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Over 1 million
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The 55 Minutes

An atlas to navigate problems, reveal systems, and ask beautiful questions in a radically shifting world
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About the Book

Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “If I had an hour to solve a problem, I’d spend fifty-five minutes thinking about the problem and five minutes thinking about solutions.” This book is about how to use those metaphorical first fifty-five minutes wisely. If we want to be successful when we innovate, act, or try to “change the system,” we need to get serious about understanding the problem. But problems don’t exist in a vacuum. They are enmeshed and ensnared in complexity. Moreover, the kinds of problems we face in our workplaces, institutions, and society at large are the results of systems.

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“An essential primer for anyone seeking to tackle the world’s toughest problems.”

Marya Besharov,

Academic Director, Skoll Centre, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Resounding Praise for The 55 Minutes

An essential primer for anyone seeking to tackle the world’s toughest problems.

Marya Besharov
Academic Director, Skoll Centre, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Everything is connected to everything else in our world and when we try to address the great challenges of our times as if they were isolated technical problems rather than complex living systems, it only makes them worse. 55 Minutes brings together the language and tools needed to see systems more clearly and to influence them more skillfully; nothing could be more important. This remarkable book bridges from theory to practice and from local to global, offering readers practical wisdom for understanding complex problems more deeply and crafting viable pathways towards a flourishing future. It’s a magnificent and timely contribution!

Julian Norris
Co-Founder, The Wolf Willow Institute

James Stauch’s book is a wonderfully comprehensive guide of the critical tools to think and practice in systems. It organizes the ‘mess’ of tools into an easy-to-follow framework, making them accessible to any new or seasoned systems practitioner.

Tima Bansal
Ivey Business School and 2025 Clarendon Lecturer in Management Studies, University of Oxford

James Stauch’s The 55 Minutes is the book on complexity and systems theory I have
been wishing for as a resource to train students and emerging researchers across
disciplines around collaboration, design and innovation. Stauch fully integrates research
and theory, while keeping his focus on the skills and mindsets one needs to develop
and hone to be the vehicle of transformative action. It is both a brilliant resource for
those interested in social and public change and mandatory reading for those who
need to apply social science and humanities training in the real world.

Sandra Lapointe
Professor of Philosophy and Director of The/La Collaborative at McMaster University.

A beautiful and brilliant book!

Adam Kahane
Co-Founder of Reos Partners and author of Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems

The 55 Minutes is an extraordinarily rich compendium of insights, research, and highly practical suggestions for anyone who is serious about carefully thinking their way to the roots of the problems they face and then acting effectively with humility and grace. I highly recommend this book!

Rob Evans
Author, The Collaboration Code™, Managing Partner, Imaginal Labs

Early in my career I had the good fortune to collaborate with James over multiple years, as both a participant in and beneficiary of the systems thinking and emergent solutions described in this book. These are tools, frameworks, and approaches that enable real transformation through collective wisdom. Simply put, this atlas is a toolkit for changing lives, changing communities, and changing the world. Use it often, well, and wisely.

Kyla Kakfwi-Scott
Chief of Staff, Government of the Northwest Territories

In an increasingly tumultuous and bewildering world, this atlas provides essential and practical guidance to navigate our way to a more desirable future. It invites us to engage deeply with the complex systems that underlie our significant problems, while empowering us to find a better way forward.

Natalie Slawinski
Director, Centre for Regenerative Futures, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

Do you want to do better work?  Read this book. Its models and tools are a compass for every practice, revealing a profound truth often hiding in plain sight: to arrive at the most marvellous answer, you must first ask the best question.

Matthew Shaw
Head, Accessibility Practice, Rick Hansen Foundation

In an increasingly tumultuous and bewildering world, this atlas provides essential and practical guidance to navigate our way to a more desirable future. It invites us to engage deeply with the complex systems that underlie our significant problems, while empowering us to find a better way forward.

Natalie Slawinski
Director, Centre for Regenerative Futures, Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria

An impressive reference and foundational book that explains and deconstructs systems thinking and systems approaches. But most importantly, it is practical! Full of examples, tools and tips, this is an essential resource for those action-oriented folks looking to solve some of today’s most complex issues. And a healthy reminder to slow down and spend your 55 minutes wisely.

Cathy Taylor
President and CEO, The Lawson Foundation

This book cracks open the need for and the "how to" on systems thinking.  It is essential that we move into problems being humble, curious and confident; The 55 Minutes is a solid start to whole thinking and practical tools.

Brenda Kenny
former Chair, Alberta Innovates

In this book, readers will find many ideas and practical "how "As someone who works with a lot of social impact organisations and teams, I am delighted to have a resource where I can quickly jump to the tools I might need in a workshop I am running.

Lara Evoy
Partner and Senior Coach, Garrow&Evoy Impact and Strategic Clarity

to's" that they already knew about or heard about. What makes this “atlas” standout are the plentiful tools and examples for systems practice all in one place. The book is a series of master classes in systems thinking. This level of thinking and the many ideas included in the book enable me to engage in deliberate creative thought. It is a resource I will return to time and time again.

Yasmin Dean
Dean of Education and Social Work, Thompson Rivers University

The 55 Minutes is an indispensable handbook that transforms complex systems thinking into accessible strategies for real-world application. The authors' combined expertise shines through every page, offering change makers the tools to amplify their impact exponentially. Success in social change depends on unleashing our learning DNA; this exquisitely researched and written book is the closest thing to unlocking the source code.

Tim Draimin
Chair, Social Innovation Canada

The 55 Minutes is a beautiful piece of work, and sure to be profoundly valuable in shaping the thinking and discourse needed to transform today's wicked problems into portals of possibility.

Stephen Huddart
Director, Regenerative Economy Program, The Victoria Forum

This is an excellent road map to understanding complexity and complex systems before arriving at simplistic solutions.

The Honourable Ratna Omidvar
former Canadian Senator

Systems thinking is increasingly recognized to be a crucial capacity for understanding complex problems, and this atlas has helpfully collected key tools that aspiring and experienced changemakers can utilize to develop that mindset and skillset. Just as importantly, it enables readers to tap into the wisdom of three exemplary systems thinkers who understand that effective thinking—and impactful action—requires much more than finding the right tool. The creativity, humility, and generosity that James, Anna, and Daniela embody shines through in this book!

Paul Heidebrecht
Director, Kindred Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement, University of Waterloo

This is an extraordinary piece of work – beautifully written, profoundly insightful, and deeply resonant. This book is exactly what we need to help make sense of the polycrisis and, more importantly, to guide us toward meaningful action.

Ushma Issar
Founder and CEO, Rypple

In a world that screams for speed and easy answers, The 55 Minutes is a radical act of necessary defiance. Stauch, Johnson, and Papi-Thornton haven't just written a book; they've crafted an indispensable atlas for navigating the messy, complex reality we're all facing. It forces the crucial pause – the deep dive into understanding the actual problem – before we waste precious energy on superficial fixes. If you're serious about driving real change, not just innovation theatre, this is your essential starting point. Slow down with this book, then go be radical.

Pascal Finette
Founder & CEO, radical

An essential primer for anyone seeking to tackle the world’s toughest problems.

Marya Besharov
Academic Director, Skoll Centre, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

Designed to be read cover-to-cover or explored in pieces based on what the reader seeks, The 55 Minutes reminds us that change starts with understanding the underlying problems. It reminds us that change therefore relies on observation, relationships, and self-awareness. It reminds us that today's changemakers can root in lifetimes of stories, frameworks and other tools. Full of powerful stories, imagery, and language, The 55 Minutes is an invaluable tool for people who come together with different experiences and worldviews but a 'tenacious commitment to change something in the world for the better.

Danya Pastuszek, CEO
Tamarack Institute for Community Engagement

A fascinating read about understanding problems – the most important skill in today’s world. The authors embed front line experience from cover to cover, making The 55 Minutes a practical and needed guide.

Shaun Loney
Author of An Army of Problem Solvers, Ashoka Fellow and EY Entrepreneur of the Year

A beautiful and brilliant book!

Adam Kahane
Co-Founder of Reos Partners and author of Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems

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About the Authors
James Stauch

James is a social innovation and systems change consultant and educator based in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He serves as Complex Systems Strategist with ATCO’s SpaceLab and as co-chair of the Banff Systems Summit.

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Anna Johnson

Anna is a consultant and systems practitioner dedicated to helping organizations navigate complexity, build internal capacity, and design strategies rooted in systems thinking and mapping.

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Daniela Papi-Thornton

Daniela is an educator, facilitator, coach, and author based in Boulder, Colorado. Her work focuses on systems-led leadership, an approach to social innovation that centers on systems understanding.

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About the Producing Partners

ATCO’s SpaceLab is an enterprise-wide framework of support for ATCO employees with the desire and creative energy to pursue sustainable new value for the company. Its mandate is to ensure that ATCO’s legacy of success continues for generations to come.

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ATCO Ltd. is a leading provider of integrated solutions in energy, housing, transportation, and infrastructure. With a vision to create prosperity and opportunity for future generations, ATCO is committed to delivering life’s essentials—shelter, security, and energy—to its customers. What began in 1947 as a small business, Alberta Trailer Hire, has since grown into a global enterprise, employing over 20,000 people across ATCO and its subsidiary and affiliate companies.

As part of Mount Royal University’s commitment to providing an extraordinary experience for undergraduate students, the Institute for Community Prosperity connects students with social impact learning through applied, community-partnered research, creative knowledge mobilization, and systems-focused education.

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The Institute designs and hosts learning tools and experiences to help students lead transformative change in their communities. Among these, it cohosts the annual Banff Systems Summit with ATCO, hosts the ATCO-sponsored Map the System Canada student competition, the Systems Leadership Sandbox for practitioners, and the Anitopisi Learning Series, a forum to engage with ways of knowing and being that will help us move forward in good ways together.

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Set your watch to the 55 minutes, your compass to complexity.

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James Stauch is a social innovation and systems change consultant and educator based in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia. He serves as Complex Systems Strategist with ATCO’s SpaceLab and as co-chair of the Banff Systems Summit. He is a Visiting Fellow at the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford. For the past decade, James served as Executive Director of the Institute for Community Prosperity at Mount Royal University, where he developed social innovation, leadership, and systems-focused learning programs for undergraduate students and the broader community (and where he continues to be an adjunct faculty member). Previously, James served as a foundation executive and philanthropy consultant; this work included designing and managing Arctic and Northern programming with the Gordon Foundation. Having chaired several national and international grantmaking networks and consortia, James is currently a board member of Alberta Ecotrust Foundation and a member of the editorial advisory board of The Philanthropist. For the past decade, he authored an annual scan of trends and emerging issues, produced in partnership with the Calgary Foundation, and has authored or coauthored many guides, scans, and trend analyses on a range of contemporary social issues.

Anna Johnson is a consultant and systems practitioner dedicated to helping organizations navigate complexity, build internal capacity, and design strategies rooted in systems thinking and mapping. Her work spans philanthropy, academia, social enterprise, and community initiatives, encompassing grassroots efforts and global education programs. With over a decade of experience at the intersection of community and academia, Anna has developed systems-focused learning programs at local, national, and global levels. She has held roles with Mount Royal University’s Institute for Community Prosperity, Ashoka Canada, and the University of Oxford’s Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. At the Skoll Centre, she managed the global Map the System challenge, collaborating with institutions and students worldwide to apply systems thinking to complex social and environmental challenges. Previously, Anna served as capacity building associate at the Calgary Foundation, where she leveraged her expertise in systems thinking and social innovation to strengthen both organizational and sector-wide capacity. Anna has also founded both for-profit and nonprofit social enterprises, including Fresh Routes, a nonprofit aimed at improving food access in Calgary.

Daniela Papi-Thornton is an educator, facilitator, coach, and author based in Boulder, Colorado. Her work focuses on systems-led leadership, an approach to social innovation that centers on systems understanding. Daniela is currently a lecturer at University of Colorado Boulder and a consultant with a range of education organizations, foundations, and for-profit companies looking to contribute to systems change. She previously served as a lecturer at Yale School of Management, Watson Institute, and Oxford’s Saïd Business School, where she was also the deputy director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. She taught certificate courses for professionals through Chicago Booth’s Hong Kong Campus and Mount Royal University as well as a social entrepreneurship certificate course at Dartmouth College. She designed an educational tool called the Impact Gaps Canvas, which is used at accelerator programs and in social impact education initiatives around the world, and she launched Map the System, a contest that runs at more than fifty global institutions each year. Daniela’s work builds upon six years of emerging market entrepreneurial experience in Cambodia, where she ran a hybrid social enterprise educational organization. She also coauthored Learning Service: The Essential Guide to Volunteering Abroad (Red Press Ltd., 2018), a book about rethinking volunteer travel. She also authored an influential report titled Tackling Heropreneurship, and her TEDx Talks on these topics highlight some of her thinking.

About the 55 Minutes

Unfortunately, the world that most of us inhabit is focused on that last 5 minutes–rushing headlong toward a “solution” without having spent enough time getting to know the problem. This happens in virtually every industry, organization, and sector of society. It’s one of the reasons most new businesses fail, most public policies are reactive, and “innovation” (whether commercial or social) spends far too much time in the unicorn-seeking land of hackathons, design sprints, and slick pitches; Where confident answers make poor substitutes for authentic understanding. We work in “solutions-driven” companies, we expect governments to deliver rapid fixes, and we ask schools to teach and test for the “right” answers, instead of asking new and better questions.

This book is an "atlas," an expansive compendium of foundational practices, concepts, frameworks, and tools for mapping and navigating systems. It will help you ask better questions and see deeper forces beneath the problems and symptoms visible on the surface. To those who lament that "the system is broken," "the system is rigged," or "it's a systemic problem," this is a guide to understanding those systems and hopefully feeling less helpless, alienated, and confused. The world is not linear, binary, or static. It is rich with complex systems, and it is changing rapidly and radically. But in order to keep up, we need to slow down and think. Set your watch to The 55 Minutes-your compass amid complexity.

License and Terms

The authors and producing partners of The 55 Minutes want to ensure that the book is accessible to anyone with an interest in reading and using it. Much of the value of the 55 Minutes is assembling and building on a rich trove of insights, frameworks, concepts, and tools developed over years and decades by many others. Much of this is already in the public domain, so we are continuing this tradition of open access. We also recognize that there are economic barriers for students and many others, so we want to ensure that the book is accessible and is widely used. In exchange, we wish to know a little bit about who is downloading the document so that we can stay in touch, for example to notify you of book-related events in your community.