Abstract/Summary

This paper records and reflects on the anniversary of the publication of Forrester’s Industrial Dynamics. It considers the book from four perspectives. First, it samples the earlier publications that heralded and anticipated its publication. Second, it explores in depth some contemporary reviews, drawn from a range of disciplines. The paper then looks in detail at how the book was influenced by, and itself influenced, three neighbouring areas: MS/OR, system science and the social sciences, and ‘problem structuring methods’. Forth, to further place the book in context, the paper considers in brief the varied life of Forrester himself, indicating how his experiences informed Industrial Dynamics. The paper closes by recapitulating the importance of Industrial Dynamics as the founding publication of the system dynamics field.