Business

Fractal Organization

Tags:
Media
Image of The Fractal Organization: Creating Sustainable Organizations with the Viable System Model
Another work on system science applied to organizations. This one is really outstanding, much easier to read than Beer's from whom it essentially build on. As a recent writing, it takes benefit of the many discovery since the Beer's age, namely complexity and chaos theories. The Beer's VSM - Viable System Model - has not to be confused with the Lean's Value Stream Mapping. It offers a convenient view of the enterprise as a living organism to manage its vital compliance to the Ashby's law. The book presents many practical example, though often frustrating by just stopping the explanations at the point you wish to ring the phone and ask Mr Hoverstadt to come and help - he is a consultant after all (among the best without any doubts).

Brain of the firm

Tags:
Media
Image of Brain of the Firm (Classic Beer Series)
The foundation book on System Science applied to organizations. This remind me my past life as process control engineer, tuning feedback loops to reach desired responsiveness and stability... Not an easy reading, but a dense and consistent material for matching many day to day observations on a consistent framework. The last chapters tells the Allende's Chile attempt to apply cybernetics law and models to shape its economy. As we know, the CIA did not let him finish the job.

What Would Google Do

Tags:
Media
Image of What Would Google Do?
A clever analyze of the Google endeavor and some lessons for all of us. Google seems to be less idealized nowadays, but its contribution to changing the way of doing business and its dedication to Information are still dazzling. The recipes that Jeff Jarvis elaborates from the incredible Gogole story are not equally inspired, but I enjoyed a lot this book that is close to my view of sharing vs concealing.

The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization

Tags:
Media
Image of The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization
A scientific, system based study of the social organizations. This is an obvious, easy reading from the systems theory background. I found some commonalities with the "noosphere" concept of Teilhard de Chardin. Any leader / manager must read it. Apparently, nobody did, or every one of them miss the point.
Person: 
Peter Senge

The Global Warming Affair

Tags:

I am a fervent Nature lover. However, the global warming sudden frenzy hit my scepticism from the beginning.

Links: 
Climategate: the final nail in the coffin of 'Anthropogenic Global Warming'?