The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision

Over the past thirty years, a new systemic conception of life has emerged at the forefront of science. New emphasis has been given to complexity, networks, and patterns of organisation, leading to a novel kind of 'systemic' thinking. This volume integrates the ideas, models, and theories underlying the systems view of life into a single coherent framework. Taking a broad sweep through history and across scientific disciplines, the authors examine the appearance of key concepts such as autopoiesis, dissipative structures, social networks, and a systemic understanding of evolution. The implications of the systems view of life for health care, management, and our global ecological and economic crises are also discussed. Written primarily for undergraduates, it is also essential reading for graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the new systemic conception of life and its implications for a broad range of professions - from economics and politics to medicine, psychology and law.

• Thinking in Systems: A Primer
• Systems Thinking For Social Change: A Practical Guide to Solving Complex Problems, Avoiding Unintended Consequences, and Achieving Lasting Results
• The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems
• Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence (The MIT Press)
• Worlds Hidden in Plain Sight: Thirty Years of Complexity Thinking at the Santa Fe Institute
• The Deep History of Ourselves: The Four-Billion-Year Story of How We Got Conscious Brains
• The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism
• Growth: From Microorganisms to Megacities (The MIT Press)
• The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
• The Hidden Connections: Integrating the Biological, Cognitive, and Social Dimensions of Life Into a Science of Substainability