Linda Booth Sweeney

Her most recent book and audio book, Connected Wisdom: Living Stories about Living Systems (Chelsea Green, 2009) is translated into nine languages and won at the 2011 New York and San Francisco Book Festivals. Forthcoming, in early 2012, is The Systems Thinking Playbook for Climate Change, co-authored with Dennis Meadows and Gillian Martin-Mehers. Linda's work has been published by Highlights Magazine for Children and numerous academic journals and newsletters.

Combining complex systems theory + systems mapping + story telling, Linda helps organizations to move beyond bullet points and matrices, to language and visuals that more closely match the interdependent, dynamic, complex reality of their work. Linda is currently working with researchers at Tufts University to convey the systems story of a 10-year, community-based research project focused on childhood obesity. Linda recently joined Living Planet Network (a project of the Buckminster Fuller Institute) as head of learning. With her colleague Sara Schley, she will be offering River Story, a year-long leadership institute, beginning in 2012.

Linda's particular passion is helping young people to "connect the dots:" to see beyond the surface, to recognize interconnections and dynamics among people, places, events and nature, and to begin thinking about how to use those interconnections to improve their world. As a content expert for SEED — Schlumberger Excellence in Educational Development, Linda develops materials and activities appropriate for ages 10-18 on a variety of complex system science topics that facilitate student's learning and applied problem solving. She is also developing systems playkits for use in a variety of settings, including nature centers, schools and after-school programs.

Linda received her doctorate from Harvard in 2004. She is on the board of directors of The Balaton Group, an international group of researchers focused on systems and sustainability. In her free time, she is helping to launch The Karuna School, a high school for peace in Lincoln, MA. (opening its doors in 2013).

This website and blog will continue Linda’s exploration of these fundamental questions:

What does it mean to think and act systemically?

How do we understand our realities, our families, our schools, our communities, as a living system?

How can systems thinking help us to stop operating from crisis to crisis, and to think in a more interrelated, non-fragmented way?

What does it mean to design in the context of living systems?

What does it mean for human communities to deal with fundamental problems and solutions over time?