Customer Reviews (13)

STILL the best book on the subject
I've looked high and low for a text summarizing systems theory and I write this review in near shock having just finished this book.I say "shock" because I just can't believe how remarkably undated this book is after nearly 40 years (first edition 1969).I've read books by Checkland, Lazlo, Weinberg and many others but nothing summarizes the systems world view better than this classic.You've gotta love a scientist/philosopher who quotes Aldous Huxley liberally. I'd give it six stars if I could.

General System Theory (Author:Ludwid von Bertalanffy).
The best view, writed on general system theory, selected and edited to show the evolution of systems theory and to present its applications to problem solving. Recommended on such widely diverse disciplines as biology, economics, psychology, and demography.

Book for System People
This book is good to someone who wants to think about systems. However, is not the book aim to give details about the system definition. For example, is hard to see definitions of open system, feedback, components, inputs, outputs. The reason for that is the historical moment of the book.

It is a good book. Anyone who thinks about system should own this book.

He changed modern population theory
Although he wrote a lot about the general theory of systems,
I think it is his approach to the problems of how living systems
interact with their environment in a catabolic manner
that makes him really important.
He has had impact from fields like biology to
fluid dynamics.
He set a standard for how we think about history
and with Lewis F. Richardson The Collected Papers of Lewis Fry Richardson (Collected Papers of Lewis Fry Richardson, Vol 2)and Isaac AsimovThe Foundation Trilogy
made a science possible.

General Systems Theory is DEEP
Bertalanffy is one of the best educated men and deepest thinkers ever.General Systems Theory is a monument to his greatness.Keep a dictionary handy, and brush up on your Latin.This is the top of the intellectual mountain, where men no longer tread. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Understanding Systems to Heighten Awareness
Ervin Laszlo, one of the greatest minds contributing to systemic theory, has done an excellent job of introducing this construct which takes one "outside the box!" Opening the door to bring heightened awareness of Self and the universe, Laszlo presents systemic and holistic thinking in invitng simplicity, while facilitating the exploration of the same. The world which Laszlo opens to the reader is a world that can inspire visionary thinking, leading us to a more peaceful, understanding existence. I strongly recommend anyone to follow Laszlo into a world of holism, growth and new paths to a more peaceful world!

Excellent explanation of systems theory!
If you would like to learn about systems theory with minimal background knowledge, this is an excellent book! It shows how we are all inseperable parts of nature and that everything we do to everyone and everything else influences ourselves as well. It shows us how nature is organized into many levels of whole units. It eloquently shows how we are all parts of larger whole units made of smaller whole units. It is just a wonderful book that reminds us of our connection with the rest of the universe. If you are interested in systems theory, I also recommend another super-fascinating book called "The Ever-Transcending Spirit" by Toru Sato that discusses this in relation to human consciousness. It is also one of my favorites! I am sure you will feel that these books are well worth the money.

Fundamental to understand modern science and philosophy

Systems thinking is more than another new field of scientific and philosophical research. It leads to a new world view, integrating the sciences of nature and man. It is a world view for our times, explaining some some of our most cherished successes and some of our most distressing problems, and showing ways to resume progress toward new achievements. Knowledge of systems thinking is a key to understand modern developments in areas such as physics, business management, ecology, politics, natural resources, etc.

Ervin Laszlo is one of the most important contributors to the development of systems science and philosophy. With "The Systems View of the World" he achieved a remarkably accurate condensation, in a hundred clearly written and pleasantly readable pages, of the fundamental ideas of systems thinking.

The book begins contrasting the systems view of the world, based on integration an understanding of relationships, with the atomistic view of the world, based on decomposition and understanding of parts. He proceeds presenting the concept of system, leading the reader through a series of distinctions and examples. It is interesting to remark that Laszlo does not present a definition of system, coherently with the idea that system is a basic, primitive concept.

Laszlo follows with the explanation of the systems view of nature, summarized in four propositions, which are developed and exemplified:
1. Natural systems are wholes with irreducible properties;
2. Natural systems maintain themselves in a changing environment;
3. Natural systems create themselves in response to self-creativity in other systems;
4. Natural systems are coordinating interfaces in nature's holarchy.

The book's final part deals wit the system's view of ourselves. To do this, Laszlo begins from our cosmic origins, proceeding to the appearance of matter, life, consciousness and finally culture. He emphasizes the importance of values and explains why even traditional values, in spite of their permanent character, must be reformulated to meet the requirements of our times. Laszlo shows how the systems view of the world has a place for freedom and differentiation in an integrated world. He finishes the book stressing the role of religion in human life and proposes that the systems view of the world may offer some openings for conciliation of science with the different religious traditions. ... Read more

Book Description
An extensive revision of the author's highly successful text, this third edition of Linear System Theory and Design has been made more accessible to students from all related backgrounds. After introducing the fundamental properties of linear systems, the text discusses design using state equations and transfer functions. In state-space design, Lyapunov equations are used extensively to design state feedback and state estimators. In the discussion of transfer-function design, pole placement, model matching, and their applications in tracking and disturbance rejection are covered. Both one-and two-degree-of-freedom configurations are used. All designs can be accomplished by solving sets of linear algebraic equations. The two main objectives of the text are to:DT use simple and efficient methods to develop results and design proceduresDT enable students to employ the results to carry out design All results in this new edition are developed for numerical computation and illustrated using MATLAB, with an emphasis on the ideas behind the computation and interpretation of results. This book develops all theorems and results in a logical way so that readers can gain an intuitive understanding of the theorems. This revised edition begins with the time-invariant case and extends through the time-varying case. It also starts with single-input single-output design and extends to multi-input multi-output design. Striking a balance between theory and applications, Linear System Theory and Design, 3/e, is ideal for use in advanced undergraduate/first-year graduate courses in linear systems and multivariable system design in electrical, mechanical, chemical, and aeronautical engineering departments. It assumes a working knowledge of linear algebra and the Laplace transform and an elementary knowledge of differential equations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

insufficient for all levels
I found this book to be inadequate at all levels. It does not go into sufficient detail for beginners, and neither does it provide rigor for the experienced controls student. Do yourself a favor and buy separate texts for the basics (like Brogan's Modern Control Theory) and for the advanced.

Good Book
Up to this time,there are no 5 stars books in Linear Systems. However,this book is one of the best 4 stars books available for the subject.Through the book, the author sometimes assumes that you know or understandsome topic, formula,...etc. without mentioning it. However,you can do it,but it may take you some time to figure out what it is. If you are goodenough in linear algebra you will have no problems to handle the book up tothe last page. Chapter 2 & 3 are the most important chapters in thebook because they prepare you for the rest of the book. MATLAB is beingused in a nice and helpful way to visualize some concepts and applicationsof the linear control theory. I recommend this book as a textbook for anintroductory linear systems course and also for self teaching purposes.

The Good, the Bad, and the Insufficent
My overall impression with this book is:satisfactory.Though there are a more errors then desired, and a few that are pretty confusing, the majority of the book is accurate and very instructive.I would recommendthis book as a reference for introductory treatment of Linear System Theoryand DI just completed this book in the beginning of March.Having aControls background I found this book both helpful and instructive, yetlacking in sufficient detailed explanation on some tough topics.Chapter2: 'Mathematical Descriptions of Systems' was very helpful with thedetailed definitions and easy examples. Chapter 3: 'Linear Algebra' is achapter that could use expanding.Some of the topics addressed in thissection are speedily discussed and rapidly completed.The first edition ofthis book was chided for it length.This edition must be chided for itbrevity.However, when lack of explanation abounds, examples and homeworkproblems can make up for deficient instruction.Chapters 4 through 6 areeasy to follow and through in their treatment.Chapter 7, however, isanother chapter where too much explanation was removed.The examples arehard to follow in this chapter, and there are a few very confusingmistakes.Chapters 8 and 9 are very well written, though confused attimes.However, they yield a sufficient knowledge of the addressed topics.

My overall impression with this book is:satisfactory.Though thereare a more errors then desired, and a few that are pretty confusing, themajority of the book is accurate and very instructive.I would recommendthis book as a reference for introductory treatment of Linear System Theoryand Design.esign. ... Read more

Book Description

Transactional Information Systems is the long-awaited, comprehensive work from leading scientists in the transaction processing field. Weikum and Vossen begin with a broad look at the role of transactional technology in today's economic and scientific endeavors, then delve into critical issues faced by all practitioners, presenting today's most effective techniques for controlling concurrent access by multiple clients, recovering from system failures, and coordinating distributed transactions.

The authors emphasize formal models that are easily applied across fields, that promise to remain valid as current technologies evolve, and that lend themselves to generalization and extension in the development of new classes of network-centric, functionally rich applications. This book's purpose and achievement is the presentation of the foundations of transactional systems as well as the practical aspects of the field what will help you meet today's challenges.

* Provides the most advanced coverage of the topic available anywhere--along with the database background required for you to make full use of this material.
* Explores transaction processing both generically as a broadly applicable set of information technology practices and specifically as a group of techniques for meeting the goals of your enterprise.
* Contains information essential to developers of Web-based e-Commerce functionality--and a wide range of more "traditional" applications.
* Details the algorithms underlying core transaction processing functionality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A wonderfully written book on an important topic
Database concurrency control and recovery is one of pinnacles of computer science. An amazing collection of models, theoretical results, and implementation techniques enable thousands of users to simultaneously pound on a large database implemented on unreliable disks and networks, with full confidence that their data will be correctly stored. This book tells how this miracle is accomplished.

I teach database systems and also do research on databases, including systems-level refinements to concurrency control and recovery algorithms. This book has been invaluable to me in understanding the three major aspects of concurrency control in databases: the beautiful theory, the carefully constructed algorithms, and the specifics of the practice.

When this book first came out two years ago, I read most of it over a period of an intense week. That was such an enjoyable experience, because the book is very well structured and written in a smooth yet careful style. The authors ensured that all required concepts were in place before introducing a new concept. And the prose just flows, rendering difficult concepts understandable through well-chosen examples.

Since then I have referred to this book often with specific questions that arose in my research. Each time, my question has been answered fully in the book.

Each chapter ends with a section entitled "Lessons Learned" which summarizes the key ideas of the chapter and just as importantly, states the practical application of each concept. Some concepts have not yet been realized in practice; the authors are up front about this and explain why.

Mike Tarrani's review does a good job of explaining the similarities and differences between this book and the other seminal book on transaction processing, by Jim Gray and Andreas Reuter. Both books have their place, and both should be on the shelf (and read by!) all those who want to understand transaction processing at a deep level. And I agree with Jim Gray who noted in his foreword to the Weikum/Vossen book that it is likely to become (indeed, has) the standard reference in this field.

Very Very Good
Exceptionally clear writing.Encyclopedic in its coverage of transactions.Anyone dealing with transactions (not just DB developers) would find this a very valuable resource.If you need a book on transactions, this should be your first choice.

A must for serious DB professionals
Tradicionally, the 'transaction' concept is always discussed at the RDBMS classes in the University. But this book goes FAR BEYOND this wide known implementation; with a solid math foundation (some math required, specially set theory and algorithms ) it shows you there are a lot of 'real-life' transactions that requiere some formal methods for defining their implementation.

This book has no discussion or topic regarding any comercial vendor technologies (specially databases), and I think this is very good. The Page and Object models for transaction processing are clearly explained. There's a very nice discussion concerning RAID technologies.

This is not an 'academic' book in all the sense of the word. It can help IT professionals to make better transactional system desing (databases, workflow,e-business,etc).

I would like some RDBMS vendors will include this kind of theory in their documentation....

Up-to-date ... sends an old friend into semi-retirement
Before this book was published my primary reference and personal favorite TP book was "Transaction Processing: Concepts and Techniques" by Jim Gray and Andreas Reuter. At over 1100 pages that book thoroughly covered the basics and drilled down into the nuances of transaction processing in a way unmatched by other books on the topic since it was first published in 1993.

This book changes that by going far beyond transaction processing.It starts with the same fundamentals as the older book, and even covers many of the same topics, such as concurrency control, but it addresses each topic from a much wider perspective.For example, the discussion of concurrency goes far beyond the issues of transaction processing as a middleware component.It extends into application, database and search issues.Another indication that this book is more up-to-date is the material on queue managers.While they are at the opposite end of the spectrum from transaction processing monitors, they are integral to any discussion of transactional information systems.More importantly, both transaction processing monitors and queue managers are used in modern enterprise architectures.Having both topics discussed in great detail is a major point in this book's favor.

Personally I intend to keep my copy of the older "Transaction Processing: Concepts and Techniques" because it does cover some of the subject matter more deeply.However, this book has replaced it as my principal reference and if I had to choose between them this is the one I'd go with. ... Read more

Book Description

A thorough, authoritative, and concise overview of the history, systems, and theories of psychology, Theories and Systems of Psychology is organized around themes and ideas, not isolated facts, introducing students to twentieth-century theories of psychology and the historical movements that gave rise to them.

Customer Reviews (2)

Theories and Systems of Psychology by Robert William Lundin
The order was shipped promptly, arrived earlier than expected, and was in excellent conditioned, as promised.I would highly recommend this book seller to everyone.

A good introductory text
This book reviews the various schools of psychology using a simple style that is easy to read and understand. It provides enough depth on each system to satisfy the practitioner and provides solid explanations for thebeginner to understand with ease. An excellent introductory psychologytext. ... Read more

Book Description
For more than twenty-five years, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking has been hailed as an innovative introduction to systems theory, with applications in computer science and beyond.Used in university courses and professional seminars all over the world, the text has proven its ability to open minds and sharpen thinking.

Originally published in 1975 and reprinted more than twenty times over a quarter century -- and now available for the first time from Dorset House Publishing -- the text uses clear writing and basic algebraic principles to explore new approaches to projects, products, organizations, and virtually any kind of system.

Scientists, engineers, organization leaders, managers, doctors, students, and thinkers of all disciplines can use this book to dispel the mental fog that clouds problem-solving.As author Gerald M. Weinberg writes in the new preface to the Silver Anniversary Edition, "I haven't changed my conviction that most people don't think nearly as well as they could had they been taught some principles of thinking.”

Now an award-winning author of nearly forty books spanning the entire software development life cycle, Weinberg had already acquired extensive experience as a programmer, manager, university professor, and consultant when this book was originally published.

With helpful illustrations, numerous end-of-chapter exercises, and an appendix on a mathematical notation used in problem-solving, An Introduction to General Systems Thinking may be your most powerful tool in working with problems, systems, and solutions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Weinberg's Introduction to Systems Thinking
Weinberg's book will not teach you how to be a systems thinker. It will, however, provide a stimulating discussion and thoughtful examination of an alternative approach to problem analysis and solution.The book is not so much about how the systems approach works or how it can be applied to complex problems as it is an invitation to his readers to explore their perceptions of what they think they know versus what they really do know. Throughout the book, Weinberg follows the strategy of leading the reader through a series of logical discussions designed to bring them face to face with their biases and misconceptions about systems vs. reductionist thinking.In doing so, Weinberg exposes the shortcomings of the reductionist approach to problem solving by demonstrating to his readers that the real solutions to some familiar and apparently simple problems are very complex.

Through his examples, Weinberg shows that by viewing a system holistically within its environment, we may be able to discern patterns of behavior/actions and recognize interactions, interrelationships, and interdependencies among the components that will be missed in a reductionist approach. From that view, we can better understand the system and, perhaps, better predict how it will evolve over time.The success of his approach is demonstrated by the fact that people are still reading and quoting his book 25+ years after it was written.

One facet of this book which I found beneficial may be a drawback for some readers.Weinberg wrote from the viewpoint of a computer programmer and a scientist.A person not versed in either field might have difficulty understanding his examples.

Outstanding book
This book is excellent. I first read this book in graduate school in 1976, and I continue to find Weinberg's ideas useful. It was outstanding then, and it has held up with time.

not quite an alternative to 'Systems Thinking'
I was searching for an alternative to the out-of-print book 'Quality Software Management, vol.1: Systems Thinking', written by the same Author.
Having read few Sofware Management series books from the same Author, which I rate at the very top of my list, I was biased on very high expectations. Surprisingly, I have found it being quite verbose and in the end, I couldn't get too much inspiration out of it.

An excellent introduction...
Weinberg distills the essence from von Bertalanffy's classic and manages to present it in a very accessible fashion.The book has been out of print for quite a while so it is great to see a new edition.The message and information contained in here, although originally published in 1975, is now more relevant than ever.

Weinberg covers many aspects of systems theory beginning with the main stumbling block with the present scientific paradigm:the idea that the universe is mechanistic.His treatment is much more general than Robert Rosen's in "Life Itself" but still conveys why the mechanistic notion is flawed.

He then outlines the general systems theory approach before leading into the idea that a system is simply a way of looking at the world.He then outlines the principle of indifference.This leads straight into two sections outlining various aspects of making observations.Finally he discusses behaviour and then some general systems questions.

Throughout the book he uses many examples from disparate fields in conjunction with questions for further research.It is great to see someone who doesn't preach systems but actually uses the ideas.

Definitely a must-read as we decided how to solve the myriad of issues before us.

A true classic in how humans set and solve problems
In computing, a timeless classic is anything that is worth reading for any reason other than to obtain a historical context after five years. If that still holds true after twenty five years, then it is truly an extraordinary piece of work. That label applies to this book. It is not about computing per se, but about how humans think about things and how "facts" are relative to time, our personal experience and environmental context.
Human thinking is a complex operation and that is the point of this book. The problems and examples presented are not those in computing, but problems in how we think about the world and how that world can be different from person to person. In many ways, Weinberg anticipates the development of the science of chaos, where small changes lead to disproportionate large changes. His example of the "small" change of a single characteris a classic. A man was considering the purchase of a piece of real estate, but when told the cost was fourteen million dollars, sent the response by telegram, "No, price too high." However, somehow a character was dropped, so the agent received the message, "No price too high", purchased the property and so a classic error was invented.
Weinberg uses science and mathematics as the genesis point for most of his examples. The laws of thermodynamics, chance and simulations in state spaces are used to demonstrate the points. As someone with a wide background in science, I found his examples of how scientific thought gives us an anchor but yet alters over time excellent learning material. Thought problems are included at the end of each chapter and they cover many different areas. Some involve mathematics, others science and many could be the point of a vigorous philosophical debate. Together they form the best collection of thought experiments and points of contention that I have ever seen gathered together in one location.
This is a book that is a true classic, not in computing but in the broad area of scholarship. It is partly about the philosophy and mechanisms of science; partly about designing things so they work but mostly it is about how humans view the world and create things that match that view. This book will still be worth reading for a long time to come and it is on my list of top ten computing books of the year. ... Read more

Book Description
Systems Theory and Family Therapy describes the basic concepts of systems theory and its application in family therapy in a clear, understandable manner with many illustrations drawn from clinical practice. This edition provides a revised and updated version of the original, that simplifies a complex area of study, enabling students to learn the subject more easily without being overwhelmed by the language normally employed in presenting these subjects. The authors discuss the distinctions between modernism and postmodernism as well as first-order and second-order cybernetics. They also include discussions of constructivism and social constructionism, as well as the ramifications of these perspectives for the theory and practice of family therapy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Engaging, challenging, extremely well written
The Becvar's once again offer top-notch explanations of a sometimes difficult subject. This book is a must read for all individuals interested in integrating strong systems thinking and intervention into practice. ... Read more

Book Description
Integrates the traditional approach to differential equations with the modern systems and control theoretic approach to dynamic systems, emphasizing theoretical principles and classic models in a wide variety of areas. Provides a particularly comprehensive theoretical development that includes chapters on positive dynamic systems and optimal control theory. Contains numerous problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good book, but consider a used copy!
This "2001 edition" (according to Amazon) was actually copyrighted in 1979.While the book remains very useful, prospective consumers may wish to consider a good used copy in order to save some money.

Although the publication date is misleading, at least Wiley correctly prints the original copyright date within its "new" texts (there are other examples of this practice).Springer-Verlag performs still greater magic.In "Linear and Nonlinear Programming", also by Luenberger, Springer decided to print the copyright date as 2003 instead of 1984, thus giving the impression that the text contains an up-to-date treatment of the subject matter.If I were buying a copy of "Green Eggs and Ham", I would not care about an incorrect copyright date.However, where technical subjects are concerned, this practice borders on fraud (in my view).It is a deliberate attempt to deceive its customers into believing that they are purchasing something more current and relevant than is actually the case.

Excellent treatment of dynamic systems
This introduction to dynamic systems is presented with an algebraic formalism which makes things clear and concise. All concepts are explained intuitively as well as formally, having in mind the objective of making things clear. Few books exhibit such a good approach and other reviewers are right when they emphasize the highly pedagogical quality of Luenberger's books ! This is no overstatement.

The advantage of using this algebraic formulation lies in the simplicity as well as the understandability of the state-space approach, which is best explained in those terms. Most books assume that everyone knows what a state space is without explicitly showing what it is really about. This book just uses the reverse assumption, in that you're not asssumed to know everything before getting into it.

Only some basic knowledge in algebra (undergraduate-level) is required but even without experience in algebraic formalism, it is possible to go through the content thanks to the important number of examples and the intuitive explanations.

A must-read !

Excellent supplementary reading of Linear System Theory
The economic application examples are interesting for engineering students.

The best mathematical textbook ever written
I studied this book for two semesters as a doctoral student, and consider it the best mathematical textbook ever written.Luenberger writes concisely and with great clarity and elegance.His notation is crisp andeasy to follow.The book begins with basic concepts of matrix algebra anddynamic equations, and then builds step-by-step to encompass an enormouslybroad set of applications.The examples are drawn from all over the map,and are great fun to explore.This is a truly mind-expandingtext.

Thomas P. Lyon, Associate Professor, Business Economics and PublicPolicy, Indiana University ... Read more

Book Description
Many embedded engineers and programmers who need to implement basic process or motion control as part of a product design do not have formal training or experience in control system theory. Although some projects require advanced and very sophisticated control systems expertise, the majority of embedded control problems can be solved without resorting to heavy math and complicated control theory. However, existing texts on the subject are highly mathematical and theoretical and do not offer practical examples for embedded designers. This book is different;it presents mathematical background with sufficient rigor for an engineering text, but it concentrates on providing practical application examples that can be used to design working systems, without needing to fully understand the math and high-level theory operating behind the scenes. The author, an engineer with many years of experience in the application of control system theory to embedded designs, offers a concise presentation of the basics of control theory as it pertains to an embedded environment.

* Practical, down-to-earth guide teaches engineers to apply practical control theorems without needing to employ rigorous math
* Covers the latest concepts in control systems with embedded digital controllers
* The accompanying CD-ROM contains source code and real-world application examples to help users create fully working systems ... Read more

Book Description
During the past four decades, the field of development has been dominated by three schools of research. The 1950s saw the modernization school, the 1960s experienced the dependency school, the 1970s developed the new world-system school, and the 1980s is a convergence of all three schools.Alvin Y. So examines the dynamic nature of these schools of development--what each of them represents, their contributions, how they have criticized each other, how they have defended themselves, and how they were transformed. He reviews a variety of empirical studies, focusing on the "classical" and the "new" models, to show how each of the perspectives affects the study of development. In addition, this book features a unique emphasis on the research implications of the three perspectives, involving changes in orientation, agenda, methodology, and findings.Social Change and Development is the first study that compares the strengths and weaknesses of the three schools of development in a thorough, comprehensive manner. It will be of great interest to students and professionals in urban studies, development studies, political science and comparative politics."Highly recommended."--Development Update"The book is valuable both to the beginners as well as the serious student of development ."-Indian Journal of Public Administration"The book will fill a needed niche, and better than anything heretofore."--Immanuel Wallerstein, SUNY, Binghamton"[The] book is a remarkable piece of work and will, I am sure, be of great service to many teachers and students in a number of fields."--Winston Davis, Southwestern University"Professor So has provided students of development with an excellent review of three major theories of development. He skillfully meets his goals of providing a sympathetic presentation of early expressions of each theory, reviewing major criticisms, and then presenting recent expressions of each theory that have taken criticisms into account. The use of extensive reviews of a few studies within each theory provides students with a clear image of the character of the theory, and more importantly an image of the link between theoretical development and social research. The book avoids unfair caricature of theories and research, and provides a solid basis for further study and research on issues of development."--Robert Fiala, University of New Mexico"The author has succeeded in objectively delineating each theoretical perspective so that the reader is not encumbered with attempting to separate academic theory from political ideology. This is no minor achievement and the author is to be applauded for both his efforts and his achievement of this task. . . . The book will be fascinating reading for anyone interested in the historical and contemporary functioning of nation-states and their interdependency."--Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling"I would like to pass along my compliments on So's new volume. The writing is exceptionally clear and the presentations superb."--Marc W. Steinberg, University of Michigan"A useful analysis of the major development theories. . . . A good text for students and teachers and the only study to address the research implications of the three development theories in a comprehensive fashion."--Development Bookshelf"An exceptionally useful book. . . . So's command of the relevant literature and ability to explain complex material, as well as his even-handed (even sympathetic) treatments of three quite different (and often antagonistic) schools, makes this stimulating book useful for a variety of audiences: scholars interested in problems of Third-World development, specialists in modern world history, and even advanced undergraduates ready to tackle problems of theory."--Journal of World History"Alvin So does a thorough job of presenting three ways to understand development. . . . The writing is clear and the territory covered is vast. The result is an impressive survey."--Contemporary Sociology"Alvin So does a thorough job of presenting three ways to understand development....So provides valuable extended summaries of early and later formulations within each perspective.The writing is clear and the territory covered is vast.The result is an impressive survey, with two main audiences:advanced undergraduates and graduate students interested in a manageable overview of the field, and scholars in other fields who are interested but prefer not to retrace every step of these long and complex debates through the original texts....the book is generally balanced which is no small accomplishment."--Industrial and Labor Relations Review"Fills a gap in the social science literature in the field of development. . .useful not only for students but for faculty members teaching different courses in sociology, history, and political science.It may also be of interest to a wide and diverse non-professional audience wanting to know more of the past and contemporary research carried out by the three schools."--International Journal of Comparative Sociology ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Social Change and Development: Modernization, Dependency and World-System Theories (SAGE Library of Social Research)
It's an easy reference book for the understanding of development theory. It contains the three main currents of development theory including modernization theory, dependency theory and world-system theory. The book is well structured in ideas and eash to read. For those who are interested in the development theory, this book is a good choice.

Never Understood Theory So Well
Alvin So's book is the only time I ever read a book about theory and on the first time through the sentence I said "Oh! That's what that's all about!"It's sad but true that most theory books are so full of garbage-- unneeded words, grammatically convoluted sentences that go nowhere-- that you end up more confused than enlightened.

Twenty or so years of teaching at the University of Hawaii if I am not mistaken allowed So to practice again and again explaining theory to students until he'd figured out how to do it right, I only wish he'd written a book on all the other theories as well!

dry as dust but oh, so clear
This is clearly a textbook, as the publisher's writeup notes, so don't go looking for a ripping insider tell-all.That said, it's a good, solid textbook in true academic fashion: clearly laid out, systematic in structure and specific in definitions.Absolutely a dream to take notes from.
It's also a needed change that, instead of hopping around references to different theories based on politics or country, the author breaks the text into three blocks - one per major theoretical school - and lines them up chronologically by era of popularity.This of course gets a bit muddy by the end as the field in general starts to look like a free-for-all to find what works, but overall the text is blessedly clear after so much rhetoric.

An Articulate and thorough account of Development Studies
Dr. So's comparison of the three major schools of thought in Development Studies, namely Modernization, Dependency, and World Systems, is the best book of its kind currently available.While it lacks the breadth of _Society, State, and Market_ by John Martinussen, it makes up for it in the depth of its analysis.Using A limited numer of theorists, Dr. So presents a comprehensive picture of each of the schools of thought in a historical perspective.He outlines the historical and intellectual origins of each, then discusses the theory itself, follows with an examination of the classical studies in each school, and concludes with the modern studies from that intellectual tradition.If supplemented with another, broader work, this book is a perfect introduction into a daunting field that often defies understanding. ... Read more

Book Description
One look inside Clinical Applications of Bowen Family Systems Theory, and you?ll see that your most current clinical dilemmas are not as difficult to solve as you think. You?ll find plenty of information to assist you in treating a vast audience of populations--the elderly, college students, troubled couples, remarried families, and children with severe medical problems. You?ll also find that you?re able to apply the Bowen systems theory to nearly every clinical situation--emotional dysfunction in children, alcoholism, incest, divorce, depression, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Clinical Applications of Bowen Family Systems Theory is an ideal companion for family therapists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, and counselors. You?ll find your working comprehension of Murray Bowen?s work will grow, and you?ll become more adept at applying what you read in real-life clinical situations, especially in these related areas:

• family systems assessment based on the Bowen Theory
• marital fusion and differentiation
• bridging emotional cut-off from a former spouse
• dealing with a child-focused divorce
• case studies of alcoholism and family systems
  
  Clinical Applications of Bowen Family Systems Theory is the first book to collect, illustrate, and walk you through a full application of this highly effective treatment method in any number of clinical settings. Both beginning and experienced therapists will find interesting reading in the history of the theory, and the result will be interested clients who begin to create functional, thriving personal histories for themselves.

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent case examples of Bowen Theory
This book is an outstanding way to see how Natural Systems (Bowen) Theory based therapy is done in several settings and for various diagnoses. Not the first book to read on Bowen theory, but definately a must read! ... Read more

Book Description
Find in-depth discussions of dependability management and reliability centered systems as well as functional safety issues—matters critical to the new IEC standards. Of note in this new second edition are:

• New chapters on Reliability of Maintained Systems and Reliability Assessment of Safety-Critical Systems
• Introduction and discussion of basic assessment methods for operational availability and production regularity
• An FTP site for solutions, overheads, and supplementary information

Customer Reviews (2)

System Reliabiility Theory
This is the most complete reliability book that I have seen.It is appropriate as both a textbook and a reference.It is well-written and easy to understand.I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in learning reliability theory.

System Reliabiility Theory
This is an excellent text for learning reliability analysis.It contains just the right mixture of material to be useful for a practicing engineer that must learn the reliability business in a hurry.

The book is veryclear and fairly concise. There are worked examples to demonstrate how thetheory should be applied and the examples are also clear and concise.

Iwould highly recommend this book as an introduction to reliability andavailability also. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

one of the best control Books out there
I think they have written one of the best control books out there. And besides the authors are most respected in the control engineering community.

Terse.

I first entered engineering school back in 1980. Since college, I have worked in various laboratory environments, both private and Federal. Consequently, I have read many papers and books related to the materials presented in this text. As I look back over the years, I find that this text is the most terse I have ever seen and is entirely inappropriate as an introductory text to the subject.

It is no exaggeration to say that the most important parts of the subject exist in what is *NOT* expressly said in the pages of this book. True, in engineering school one is required to think and solve problems, but this text does not even have enough proper expository to motivate the subject, nor does it have enough problems to properly exercise the mind on the concepts. If one needs so much supplementary material to master the topic, it might be wiser to simply use a better text.

After trying hard to find something to like about this text, I find little...it is terse to the point of being enigmatic.

Please, get a copy from an engineering library before you spend any money on it and judge for yourself.

Waste of Trees!
This book is not for anyone.It is such a shame when you spend over $100 for something that will absolutly contribute nothing to you. I really did try to use this book, I just can't seem to find one full paragraph that I feel that I have actually learned something.The author begins his book, like he's already given you 10 previous introduction chapters.He feels he owes no explanation for anything, no real effort to make you understand or learn something. just a story teller with a bunch of equations, diagrams and solutions with no effort to to get anything across. I wonder exactly why this author felt he had to write this book.If it's because he wanted to contribute his knowledge, then he is surely a very bad teacher.I don't mean to cause any harm to the author, but I feel the obligation to warn anyone who is considering to buy this book for the sake of learning anything.Too bad they had to cut down trees to publish this book.

Review of Astrom and Wittenmark
Astrom Wittenmark's book on Computer Control Systems is a good book for intermediate and experienced people in the field of Computer Control Systems. It is excellent in its contents and coverage of the field as awhole.

What it needs is some details at certain places so that thingswill be easy to comprehend. What I mean is that its not the best book tohave as a first text towards the subject. We used the book as a course textfor advanced controls class. With little control background, I felt it verytough to read the book. But now that I am well versed with the field, Ifind this book handy to keep. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Nice begginers text
This text is a great begginners guide to chaotic systems, it provides very clear explanations and proofs as well as some examples to help you along.

Excellent book.Explains concepts clearly.
I went from knowing absolutlely nothing about dynamical systems to being able to look at a point on the Mandelbrot Set and visualize what the corresponding Julia Set looks like.Ever wonder why weather cannot be predicted accurately??Read this book... ... Read more

Book Description
Presents and develops methods from queueing theory in mathematical language and in sufficient depth so that the student may apply the methods to many modern engineering problems and conduct creative research. Step-by-step development of results with careful explanation, and lists of important results make it useful as a handbook and a text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Not for the weak!
This was assigned for my Computer Modeling class after a hiatus away from classes and advanced math.Talk about a shell shock!

This is a book of theory, and treats itself as such.You'll see pages upon pages of formulas, abstract designs, and altogether nasty proofs.A strong background in math and probability is a must.

This book is old, and few would consider a Computer Science book written in the 1970's to ber of much value today.True, some of the more modern advances are not here, but the classical methods are done and explained so well that's there's still much to gain by reading it.

Still up to date
Since this book was published in 1975, and since queueing theory has expanded enormously since then, one might think that this book (Queueing Systems, Volume 1) would be hopelessly out of date. It's not! Of course, no method developed after 1975 is included. But, if one is learning queueing, this book is still essential reading. Some of the topics are not well presented anywhere else, and other topics receive a presentation that is very special. This is a terrific book to learn from. The author's writing style is friendly and the choice of topics is excellent. This is an ESSENTIAL book for any queueing theory library.

A Queuing Theory text you can easily follow
This is the most easy to follow yet comprehensive book on queuing theory I have seen. I read it cover to cover - most unusual for a mathematical text book. It fully explains the concepts it develops step-by-step and gave me afull enough understanding to develop the analyses I needed for my ownresearch on computer networks - moreso than any other reference I haveused.

*THE* Book for Queuing Theory
Leonard Kleinrock's "Queuing Systems", is *THE* book for any person interested in Queuing Theory. However, the reader should have a working knowledge of probability theory to be able to exploit this bookfully. The theory is presented in an easily comprehensible form, andderivations of results arepresent in good mathematical detail.This bookis widely referred to, in many technical publications. ... Read more

Product Description
Systems theorists see common principles in the structure and operation of systems of all kinds and sizes. They promote an interdisciplinary science adapted for a universal application with a common language and area of concepts. In order to solve problems, make recommendations and predict the future, they use theories, models and concepts from the vast area of general systems theory. This approach is chosen as a means to overcome the fragmentation of knowledge and the isolation of the specialist but also to find new approaches to problems created by earlier ‘solution of problems.’This revised and updated second edition of General Systems Theory — Ideas and Applications includes new systems theories and a new chapter on self-organization and evolution. The book summarizes most of the fields of systems theory and its application systems science in one volume. It provides a quick and readable reference guide for future learning containing both general theories and practical applications without the use of complicated mathematics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

suitable for high school students...
It is vague and confused and superficial and juvenile.

The classic by von Bertalanffy is far superior. ... Read more

Book Description