This book: shows how anyone who feels mistreated by any system can beat the system and get what they want; presents numerous tactics and strategies that can be applied to a broad range of abusive situations; is practical and contains easy-to-use advice for how to beat any system that is trying to beat you; and, is written by two people with extensive experience working with and in a wide variety of organizations (systems) including airlines, education, healthcare, manufacturing, financial and service organizations, and government. Russell Ackoff is an internationally renowned pioneer in the world of systems thinking. "Beating the System" shares anecdotes about the abuse of individuals by a variety of systems, particularly bureaucracies, and the tales of those individuals' successful efforts to "get even." The authors use these anecdotes to illustrate successful strategies for combating abusive systems and show how anyone can use these tactics.