Embracing
Complexity

Strategic Perspectives for an Age of Turbulence

Written by Jean Boulton, Peter Allen and Cliff Bowman
Published  in 2015 by Oxford University Press

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Embracing Complexity presents complexity thinking as a way of understanding how the world works; it challenges the dominant expectation that leaders can control the evolution of the social and organisational world.
Ralph Stacey

In the book, we sought to bring to life what complexity thinking is about,  before considering what it meant for managers and policy makers.

The first part of the book is about the theory and ideas of complexity. This is explained in a way that is thorough but not mathematical. It compares differing approaches, and also provides a historical perspective, showing how such thinking has been around since the beginning of civilisation. It emphasises the difference between a complexity worldview and the dominant mechanical worldview that underpins much of current management practice. It defines the complexity worldview as recognising the world is interconnected, shaped by history and the particularities of context.

Chapter Two, The Nature of the Complex World, builds on the work of Buzz Holling in Panarchy, and uses his descriptions of the way forests emerge, mature, become overly efficient and prone to collapse, as a way to describe the evolving patterning of relationships that is at the heart of a complexity understanding of change and stability.
Embracing Complexity By Jean Boulton
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From complexity to simplicity

From Complexity To Simplicity
Chapter Five, ‘The Complexity of Complexity Theories’ is unique in its depth and accessibility. It compares and contrasts various mathematical models, shows the implications of adopting particular simplifying assumptions and illustrates the importance of distinguishing between the map and the territory.
The second part of the book uses this lens of complexity to explore issues in the fields of management, strategy, economics, and international development. It also explores how to facilitate others to recognise the implications of adopting a complex rather than a mechanical worldview and suggests methods of research to explore systemic, path-dependent, emergent aspects of situations.

The authors span both science and management, academia and practice, thus the explanations of science are authoritative and yet the examples of changing how you live and work in the world are real and accessible.

The book ends on a more personal note – what is the key message of complexity thinking for each of us as authors.

Sand In Hands

Reviews for Embracing Complexity

An important contribution to our understanding of complexity science and its relevance for tackling the problems being faced in today’s world.
Gareth Morgan
Author of Images of Organization
‘Enjoyable, thought provoking, and insightful. A superb introduction to complexity science for all readers!’
W. Brian Arthur
Author of Complexity and the Economy and
Recipient of the Lagrange Prize in Complexity Science
In the social and physical sciences, complexity is everywhere, changing how we think and act. But how? This book provides an excellent overview both of the underlying concepts and also their implications for how we think about change—in economics, organizations and international development. Highly recommended.
Duncan Green
‘Strategic Adviser, Oxfam GB and
Author of From Poverty to Power
‘Embracing Complexity takes a critical stance in relation to dominant ways of thinking about the social world. It presents complexity thinking as a way of understanding how the world works, and challenges the dominant expectation that leaders can control the evolution of the social and the organisational world. Those willing to take a critical approach will find this an important book.’
Ralph Stacey
Complexity and Management Group
Hertfordshire Business School
Life changing: I've been helping teams and organisations improve the way they do their stuff for years... When I read this book...everything fitted into place…When I say read, this is an understatement. I was absorbed in it and will never think the same way again.
'If you want to understand how complex systems (from organisations to communities) behave and change, this book is for you.'
I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interesting in exploring systems thinking: It was hugely helpful at the beginning of my learning journey - but I continue to come back to it now. It somehow manages to cater for a diverse range of readers whilst remaining both understandable, thought-provoking and challenging. Must read!
'I keep re-reading it: There are only a handful of books that I have read more than once, those that are so rich that a single pass is unlikely to reveal their full value. Each time I read it, new ideas and connections pop out as if it is a different book. The book is about the emergence of the new and the shift we must make from just simple cause and effect thinking to a rich way of seeing the world where what happens is partly determined by the past and partly by the here and now, and the contingencies of life – and there are patterns in all this. The book is rigorous and accessible.'
Coming into a brighter world: This is an excellent, comprehensive, thoughtful book about developing a complexity mindset and how powerful this way of thinking becomes in our life and work. It is written for regular people so they can open their minds to the complex world in which we live. Their fine summary of the state of complexity theory with the historical threads and history are quite interesting. They also have many case studies and ideas about how the use of complexity thinking can improve social systems, economic systems and in policy making.
'Applied complexity concepts made accessible: This might be the best book on the application of complexity science concepts to practical areas of human activity. The authors have done a brilliant job of making a wide span of activities within complexity science understandable. Too many books in this area are unreadable to all but the most committed scientist or made overly simplistic (and often wrong).  This is for serious readers looking to understand what complexity is and how it can be practically applied to organizations and social change. The authors have kept this as a work of scholarly literature yet managed to write it in an engaging manner. Having read dozens of texts on complexity science and systems thinking with few I’ve liked, I would recommend this wholeheartedly to anyone looking either to be introduced to the topic or someone looking to advance their understanding.'