The Systems Bible
by John Gall · first published 2002
66% recommend31% neutral3% critical
Why HN recommends it
Witty, irreverent look at why large complex systems, from software to bureaucracies, bloat, fail and react unexpectedly, told through failure-based lessons. Suits engineers and anyone dealing with organizations.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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The Systems Bible
on “Ask HN: Which non-programming books are a beneficial read for programmers?” ↗Just popped into my mind: do you know the book "Systemantics" (also known as "The Systems Bible") by John Gall? It's not on education but is very much in the space we're discussing. It's a brilliant (and hilarious) underground classic. I think you would like it. A lot of people here would. It's…
on “The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher” ↗Systemantics/The Systems Bible, by John Gall, for a lighthearted, whimsical introduction through real-world examples across a range of industries. An Introduction to General Systems Thinking, by Gerald Weinberg, for a more rigorous/structured…
on “Systems thinking as important as ever for new coders” ↗Not about software per se but The Systems Bible/Systemantics (original title) is a good read: https://www.amazon.com/SYSTEMANTICS-SYSTEMS-BIBLE-John-Gall-...
on “Ask HN: Most interesting, mildly impractical, well-written books on software?” ↗…prices even more. There’s so many charts like https://ritholtz.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/pricechanges... that clearly show the trend. It’s insane. There’s a really good book I recommend called “Systems Bible” [https://www.amazon.com/Systems-Bible-Beginners-Guide-Large/d...] that beautifully articulates this phenomenon in a way that applies to government policy, software systems, management, org structures,…
on “Investors bought a record share of U.S. homes in 2021” ↗Could add The Systems Bible (aka Systemantics) by John Gall. It certainly qualifies as quirky - I think I saw it described somewhere as the book that system designers read under a sheet with a torch at night to avoid being seen…
on “Quirky computing books” ↗…its irreverence are quite a few profound insights. (I'd quote a couple but I leant out my copy.) More here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=182937 Edit: oh yeah, the book is http://www.amazon.com/Systems-Bible-Beginners-Guide-Large/dp...
on “Gall's law” ↗…software or software projects - will find all kinds of suggestive things in there. As for "dry"... come now, it's hilarious and has cartoons. Basically, just get it. Here, I'll help: http://www.amazon.com/Systems-Bible-Beginners-Guide-Large/dp... (They ruined the title but it's the same book.)
on “AWS Service Disruption Post Mortem” ↗…sourced. References to business literature are unreliable. Are there good historical sources for this? The story itself reminds me of John Gall's classic book on systems (originally Systemantics, now The Systems Bible).
on “When Employees Misinterpret Managers” ↗>The lesson, applicable to games, startups, governance, and indeed systems engineering in general, is that systems react. A great humorous look at how systems react is: http://www.amazon.com/The-Systems-Bible-Beginners-Guide/dp/0... I found it very insightful, and very relevant to software engineering, too.
on “Diablo 3 to permanently remove its auction houses in March 2014” ↗That material is very interesting. I'll have to find some time to look at it more closely. It reminds me of John Gall's classic Systemantics (now published as The Systems Bible).
on “Words are Hard” ↗Some of my personal favorite resources on this topic: http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-General-Systems-Thinking-... http://www.amazon.com/The-Systems-Bible-Beginners-Guide/dp/0... http://www.amazon.com/Ackoffs-Best-Classic-Writings-Manageme... I really enjoyed these books, but I am not super well-read in this area, so there may be better ones out there.…
on “Thomas Piketty: “Germany has never repaid.”” ↗…technical or human (including companies, governments, ...) Very useful to go from plain programming to actually identifiying problems and solving them efficiently. https://www.amazon.com/SYSTEMANTICS-SYSTEMS-BIBLE-John-Gall-...
on “Ask HN: Which non-programming books are a beneficial read for programmers?” ↗This is fascinating. For anyone interested in a slightly odd but unique and in-depth view of Systems design and failure, would like to recommend "The Systems Bible: The Beginner's Guide to Systems Large and Small" by John Gall. https://www.amazon.com/Systems-Bible-Beginners-Guide-Large/d...
on “Massachusetts gas fires: Another technological tragedy” ↗The classic (and hilarious) book The Systems Bible (https://www.amazon.com/Systems-Bible-Beginners-Guide-Large/d...) has some deliciously tart words on this subject: We present the Fundamental Law of Administrative Workings (F.L.A.W.): THINGS ARE WHAT…
on “Inside Facebook's 'cult-like' workplace” ↗