Rating: 
Summary: Perfect for managers
Review: In the Logic of Failure, Dietrich Dorner lays out the root causes of decision-making failures in a straightforward, easy-to-read, and even entertaining manner. Dorner covers the psychological and emotional failings that occur when individuals are faced with a myriad of complex systems. Anyone who has been bitten by the law of unintended consequences will see a bit of himself in the pages as Dorner helps one envision the inherent inadequacies that prevent people from predicting and preparing for what becomes painfully obvious in hindsight. Although a bit short on what to do in order to permanently correct the problems identified, simply bringing the pitfalls to light will go a long way to alleviate the problem. This is a must read for managers and strategic planners......perhaps even on an annual basis.
Rating: 
Summary: Pleasant introduction to the psychology of decisions
Review: Let's admit it: it is fun to look at other people's mistakes - especially when they happen in inconsequential computer simulations. Beside having fun, the reader of this book will also learn about the psychological forces behind the way we think and act on complex systems (i.e., in situations we do not fully understand.) Even though I am no expert in the field, I believe that the author does an excellent job at using a variety of experimental evidence (the simulations range from complex development aid projects to simple temperature regulation)in an entertaining fashion to illustrate serious analyses. The author refuses to hand out illusory recipes for good decision-making - and gives good reasons for it. That may be a good recipe by itself. Finally, a minor criticism: too few references to the literature and too many of them are to works in German. Oh, well, I guess you can always use Amazon's search engine.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Review: Not a bad book, although mostly concepts. I would have enjoyed more of a hands-on approach to avoiding common pitfalls.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad
Review: Not a bad book, although mostly concepts. I would have enjoyed more of a hands-on approach to avoiding common pitfalls.
Rating:
Summary: An amazing book.
Review: One of the best books I have read about problem-solving. The book has very interesting and pleasant experiments and cases that Dorner uses to explain his conclusions and theories about how people really solve complex problems. I do recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: The Logic of Failure
Review: The frailty of human cognition is exposed and cleanly flayed by Dietrich Dorner (1996) in The Logic of Failure. As we face our flawed intellectual inheritance, we still have a right to feel elated because a weakness exposed is a weakness conquered. Dorner in Failure, indeed, gives us the tools to change our prescription from one of failure and well-intentioned catastrophe to one of humble vision and wisdom. Dorner has written no less than the formula for common sense. Failure resonated with me over and over again. Often, we bumble through life and occasionally, if we are very lucky, we have a few moments where suddenly ignorance is sloughed off and the worldview is changed with a mighty clap. It's the, of course, that's why that happened. Why didn't I see it sooner? Why didn't they see it sooner? With Dorner's work at last we have an explanation for why good people make big mistakes and more importantly a guide to avoid them.
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Summary: A guide to what not to do.
Review: The Logic of Failure is report on a series of gaming scenarios where civic and business leaders were given decision driven issues and adequate information to make good decisions. In the vast majority of cases, the leader makes a decision that is inappropriate to the time horizon of the issue. The decision maker normally makes the decision based on the perception of the need for short term positive results in an environment where those very short term issues lead to long term failure. From the examples, it seems to make little difference how long the necessary time horizon is, the decision maker will still make a decision based on a shorter time than that optimal for the issue. Well written and translated to make it quite readable.
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Summary: Why thinking in circle may get you ahead
Review: The Logic of Failure: Why Things Go Wrong and What We Can Do to Make Them Right or Recognizing and Avoiding Error in Complex Situations by Dietrich Dörner This psychologist could have written Systemantics. His subjects in the main cannot cope with simple feedback systems. Given a computer simulation of a freezer, most subjects could not manually regulate the temperature of the freezer. These reactionary boobs continually over shot the target temperature so often that they resorted to the paranormal to explain the freezer's characteristics. Come on, people, this is not rocket science here. If you turn the knob too far down, the freezer will get too cold. As you may well imagine, these same dimbulbs had considerable difficulty in complicated tasks like maintaining the welfare of an African tribe: they helped make a poor, miserable tribe more poor and miserable. Needless to say, these morons don't have what it takes to pass Nuclear Power School -- I am relieved to say. (Did man descend from the management consultant?) Dr. Dörner unsurprisingly found that people who used to run complicated systems (say, CEOs of multinational corporations) did better than college students. He also found that each of the four strategies for coping with complicated systems (reverse planning, active waiting, muddling through, and detailed analysis) has its time and place. The scariest thing about the participants is that they were Europeans -- people who generally receive a superior education than Americans do. This book raises my opinion of psychologists to slightly above the charlatan threshold.
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Summary: Mess with physical and political systems at your peril.
Review: The true value of this book came home to me when I found myself espousing its theories in public for weeks afterward. The quirky translation may put some off, but it's worth sticking with it. The thesis: some common human traits lead us into unthinking error in dealing with dynamic systems. You may know this stuff already, but it will help formalize it in your mind. Dorner explains why Chernobyl could easily be repeated elsewhere. My copy is already making the rounds of my small-town politician friends.
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Summary: One just wonders how often we can make *such* mistakes
Review: This book influenced me a great way. I became aware of things I never was able to explain. I got an idea of how to manage complex systems. It helps when you agree because of great examples that "problems around us are complex, otherwise they would have been solved." The graphic data and their analysis is very accurate. One of the greatest chapters in the book is about time measurement. Never did I understand before reading that in general, people cannot manage time, they don't feel it. We measure it by looking at watch, we make charts, we write histories and mark milestones just because our mind is "current". It is a fascinating book to read. The somewhat academic style is very appropriate. I very strongly recommend it, especially for beginners in business, like me. With best regards, OLEG.
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