By highlighting diverse sources that shaped Boyd's thinking, and by offering a comprehensive overview of his work, this volume demonstrates that the common interpretation of the meaning of Boyd's OODA loop concept is incomplete.

1. Introduction Introducing 'A Discourse'. 'A Towering Figure'. 'Deeply Flawed'. Aim and Argument. A Note on Strategy. A Note on Strategic Theory. The Formative Factors of Strategic Theory. Organization of this Study. 2. The Seeds of a Theory and the Fertile Soil The Seed of a Theory. Boyd's Military Life. Reading History. Fertile Soil: The US Military After Vietnam Experience, Curiosity and Challenges 3. Science: Boyd's Fountain Boyd and Science. Shifting Foundations. Paradigm Shift. The Emerging Systems View of the World Systems Everywhere. Boyd and the First Stage of the Paradigm Shift. Conclusion 4. Completing the Shift Riding the Wave. Beyond Open and Chaotic Systems: Complexity Theory. The Postmodern Turn. Chaos Everywhere. A Discourse and the Scientific Zeitgeist. Concluding Words 5. Core Arguments A Discourse in Prose. Boyd's 'Abstract' of A Discourse. Destruction and Creation. Patterns of Conflict. Concluding Words. 6. Exploration and Refinement Introduction. Organic Design for Command and Control. The Strategic Game of ? and ? Revelation. The Conceptual Spiral. The Essence of Winning and Losing 7. Completing the Loop Beyond the Rapid OODA Idea. The Continuing Relevance of a Discourse. Analysis/Synthesis