benefits of applying systems thinking in the work-place. But even if you’re intrigued by the possibility of looking at business problems in new ways, you may not... ---
**Author:** ![mikeharris](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/mikeharris/32/12295_2.png) [@mikeharris](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/mikeharris)\ **Post date:** [3 March 2025 15:20 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/13 "2025-03-03T15:20:45Z")
I would recommend The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge. I found it very useful and wrote this: [I am learning about systems thinking to help me test](https://testandanalysis.home.blog/2022/09/20/i-am-learning-about-systems-thinking-to-help-me-test/) ---
**Author:** ![rosie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/rosie/32/7719_2.png) [@rosie](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/rosie)\ **Post date:** [12 April 2025 15:11 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/14 "2025-04-12T15:11:43Z")
The Systems Thinker’ and ‘Tools Of Systems Thinkers’ by Albert Rutherford. Another recommendation I came across whilst doing [Testing Trends](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/testing-trends) writing. ---
**Author:** ![rosie](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/rosie/32/7719_2.png) [@rosie](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/rosie)\ **Post date:** [13 April 2025 15:46 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/15 "2025-04-13T15:46:27Z")
I created a [handy list of Systems Thinking books on the MoTaverse](https://www.ministryoftesting.com/collections/systems-thinking-books-for-testing-and-quality-engineering-professionals). ---
**Author:** ![simon\_tomes](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/simon_tomes/32/14009_2.png) [@simon\_tomes](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/simon_tomes)\ **Post date:** [12 September 2025 10:41 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/16 "2025-09-12T10:41:20Z")
@mikeharris shared this book review: > **[Collaborative customer-focused systems thinking – a review of Sys-Tao:...](https://testandanalysis.home.blog/2025/09/09/collaborative-customer-focused-systems-thinking-a-review-of-sys-tao-western-logic-eastern-flow-by-bob-browne/)** > > In this book, Bob Browne recounts how he drew on ideas from both the East and the West, including the philosophies of W. Edwards Deming and Eli Goldratt, to make the Great Plains Coca-Cola Bottling… ---
**Author:** ![mikeharris](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/mikeharris/32/12295_2.png) [@mikeharris](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/mikeharris)\ **Post date:** [12 September 2025 13:34 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/17 "2025-09-12T13:34:07Z")
Thank you for sharing my review. The biggest single lesson Browne learned, he described as “Collaborative Customer-Focused Systems Thinking” I hope that people find it useful. ---
**Author:** ![mikeharris](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/mikeharris/32/12295_2.png) [@mikeharris](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/mikeharris)\ **Post date:** [12 September 2025 13:35 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/18 "2025-09-12T13:35:03Z")
This “Adventures in Systems” handout from Ruth Malan is great: [System\_Seeing\_Zine\_1757414898.pdf](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/uploads/short-url/tpCJILedHGCaGCy391HYLBTydNN.pdf) (2.0 MB) ---
**Author:** ![mikeharris](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/mikeharris/32/12295_2.png) [@mikeharris](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/mikeharris)\ **Post date:** [22 October 2025 18:51 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/19 "2025-10-22T18:51:30Z")
I just read Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows and found it very helpful. I wrote a review of the book, which includes some systems diagrams about bugs I made to help my learning: [Help for you on your systems thinking journey - A review of “Thinking in Systems: A Primer” by Donella H. Meadows](https://testandanalysis.home.blog/2025/10/21/help-for-you-on-your-systems-thinking-journey-a-review-of-thinking-in-systems-a-primer-by-donella-h-meadows/) ---
**Author:** ![jesper](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/club.ministryoftesting.com/jesper/32/8341_2.png) [@jesper](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/u/jesper)\ **Post date:** [25 October 2025 20:58 UTC](https://club.ministryoftesting.com/t/what-systems-thinking-books-would-you-recommend/83244/20 "2025-10-25T20:58:45Z")
- Architecture for Flow: Adaptive Systems with Domain-Driven Design, Wardley Mapping, and Team Topologies by Susanne Kaiser - Anything from [IT Revolution - Books](https://itrevolution.com/books/) so accelerate, devops hand book ,..