Wheatley's book, at a relatively short 200 pages, does this about as succinctly as can be done for a profoundly complex topic. Wheatley seeks to show us that the old Newtonian efforts to explain the workings of the universe were doomed to failure. In contrast, quantum physics is revealing the universe to be far more complex than a simple collection of physical parts that interact according to predictable laws. Things change form continually, from particles to waves to energy and back again. Fields of magnetism, of gravity, and of other forces create complex interplay.
Orderly systems respond to new stresses by dissolving and reforming in new patterns.
This constant fluidity of motion makes any attempt at identifying fixed structure completely unrealistic. Wheatley has devoted years of study to the new science, not because quantum physics is her field of choice, but because its new insights into the workings of the universe are critically significant to the field of organizational development, which is her field of choice. Much as the new science has revealed that the machine model cannot illustrate the true nature of the universe, Wheatley shows that the old model of organization does not truly illuminate what goes on when people come together in business organizations. Relying on the machine model, many who have sought to improve the effectiveness of a business have focused on altering the physical structure of the organization. This has led to the failure of many of our organizational change efforts.