Tracking Change

Abstract

This chapter adds yet another type of tracking game, one the authors call thermostatic tracking games. Thermostatic games are based on the notion that many experiences, discoveries, and ideas follow a recognizable pattern. The pattern begins with a steady state, is followed by adjustments due to disruptive changes, and then returns to a steady state. They argue that this is what a thermostat does, and that is why they refer to this kind of tracking as thermostatic. They use examples from poetry, literature, anthropology, the history of philosophy, and sociology to show how the thermostatic process works. They conclude by emphasizing how these games can be used to identify set points and visions for change.