John Boyd's Discourse on Winning and Losing

The DNI site is an absolute treasure trove of information related to John Boyd. This is excerpted directly from the Defense and the National Interest site. [Hopefully, all the links will function.]

http://www.d-n-i.net/second_level/bo....htm#discourse

A Discourse on Winning and Losing

This is the title Boyd gave to his collection of briefings on competitive strategy (widely known as the "Green Book," with apologies to Wittgenstein). Defense and the National Interest is pleased to present these as a resource for research and implementation. Except as noted, they are Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) images of the actual charts used in his legendary 8-hour briefing sessions. You are welcome to download these for your personal use, but in accordance with Boyd's express wishes, these versions are not authorized for commercial reprint. Please note that they are copyrighted by the Estate of John R. Boyd. (Download a free Acrobat reader here.)

Introduction The Abstract and Conceptual Spiral (July/August 1992). An overview of the rest of the Discourse and introducing his "Pattern for Vitality and Growth" (411 KB)

Patterns of Conflict (December 1986) Boyd's monumental look at what makes any organization competitive. Encompassing 2,500 years of the history of conflict, this briefing introduces his famous "OODA loop" concept. Original sides in PDF, 2,845 KB. Now also in MS PowerPoint (native PPT format 1.5 MB or PDF of the PPT charts, 750 KB.)

Organic Design for Command and Control (May 1987) Perhaps the most approachable of Boyd's briefings and as applicable to business (or to the PTA) as to war. (399 KB) Also available in HTML on War, Chaos, and Business. Now also in MS PowerPoint: 138 KB in native PPT and 88 KB as a PDF.

Strategic Game of ? and ? (June 1987) The heart of competitive strategy. A noted psychiatrist recently observed that the goal of Boyd's strategy is to inflict severe psychological trauma on the opposing commander prior to any actual engagement. This briefing tells how to do it. (573 KB) Now also in MS PowerPoint. 316 KB in native PPT and 111 KB as a PDF.

[Presentations of Patterns, Strategic Game, and Organic Design are available by Dr. Chet Richards, a colleague of the late Col John Boyd. Arrangements may be made through Tarkenton & Addams, Inc. – please contact Jeannine Addams, (404) 231-1132, jfaddams@taradd.com.]


Destruction and Creation (September 1976) Boyd's original paper on strategy, linking such diverse sources as Gödel's Incompleteness Theorem and the Second Law of Thermodynamics to the practice of strategy. (in HTML with links to Chuck Spinney's commentary "Evolutionary Epistimology" on War, Chaos, and Business).

The Essence of Winning and Losing (January 1996) Boyd's "Last Briefing" A 5-chart summary of the Discourse, including the final version of the "OODA loop." (in HTML on War, Chaos, and Business)

New Conception for Air-to-Air Combat (August 1976) Although predating and so not included in the Discourse, this briefing is an important way station on the road to the OODA loop. Here is where Boyd concluded that there was something missing in his own energy-maneuverability concept and ended with the observation that "He who can handle the quickest rate of change survives." This proved to be the observation that led Boyd from air-to-air combat towards a more general theory of competition.