The socio-political systems that govern our world are complex. A change on one side of the world can quickly impact seemingly unrelated elements on the other. In the face of this, Andrew Zolli and Ann Marie Healy call for resiliency, which is

the capacity of a system, enterprise, or a person to maintain its core purpose and integrity in the face of dramatically changed circumstances. (7)

Resilience examines the features of resiliency in diverse case studies that include Jamaica fisheries, terrorist organizations, community anti-violence workers, and investment bankers. At times the actual case studies are so engaging that the purpose for their inclusion fades into the background.

Developing resilience is complicated and requires the confluence of “the right systems and structures, the right technologies and information, the right kinds of community empowerment, and the right values and habits of mind” (275). When these elements are in order, people and systems are able to respond to crises in a way consistent with their values.

Zolli, Andrew and Ann Marie Healy. Resilience: Why Things Bounce Back. Simon and Schuster, 2012.