aSystems: origin and evolution, terms and concepts -- Systems and complexity -- Systems and modeling I: diagrams and identification -- Systems and measurement -- Systems view of management and the organization -- Systems view of problems and problematic situations -- Systems theory in international relations -- Systems quantification: from Stone Age to Space Age -- Systems and modeling II: process, purposes, and approaches -- Systems science: making sense of the philosophical issues.

The text offers a framework for understanding the underlying theory of systems science to assist decision makers in resolving a wide range of real-world problems in their fields. Various approaches to problem solving in the natural and social sciences are described, including the systematic view model and model decomposition. The book also presents clear and coherent accounts of systems intervention, critical systems thinking, and quantification of systems science. Philosophical issues in systems science are comprehensively covered, with discussion on such topics as ontology, epistemology, and methodology.