System Effects: Complexity in Political and Social Life by Robert Jervis

by Robert Jervis

Based on more than three decades of observation, Robert Jervis concludes in this book that the very foundation of many social science theories - especially those in political science - are faulty. Taking insights from complexity theory as his point of departure, the author observes that we live in a world where things are interconnected, where unintended consequences of our actions are unavoidable and unpredictable, and where the total effect of behavior is not equal to the sum of individual actions. Jervis draws on a wide range of human endeavors to illustrate the nature of these system effects. He shows how increasing airport security might actually cost lives, not save them, and how removing dead trees (ostensibly to give living trees more room) may damage the health of an entire forest. Similarly, he highlights the interconnectedness of the political world as he describes how the Cold War played out and as he narrates the series of events - with their unintended consequences - that escalated into World War I.

Genres: International Relations, Politics, Political Science, Sociology, Science

Unknown Binding

First published August 4, 1997

About the author

Robert Jervis is the Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Affairs at Columbia University, and has been a member of the faculty since 1980. Jervis was the recipient of the 1990 University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Ideas Improving World Order. Jervis is co-editor of the Cornell Studies in Security Affairs, a series published by Cornell University Press, and the member of numerous editorial review boards for scholarly journals.

While Jervis is perhaps best known for two books in his early career, he also wrote System Effects: Complexity in Political and Social Life (Princeton, 1997). With System Effects, Jervis established himself as a social scientist as well as an expert in international politics. Many of his latest writings are about the Bush doctrine, of which he is very critical. Jervis is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2006 he was awarded the NAS Award for Behavior Research Relevant to the Prevention of Nuclear War from the National Academy of Sciences. He participated in the 2010 Hertog Global Strategy Initiative, a high-level research program on nuclear proliferation. He was also president of the American Political Science Association in 2001.

Reviews

[Emil Milanov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Complexity made simple? Certainly not, but that is exactly why Jervis' seminal work is definitely worth a careful read. Some of his arguments might be hard for a Waltzian IRT purist to swallow, but in all honesty it is hard to see Neoclassical Realism making substantial gains in the future if its proponents cannot come to terms with Jervis' analysis. Also, the author's at times anecdotal style of presentation is extremely entertaining in and of itself.

[Jared Bruh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Astounding, eye opening, and critical. It’s Jervis. Read it

[Will Atkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half was most of what I needed for the research I’m conducting. Overall a great book about international relations.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jervis outlines complex adaptive systems theory and provides substance to the methodology primarily through examples relating to international relations. Slow in parts, but provides interesting case studies--revisits WWI and the Cold War multiple times.

[Victor Wu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a compelling premise and conceptual framework but gets bogged down in litany upon litany of examples that don't meaningfully further the argument.

[Muhammad Ali Bin Shahid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will call it one of the best books on strategy and a must for anyone trying to grapple with strategy and its implications/ ramification with in a certain system.

[S—]

I have a whole book review powerpoint pdf dedicated to this book, only if there's goodreads function lmao

It renders me cray I'm telling you. I broke down and sobbed my fucking life out along the the clusterfuck that is MA thesis administration.

Probably have to refer to it again and read it carefully for the thesis instead of skim reading and focus on parts so I will mark it as finished later, when I read it more comprehensively.