Systemantics

Book by John Gall

General Systemantics

1977 edition

Author| John Gall
Illustrator| R. O. Blechman
Language| English
Subject| Systems science
Publisher| General Systemantics Press

Publication date

| 1975/78, 1986, 2002
Media type| Print

General Systemantics (retitled to Systemantics in its second edition and The Systems Bible in its third) is a systems engineering treatise by John Gall in which he offers practical principles of systems design based on experience and anecdotes.

It is offered from the perspective of how not to design systems, based on system engineering failures. The primary precept of the treatise is that large complex systems are extremely difficult to design correctly despite best intentions, so care must be taken to design smaller, less-complex systems and to do so with incremental functionality based on close and continual touch with user needs and measures of effectiveness.

## History

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The book was initially self-published after Gall received rejection letters from 30 publishers. After several reviews in academic journals, it was picked up by Quadrangle–The New York Times Book Company, who published it in 1977.[1] A condensed version was also published in The New York Times prior to the book's publication.[2]

## Title origin

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The term systemantics is a commentary on prior work by Alfred Korzybski called general semantics which conjectured that all systems failures could be attributed to a single root cause – a failure to communicate. Gall observes that, instead, system failure is an intrinsic feature of systems. He thereby derives the term general systemantics in deference to the notion of a sweeping theory of system failure, but attributed to an intrinsic feature based on laws of system behavior. He observes as a side-note that system antics also playfully captures the concept that systems naturally "act up."[3]

## Reception

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Money stated in 1978 that the author "clearly set out to write another Peter Principle".[4] A 1977 review in Etc: A Review of General Semantics states that the book's aim is unclear, commenting, "As a put-down of institutional practices it works well, as good as anything in print", but "As a slam at systems theory the book is less successful, even ambiguous."[5] A Library Journal review from 1977 comments, "Like some of its predecessors, the book pretends to rebuke people for their manifold stupidities, but is, in fact, an invitation to take pleasure in them. That's not a failing, just a fact. Recommended."[6] A 2004 review in the American Society of Safety Professionals' Professional Safety says, "It is at once deadly serious with all the outrageous contrived irony of Gary Larson's 'Far Side' cartoons" and that "the book is one continuous insight after another."[7] PCMag called the book "small but insightful".[8]

## See also

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* The purpose of a system is what it does – Systems thinking heuristic
* Cascading failure – Systemic risk of failure

## References

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1. ^ Serrin, Judith (1977-01-05). "Why Things Just Won't Work". Detroit Free Press. pp. 1C, 5C. Retrieved 2023-09-20 – via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ Gall, John (1976-12-26). "Why nothing works the way it's supposed to: Systemanantics". The New York Times. p. SM3. ProQuest 122788800. Retrieved 2024-01-12.
3. ^ Gall 1978, p. 24.
4. ^ Harris, Marlys (January 1978). "Why Things Don't Work: Three books on systems". Money. Vol. 7, no. 1.
5. ^ Quinby, David L. (December 1977). "Review: General Sematics and General Systems: An Irreverent View". Etc: A Review of General Semantics. 34 (4). JSTOR 42575291.
6. ^ Anderson, A. J. (1977-05-01). "Humor: Gall, John. Systemantics: How systems work and especially how they fail". Library Journal. 102 (9): 1018 – via EBSCO.
7. ^ Metzgar, Carl R. (October 2004). "Writing Worth Reading: Review: The Systems Bible". Professional Safety. 49 (10). American Society of Safety Professionals: 20, 72. JSTOR 45453930.
8. ^ "Definition of Systemantics". PCMag. Retrieved 2023-09-20.

## Sources

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* Gall, John (2003). The Systems Bible: The Beginner's Guide to Systems Large and Small (3rd ed.). Walker: General Systemantics Press. ISBN 9780961825171.
* Gall, John (1986). Systemantics : The Underground Text of Systems Lore. How Systems Really Work and How They Fail (2nd ed.). Ann Arbor: General Systemantics Press. ISBN 9780961825102.
* Gall, John (1978). Systemantics : How Systems Really Work and How They Fail (1st ed.). New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 9780671819101.

## External links

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* Bart Stewart's Explanation of Systemantics
* Commentary on the principles of "Systemantics", by Anthony Judge
* c2 wiki entry on Systemantics