CONTENTS A Note from the Author ix A Note from the Editor xi Introduction : The Systems Lens 1 PART 1 : System Structures and Behavior 1. The Basics 11 2. A Brief Visit to the Systerms Zoo 35 PART 2 : Systems and Us 3. Why Systems Work So Well 75 4. Why Systems Surprise Us 86 5. System Traps..and Opportunities 111 PART 3 : Creating Change - in Systems and in Our Philosophy 6. Leverage Points - Places to in a System 145 7. Living in a World of Systems 166 Appendix System Definitions : A Glossary 187 Summary of Systems Principles 188 Springing the System Trps 191 Places to Intervene in a System 194 Guidelines for Living in a World of Systems 194 Model Equations 195 Notes 204 Bibliography of Systems Resources 208 Editor's Acknowledgments 211 About the Author 213 Index 215