AP,

Just looked at the book on Amazon (lukewarm reviews) and did a little research on the author. I'm sure the book is interesting and I'm looking forward to see how you think it can be applied before I commit time to reading it. Based on reading what was available on the reviews and pre-read on Amazon it seems she is largely talking about the physical and rules based order that describes the international order that is in our national interest to protect. She seems to be advocating attacking it if I read the reviews correctly?

I read Warden, studied systemic operational design, and other theorists to view the world as a system and have become more critical of these ideas over the years. There are real systems and systems we imagine (many of systems that SOD practitioners come up with are not true systems, they are random nodes that they draw connections to and describe as a system). There are also non-adaptive and adaptive systems. Warden seems to push the idea (having read his book twice) that all systems are non-adaptive, with each of his five rings being viewed as a system.

Complexity theory, correctly in my view, points to complex and adaptive "systems" (if they're actual systems to begin with). Meaning targeting a particular point(s) will not always result in system collapse, but the system will adapt to the new environment. Comes closer to Clausewitz's view that you have two or more thinking and adaptive opponents engaged in a contest of wills (very loosely paraphrased).

Criticism aside, that doesn't mean this type of analysis doesn't have its place, but use if with caution and lower your expectation on results. Ultimately the use of military force (or threat of force) is supposed help achieve a political end. The grand strategy is more important than the military strategy, and ideally it should come first, so the military can work with its interagency partners to explore ways to achieve ends that more complex than defeat, remove, neutralize, destroy, etc. Since 9/11 it almost seems we put military objectives first, and then try to catch up and build a grand strategy around it.

Looking forward to your review.