This book has a rather strange history. It began in spring 1989, thirteen years after our Systems Science Department at SUNY-Binghamton was established, when I was asked by a group of students in our doctoral program to have a meeting with them. The spokesman of the group, Cliff Joslyn, opened our meeting by stating its purpose. I can closely paraphrase what he said: "We called this meeting to discuss with you, as Chairman of the Department, a fundamental problem with our systems science curriculum. In general, we consider it a good curriculum: we learn a lot of concepts, principles, and methodological tools, mathematical, computational, heu ristic, which are fundamental to understanding and dealing with systems. And, yet, we learn virtually nothing about systems science itself. What is systems science? What are its historical roots? What are its aims? Where does it stand and where is it likely to go? These are pressing questions to us. After all, aren't we supposed to carry the systems science flag after we graduate from this program? We feel that a broad introductory course to systems science is urgently needed in the curriculum. Do you agree with this assessment?" The answer was obvious and, yet, not easy to give: "I agree, of course, but I do not see how the situation could be alleviated in the foreseeable future.

`I heartily recommend this book to everyone, who has ever wondered "What is Systems Science"?'
International Journal of General Systems, 32:1 (2003)

Autorentext
George J. Klir is currently Distinguished Professor of Systems Science at Binghamton University, SUNY. Since he immigrating to the U.S. in 1966, he has held positions at UCLA, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Binghamton University. He is a Life Fellow of IEEE, IFSA, and the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies. He has served as president of SGSR, IFSR, NAFIPS, and IFSA.

Inhalt
I Systems Science: A Guided Tour.- 1 What Is Systems Science?.- 2 More about Systems.- 3 Systems Movement.- 4 Conceptual Frameworks.- 5 Systems Methodology.- 6 Systems Metamethodology.- 7 Systems Knowledge.- 8 Complexity.- 9 Simplification Strategies.- 10 Goal-Oriented Systems.- 11 Systems Science in Retrospect and Prospect.- II Classical Systems Literature.- and Comments.- Detailed Contents.- Author Index.