Chapter 7 : A New Paradigm
p. 216
What is a system? - systems reduce the number of decisions that have to be made for each individual application - "a set of things -- people, cells, molecules, or whatever -- interconnected in such a way that the produce their own pattern of behavior over time" (Donella Meadows) - all systems are comprised of 3 things: elements, interconnections, and a function or purpose - providing instructions at key decision-making points |