Amazon.com
In the revised and updated edition of Lean Thinking: Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, authors James P. Womack and Daniel T. Jones provide a thoughtful expansion upon their value-based business system based on the Toyota model. Along the way they update their action plan in light of new research and the increasing globalization of manufacturing, and they revisit some of their key case studies (most of which still derive, however, from the automotive, aerospace, and other manufacturing industries).
The core of the lean model remains the same in the new edition. All businesses must define the "value" that they produce as the product that best suits customer needs. The leaders must then identify and clarify the "value stream," the nexus of actions to bring the product through problems solving, information management, and physical transformation tasks. Next, "lean enterprise" lines up suppliers with this value stream. "Flow" traces the product across departments. "Pull" then activates the flow as the business re-orients towards the pull of the customer's needs. Finally, with the company reengineered towards its core value in a flow process, the business re-orients towards "perfection," rooting out all the remaining muda (Japanese for "waste") in the system.
Despite the authors' claims to "actionable principles for creating lasting value in any business during any business conditions," the lean model is not demonstrated with broad applications in the service or retail industries. But those manager's whose needs resonate with those described in the Lean Thinking case studies will find a host of practical guidelines for streamlining their processes and achieving manufacturing efficiencies. --Patrick O'Kelley
Book Description
Expanded, updated, and more relevant than ever, this bestselling business classic by two internationally renowned management analysts describes a business system for the twenty-first century that supersedes the mass production system of Ford, the financial control system of Sloan, and the strategic system of Welch and GE. It is based on the Toyota (lean) model, which combines operational excellence with value-based strategies to produce steady growth through a wide range of economic conditions.
In contrast with the crash-and-burn performance of companies trumpeted by business gurus in the 1990s, the firms profiled in Lean Thinking -- from tiny Lantech to midsized Wiremold to niche producer Porsche to gigantic Pratt & Whitney -- have kept on keeping on, largely unnoticed, along a steady upward path through the market turbulence and crushed dreams of the early twenty-first century. Meanwhile, the leader in lean thinking -- Toyota -- has set its sights on leadership of the global motor vehicle industry in this decade.
Instead of constantly reinventing business models, lean thinkers go back to basics by asking what the customer really perceives as value. (It's often not at all what existing organizations and assets would suggest.) The next step is to line up value-creating activities for a specific product along a value stream while eliminating activities (usually the majority) that don't add value. Then the lean thinker creates a flow condition in which the design and the product advance smoothly and rapidly at the pull of the customer (rather than the push of the producer). Finally, as flow and pull are implemented, the lean thinker speeds up the cycle of improvement in pursuit of perfection. The first part of this book describes each of these concepts and makes them come alive with striking examples.
Lean Thinking clearly demonstrates that these simple ideas can breathe new life into any company in any industry in any country. But most managers need guidance on how to make the lean leap in their firm. Part II provides a step-by-step action plan, based on in-depth studies of more than fifty lean companies in a wide range of industries across the world.
Even those readers who believe they have embraced lean thinking will discover in Part III that another dramatic leap is possible by creating an extended lean enterprise for each of their product families that tightly links value-creating activities from raw materials to customer.
In Part IV, an epilogue to the original edition, the story of lean thinking is brought up-to-date with an enhanced action plan based on the experiences of a range of lean firms since the original publication of Lean Thinking.
Lean Thinking does not provide a new management "program" for the one-minute manager. Instead, it offers a new method of thinking, of being, and, above all, of doing for the serious long-term manager -- a method that is changing the world.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting book but very dull........2007-08-27
I found this book to be interesting, but I hard trouble finishing it because the writing was so boring. Despite the dullness the book did get me thinking of product in a different way.
Womack and Jones, very engaging........2007-08-26
Lean Thinking- A very well written account of a long study of the theory of customer driven value thinking. The elimination of waste in accomplishing customer driven trade is the main goal of this theory. The book has been tuned over a series of revisions, so it is well polished. While I am no expert on the topic, I can at least attest to the fact that the volume is well written and referenced. Their views are spread over a period of many years, giving them the benefit of tracking case study performance over the long term. Companies both large and small have been studied and tracked to determine the benefits of these theories.
Worth Every Penny.......2007-07-30
A most readable book on an important subject of productivity. The comment on outsourcing is insightful and the emphasis on human element is so crucial. Productivity is not all about bigger and better machines but about management and employee been willing to take risks to think out of a box. Mr. Womack has made a significant contribution to the on-going dicussion of productivity in a globalized world.
My husband loved it.......2007-04-10
My husband loved this book so much that this was actually purchased as a gift for another man in his office.
Excellent Book with Detailed Lean Conversion Techniques .......2007-02-01
This book provides many case studies of companies outside of the auto industry that converted to lean production. It details the personnel changes they had to make, changes in factory layout, differences in the supply chain and much more. Where "The Machine that Changed the World" was a primer to lean production, "Lean Thinking" is more of a how-to book. Together, they make a great pair and provide a fairly in-depth view of the subject. As in, "The Machine that Changed the World", there is plenty of hard data to back up the claims that these companies improved after switching to lean thinking.
I am a college student majoring in mechanical engineering and read this book and "The Machine that Changed the World" to get a broad understanding of lean production. The two books did just that and even gave me many ideas on how to convert a student organization I am involved with (SAE) to more of a lean organization. As much as possible anyway.
Book Description
"The one and only reason to go lean is to make more money", says Bill Carreira. Lean Manufacturing That Works is the first book to bring all the principles of lean manufacturing to where they're needed most: the shop floor and the people supervising daily operations. Engagingly written and easy to put to work, the book features essential tools that can help streamline operations in any manufacturing environment.Section 1 presents a thorough overview of lean, with discussions of: cost and cash flow; velocity and lead time; what waste is and how it affects both profit and customer satisfaction; how to quantify opportunities to become more profitable; and how to use lean manufacturing to both complement and implement business strategy.Section 2 gives step-by-step, dollar-by-dollar guidance on creating a lean process at virtually any manufacturing company, from laying out processes to transitioning and training employees. There is also valuable insight on establishing metrics and ensuring continuous improvement. Gaining specific, practical knowledge with every page, the reader will move effortlessly through the book and return to the shop floor with a workable plan for cutting waste and boosting profits.
Customer Reviews:
Practical.......2007-08-23
Bought for all my students / consultants. Very practical and easy to read - they like it and complements Kepner Tregoe's Lean course
Excellent Book.......2007-03-07
I read many reviews of many different books before deciding to purchase this one. This was really the first book I've read regarding Lean Manufacturing. My background is in computers and electrical engineering so a lot of manufacturing terminology was new to me. If you are a newbie to Lean Manufacturing this seems like a pretty good place to start. Actually, before you read this you should consider reading "The Goal" by Eli Goldratt (which seems to be an industry standard in manufaturing).
For what seems like a pretty dry topic the author did an excellent job keeping it interesting.
Taught me a few things.......2007-02-19
Now I have a few things to say when a job interviewer asks what do I know about Lean Manufacturing. I have been out of Mfg. for seven years and I needed to brush up on things. Read other reviews for more in depth data.
excellent information, well written.......2007-01-26
helpful, informative, to the point
i highly recommend this book
In-Depth Look at Lean Value Stream Mapping.......2007-01-04
Mr Carreira discusses Lean and particularly Value Stream Mapping in down to earth how to manner. He gives details and examples that should help everyone in implementing Lean into their organization.
He does an excellent job at showing how 5S and SMED fits within a lean implementation.
If there exists a weakness in this book it may be that very little is discussed on the order entry and finish product packaging and shipping in Value Stream creation.
In general, if you are just beginning to consider Lean or if you have begun lean or have implemented portions of lean and want a great guide in doing it better, this is the book to buy.
Book Description
Although office and administrative activities are usually 60% of the production costs in most manufacturing organizations, these areas often get excluded during Lean initiatives. To achieve Lean, office activities must fully support shop floor manufacturing operations to eliminate waste. The adoption of 5S throughout all office and administrative functions is the first step to increase efficiency.
In 5S for the Office: Organizing the Workplace to Eliminate Waste, Tom Fabrizio and Don Tapping bring the concepts of the 5S System -- effective tools for the elimination of waste on the shop floor -- into the office environment. The activities at the heart of 5S for the Office (organizing, ordering, cleaning, standardizing, and sustaining all of these) are completely logical. They are the basic rules for managing any effective workplace. However, it is the systematic method with which the 5S system approaches these activities that makes it unique.
This book is a blueprint for building a Lean foundation for your office, and:
Provides detailed step-by-step implementation on how to apply 5S to your office activities. Includes forms, worksheets, and photos that will allow you to "see" the value of 5S, thereby increasing sustained support of the implementation. The accompanying CD contains blank versions of many of the worksheets that appear throughout the book. The worksheets on the CD, however, are interactive - the user can electronically enter and save information right on the particular form. Can be used as a training and implementation manual.
Readers of this book can immediately apply the concepts of 5S to their office and administrative activities, resulting in the elimination of waste, reduced production costs, and increased profits.
Customer Reviews:
It proofs how Kaizen goes into office.......2007-07-03
Being a staff working for a Kaizen Company Toyota, Kaizen was so clear to me, yet through this book I have learned how The 5S can be implemented at administrative jobs Lean Office Demystified
Customer Reviews:
Very Small.......2007-07-08
Some useful hints there are much better lean books out there. This book will fit in your back pocket which was surprising to me. All in all not reccommended.
Lean Lean.......2006-03-20
A great tip and synopsis pocket book covering the tools and techniques for lean enterprise
Book Description
Why pay for waste? Building a Project-Driven Enterprise describes breakthrough methods for eliminating non-value-added waste from any project. Whether your team's objective is to implement a new software application, build a skyscraper, or develop a new product line, the powerful techniques of Lean Project Management and Lean Product Development will pay enormous dividends. These practical, common sense work methods are presented in a style that is light and to-the-point. The goal is to enable you to apply these methods the very next day to begin saving time and boosting profits. Loaded with tips, real-world examples, templates, and illustrations, this book will be your most valuable asset in achieving project efficiency and excellence.
Customer Reviews:
Too bad about the title.......2007-06-08
Lean is one of the current buzzwords in the software literature. Ron's book preceded the buzz and really hasn't received the recognition it deserves. I am particularly impressed that he includes the notion that too little information or process can be as wasteful as too much. This is stark contrast to other authors on lean software development that imply lean applies only to agile development. Ron's book point out that lean is really a set of principles that can be applied to any situation.
The only problem with the book is the PMI focused title has kept it out of the mainstream--it would've probably been a best seller if it was just named "Lean Project Management."
Add another tool to your toolbelt!.......2002-11-18
This book describes how every task and activity within a project should create value. After a few chapters of theory and laying a foundation, the author describes twelve "Lean Methods". Each is reviewed in detail and then summarized in a one-page "Method at a Glance." Each "at a Glance" is broken into six sections: Overview, Waste-Slashing Benefit, When to Apply, Who Can Use It and Typical Implementation Profile. Photocopy these twelve pages when you finish the book to always remind yourself about "keeping lean."
After reading Building a Project-Driven Enterprise and learning about Lean Project Management, you will have another tool in your tool belt. Use it as you would other tools, such as the theory of constraints, Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, Balance Scorecard, or the Project Management Book of Knowledge. There is much to use here while not being burdened with monotone, textbook dribble.
The book is easy and yes, fun to read. It is peppered with case studies, anecdotes, and stories, well written in a light, conversational tone. The author asks you questions throughout to make you think and form your own answers prior to reading his approach. I believe anyone in business will find value in this book, but project managers will relate closely with the waste-slashing ideas.
A Prescription for Projects.......2002-10-31
Author Ronald Mascitelli has done an excellent job of explaining complex project management concepts in a language familiar to professionals versed in manufacturing concepts and techniques. Mascitelli's writing style is conversational and clear. He holds the reader's attention by sprinkling the book with intriqauing and seemingly spontaneous asides that might spring from one of his seminars or training classes. If you and your organization implement just one or two of the twelve lean methods Mascitelli outlines, you will be well on your way to substantial productivity increases.
Achieve both efficiency and high standards of excellence.......2002-05-07
Building A Project-Driven Enterprise: How to Slash Waste and Boost Profits Through Lean Project Management by project management expert and Certified Management Consultant Ronald Mascitelli is a no-nonsense, go-getter book offering straightforward, "user friendly" advice on how to best minimize costs and maximize performance in project management. From twelve different ways to simplify and improve decision-making processes to step-by-step methodology for reducing wasted effort, Building a Project-Driven Enterprise paints a broad canvas of useful and thought-provoking ways to succeed in today's driven business world. Enhanced with extensive Notes, References, and an Index, Building A Project-Driven Enterprise is highly recommended reading for anyone wanting to achieve both efficiency and high standards of excellence in their particular entrepreneurial or corporate project.
Practical Advice from a New Perspective.......2002-03-31
There have been only three real breakthroughs in project management in the past 7000 years: earned value, critical chain, and lean methods. This book provides the reader with a practical methodology to apply the concepts of Lean Thinking to real project and product development work situations.
Book Description
Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing: Straight Talk from a Plant Manager : John W. Davis details a new and proven system called Waste-Free Manufacturing (WFM) that rapidly deploys the lean process. Manufacturing in the United States is currently undergoing a major transition, yet large numbers of manufacturers simply do not recognize what it is all about. Many still operate under out dated manufacturing practices and do not see that the enemy is not the competition, but rather their own system of production. Batch, or mass, manufacturing is still the preferred system of production for most U.S.-based industry. But to survive, let alone become globally competitive, companies will have to put aside their old mass manufacturing paradigms and completely change their entire production system.
WFM will give you step-by-step directions to making rapid, lasting changes. Davis has created 4 new drivers of WFM and has linked them so you know what order to do them in and when it is time to move to the next driver. He covers nearly every aspect of the lean revolution and provides essential tools and techniques you will need to implement WFM. He also addresses the critical management issues that will arise in any plant that is striving to be world class.
Drawing from more than 30 years of manufacturing experience, John Davis gives you tools and techniques for eliminating anything that cannot be clearly established as value added. WFM is not a theory. It is a proven process, and one the author has successfully implemented. He shares with you from his own experiences in guiding manufacturers through this process. Davis fully details the journey of a factory that moved from mass to waste-free manufacturing in a matter of 24 months. This factory was nationally recognized by wall street analysts as an effective manufacturing model. You get to sit in on their meetings and learn from their triumphs and failures.
So hold on to your hat, because you are about to learn how to do what most in the field of world class manufacturing tell you isnt possibleto rapidly deploy WFM and change the system of production. Filled with checklists, an ongoing case study, and, most important, strategies that will work, Fast Track to Waste-Free Manufacturing: Straight Talk from a Plant Manager will provide you with the principles and methodology for WFM and a road map for its implementation. All you need is the will, the focus, and a sense of urgency about the future of U.S. manufacturing. If you are a plant manager, foreman, supervisor, or executive who wants to quickly transform your factory into a world class manufacturer, Mr. Davis WFM methodology is must reading.
Customer Reviews:
Not impressed.......2005-10-19
I expected this to be written in a practical, bare-knuckels style similar to "The Goal". There are a few narrative pages like this scattered about the book (which are the highlight in my opinion), but less than 10% of the book is devoted to these pages. The bulk of the book is a clutter of every hackneyed acronym manufacturing consultants have used over the last couple of decades: Takt time, Toyota Production System (TPS), one piece flow, Workplace organization, U-flow, Error-free processing, JIT, Pull manufacturing, kanban, kaizen, SMED, contiunous improvement, lean manufacturing, 5S, you name the buzzword - its in there. The author seems to revel in this verbal masturbation. The book basically glosses over these flavor-of-the-month manufacturing concepts (assuming a level of knowledge of each) and compares them to each other. There is very little explanation of how to implement them, or how they were implemented in any of the companies the author says he worked for. There is a refreshing honesty that some of these concepts are useless (which you already know if manufacturing is your field) The book 'feels' very much like the work of a consultant and NOT a plant manager.
I found almost nothing useful that I could apply to the small company where I work.
The Single Best Book on Lean Implementation.......2002-05-01
John Davis takes a simple step-by-step approach in describing the transformation of a plant from a typical troubled operation to a lean operation. Davis focuses on basics and "how-to", not buzz words and jargon. Davis provides a framework that can be used by any plant manager who is trying to implement lean manufacturing concepts in a 'traditional' manufacturing setting. This can be used in high volume opertaions but is especially useful in low volume or job shop manufacturing, where the Toyota model with its manic focus on tact time is not always applicable. Davis focuses on workplace organization (using a 6C model which is an adaptation of the familiar 5S concept) as the basis of any lean transformation. This perspective alone is worth the price of the book because many lean efforts fail due to lack of fundamental workplace organization. If you are a plant manager or GM tasked with turning around a low performing operation, or you simply want a primer on Lean, this is the one to buy.
Superb! Excellently written!! Great learning tool !!.......1999-05-24
Having worked as a facilitator, manager, and consultant transitioning fortune 500 manufacturing companies from batch to lean manufacturing operations since 1991, my hat is off to Mr. John Davis on his superb book "Fast Track to Waste Free Manufacturing." In my travels and teachings I have been exposed to hundreds of teachers, managers, and authors who profess to be experts in the tools, techniques, and principles of the Toyota Production System and lean organizational skills. However, few if any, have the true experience of being in a position responsible for the success of failure of its implementation. Having had the privilege of working with Mr. Davis in the early 90's as he developed his expertise in waste free manufacturing, I can attest that in this book, Mr. Davis does what he always did best. "He walks the talk." In this book, he takes you on a journey of successful implementation of waste free manufacturing and profitability. This is a must read for managers and associates who understand and belief in the tools, principles, and techniques of a waste free manufacturing organiztion and want to learn how to do it. In this book, Mr. Davis demonstrates the importance of focus, commitment, communications, and leadership in transforming a batch organization to a waste free, profitable organization. "For when a true leader has successfully completed his task....They will say we did it ourselves.
Excellent! Best In Class!!.......1999-04-28
I've been researching and reviewing dozens of books on Suzaki, Womack and Jones, Liker, Hamel and Prahalad, Treacy and Wiersema, Womack, Jones and Roos, Schonberger, Imai,Shingo,Monden, et. al. This book is the first one I've found that provides both rationale for change and, most importantly, step by guidance on "how to" implement the necessary changes. Written in a style that is at times reminiscent of "The Goal", Mr. Davis offers suggestions, recommendations,and guidelines in an easily readable 264 pages that contain no unnecessary jargon, disconcerting statistics, nor is it part of a doctoral thesis meant to impress the academic community. One gets the feeling from reading this book that Mr. Davis has actually "been there"; that he has worked in a career in manufacturing and is truly speaking from experience. Take my word for it; if you want to read one book or recommend one book to your subordinates on the subject, this is the one! I am pleased to write this review and would be willing to communicate with anyone regarding my impressions
Book Description
The most contaminated nuclear plant in the country, Rocky Flats was an environmental disaster and the site of rampant worker unrest. Although it was estimated that it would take 70 years and $36 billion to clean up and close the facility, something stunning happened. Now on its way to becoming a wildlife refuge, the project is running 60 years ahead of schedule and $30 billion under budget. In Making the Impossible Possible, Kim Cameron explains how this remarkable performance was achieved — and how it can be replicated. Using numerous first-hand accounts and public records, Cameron draws a number of leadership guidelines that can be applied to any business. This fascinating and thoroughly researched case study concludes by revealing the ten leadership principles responsible for the Rocky Flats turnaround — and in doing so, provides a means for other organizations to harness the lessons of this astonishing success.
Customer Reviews:
A terrific book. How to succeed from Abundance rather than trapping yourself in error avoidance.......2007-01-20
This is an exceptional and, I think, an important book. The authors are trying to get at the things that enable the kind of exceptional performance that we all say we want and that some of us have been fortunate to experience at some point in our careers, if only briefly. We all know the kind of things that go into exceptional performance in sports whether for individual performance or as one of those "great" teams. While visualization was a revolutionary idea decades ago, nowadays we all know that athletes work with "pretty pictures". They focus on mental images of what they want to do rather than focusing on the mistakes they might make. It is the positive imagery that frees them to do the exceptional things they do and reach greater success than even similarly talented people who tie themselves in knots trying to avoid failure.
This book uses the fabulous performance and success of cleaning up the Rocky Flats plutonium processing facilities as a real life example of Positive Deviance - of performing from Abundance rather than trying to manage performance by monitoring mistakes and poor performance. With the end of the Cold War and changes in America's nuclear program, several facilities that had been deemed vital (despite the intense environmental issues surrounding the processing of radioactive materials and building them into weapons) were now closed and had to be cleaned up. The original projections for Rocky Flats planned for 70 years and $36 billion.
Instead, the team at Rocky Flats went through an internal process that took hold of Abundance and Positive Deviance. They dismantled the 800 buildings and cleaned the site in 10 years and for $6 billion. No other DOE facility cleanup has approached this performance.
In telling this story the authors did several things right. First, they give us an overview of what the issues are - so you can begin to develop your own questions and challenges to the incredible story they are tell us. They then give us an overview of what Positive Organizational Scholarship and Abundance are about and what the literature shows us. And in telling the story of Rock Flats they use the words of the participants. This adds a great deal to the richness and depth of perspective into the way work happened and how it changed over time.
Another way the authors help us understand the complex story of Rocky Flats is using the Competing Values model that was developed by Cameron and Quinn. It provides a means for analyzing the various cultural styles in the work place and how the level of success shown in Rocky Flats requires a paradoxical style. That is, it requires creativity and a free enough structure to innovate while at the same time requiring careful monitoring and measurement. There are many paradoxes that have to be managed in something as large and as complex as this cleanup.
Along the way they raise several alternative views that could explain away the success of this mammoth project. With careful examination, it becomes very hard to give them much weight. Other views are also presented in Appendix 1. That the authors are so open about other possibilities for the success or that it is all an illusion I think strengthens their case.
For me, the biggest reward came in chapter 9 when everything discussed previously is brought together in a very practical way. The reader is given a very practical explanation of the principles learned from this project and how to apply them in one's own work.
So, do yourself a favor and open your mind to approaching work from the Abundance model rather than trying to find success by avoiding mistakes. It is not only a more successful way to work, it is a lot more fun and better for everyone around you.
good strategic structure and a cool story to back it up.......2007-01-06
this is a good book in that it provides a management model for consideration, explains it thoroughly, and then applies that model directly to a very interesting and challenging business situation. The idea that abundance - or driving for the ultimate activity - is doable is a new approach, and one that flies in the face of the "stretch goal" failure currently in management thinking. this books takes "beyond" and gives it texture - and real examples
Book Description
A myth-shattering book that explains why energy is not scarce, why the price of energy doesn't matter very much, and why "waste" of energy is both necessary and desirable.
The sheer volume of talk about energy, energy prices, and energy policy on both sides of the political aisle suggests that we must know something about these subjects. But according to Peter W. Huber and Mark P. Mills, the things we think we know are mostly myths. In The Bottomless Well, Huber and Mills show how a better understanding of energy will radically change our views and policies on a number of very controversial issues.
Writing in take-no-prisoners, urgently compelling prose, Huber and Mills explain why demand for energy will never go down, why most of what we think of as "energy waste" actually benefits us; why more efficient cars, engines, and bulbs will never lower demand, and why energy supply is infinite. In the automotive sector, gas prices matter less and less, and hybrid engines will most likely lead us to cars propelled by the coal-fired grid. As for the much-maligned power grid itself, it's the worst system we could have except for all the proposed alternatives. Expanding energy supplies mean higher productivity, more jobs, and a growing GDP. Across the board, energy isn't the problem, energy is the solution.
Customer Reviews:
Raises the bar for fallacious logic.......2007-09-23
Hmmm... If you wish it and you dream it, then it will come true. Well, that's a philosophy for some. Others prefer a well-reasoned argument - you won't find it here.
Counterpoint.......2007-08-20
It is so hard to find material that is built from technical and/or economic logic. This book has foundations are solid and therefore the author's arguments make complete sense. We will not run out of oil and Huber explains why that is the case.
Needs to be Said.......2007-06-15
No reviewer can say that this is a perfect book, perfectly organized, etc. HOWEVER, what the authors have to say must be said. And what they say must be understood, and quickly.
They do a great job in this book of blowing away all the myths and sloganeering associated with power and energy. The whole face of power and how it is used in the world is changing. Policy makers in Washington, DC, have fallen completely behind, and our nation will fall by the wayside, too, if we do not understand the concepts described in this book.
The book is well-written, but tends to repeat itself. This is acceptable to me as a reader, because I understand that the authors are trying to make several points very clear and have to pound them in over and over. Some readers may find that irritating.
This book helped me to remember something I learned in school, but had lost touch with: there is a Second Law of Thermodynamics, and we ignore it at our peril.
If we, or any society, decides to pass on some important source of power, don't worry, someone else will come along and use it instead. Huber has said this over and over: if someone "conserves energy", such as using less gasoline, someone else will be happy to take that energy for themselves. For instance, if the United States decides to not use certain energy sources for environmental reasons, the Chinese have no problem using that source for their economy. Poverty and "clean-ness" go hand in hand. If one person voluntarily wishes to live in poverty, by all means go ahead. However, every other human on the planet will gladly get out of poverty.
Controversial view, but convincing.......2007-06-12
If you have read many "Peak Oil" books, you will be used to reading a lot of doom and gloom. You will not find that in the Bottomless Well. Instead, Huber and Mills treat peak oil as just the latest chapter in an ongoing energy saga. A chapter or two may describe a little turmoil, but we will keep going toward a happy ending.
Initially, I was skeptical of that rather rosy view. Of course our oil is running out. We are burning it millions of times faster than the earth can create it. How can the oil well be bottomless?
The answer is that there is a bottom to oil wells, but not to energy. As Huber and Mills point out, the problem of energy now is not so much the fuel we use to generate energy, but how we refine that energy.
I will not try to summarize the key arguments in the Bottomless Well. I could not do them justice. Let me just say that this book impressed me with both the arguments made here, and the facts that are assembled to support the argument. From James Watt to Sadi Carnot to Henry Ford, you will hear how each of these people have contributed to our understanding of our energy problem, and how to solve it.
There's nothing simplistic or superficial about this book. Whether you agree that we will never run out of energy or not, reading The Bottomless Well will be valuable both for the arguments and the information it contains.
And the writing is tight and easy to grasp. The book reads almost like a good novel. (Of course, for some that might not be what they want from a book like this. Some probably prefer something heavier and dense.) Unless you feel the need to read only the doom and gloom side of the "Peak Oil" debate, you can't miss with The Bottomless Well.
A pseudo-intellectual look at energy, but it's tragically flawed.......2007-03-16
The "Bottomless Well" seemed to be an intriguing approach to tackling the problem of our potential to run out of "energy" by simply negating that it's a problem. I went for it, and wish I could get my time and money back. There are all sorts of graphs and charts that at first glance appear as if this book is a well-researched, believable source of information. It explains that that we can extract low-grade energy from the earth (ie coal and oil), refine it, and put it into a highly-ordered form where we can use it in our cars, computers, and (their favorite example)...laser beams. Of course, it takes energy to extract and refine energy, so the subtitle of their book is counter-intuitive at first glance. In fact, I feel that they did a very poor job of expaining why we will never run out of energy. In actuality, I could argue that they did a good job of explaining exactly the opposite, especially if you consider one of the most important elements that was conveniently missing from their analysis and graphs, and only mentioned in passing. That factor is increasing demand due to human population growth.
If you look at the charts in the book that deal with increased energy demand, increased efficiencies, increased order, etc. and factor in population growth, much of their point is completely negated. The population of humanity on the planet continues to grow, and with it, grows demand for food, oxygen, electricity, and many other necessities and pleasures. Even if we grow food more efficiently and transmit electricity more efficiently, the fact is that the demand will continue to grow as the population increases, and there are some limiting factors that just shouldn't be ignored. However, they are in this book. If you want to be blind to that, go ahead and read it. I'm off to read something that might be more realistic....maybe even find out how I can help further sustainability instead of close my eyes like the Bush administration did regarding global warming and hope the problem goes away.
Book Description
SHORTCUTS FOR SMART MANAGERS Checklists, Worksheets, and Action Plans for Managers with No Time to Waste
Maria has to present her first budget in less than a month, but she works from 8 to 6 as it is. Pat has to conduct a performance appraisal...of a very difficult employee. Don has to put together a 'quality' report for his area (something he has not done in years). Where can they all turn? For managers who out of time, out of information, or just out of patience, Shortcuts for Smart Managers provides solutions and preventive cures for many typical challenges. This concise managerial toolbox contains just the essential, how-to information, including checklists, worksheets, and action plans for 30 key issues managers face. These interactive, capsulized chapters help time-pressed managers with subjects like:
* coaching * conference planning * decision making * meetings * goal setting * communication * project planning * the Internet * negotiation * presentations * marketing * public relations * strategic planning * teams * training * crisis management * delegating * and more! LISA DAVIS (Wallsend, U.K.) is an international management consultant, training designer, and training materials developer. Her clients include Bristol-Myers Squib, BMW, Ford, and Mitsubishi.
Customer Reviews:
Handy punch lists to focus your thinking........1999-04-17
Shortcuts for Smart Managers presents checklists and fill-in-the-blank forms for just about every imaginable task a manager would want to accoplish, from a marketing plan to a prep sheet for negotiation. They help you focus on the critical points and cut to the chase. I bought it for the prep sheet on how to deal with difficult people! I like to be prepared, but don't think I have time--- these shortcuts really appeal to me.
Book Description
In Identifying Waste on the Shopfloor, the Productivity Development Team has created an excellent guide to quickly understanding, identifying, and eliminating shop floor waste. From inventory waste to process-related waste, Identifying Waste on the Shopfloor covers every type of waste generating event, policy, and mindset. The book then gives you tools to effectively eliminate them from your manufacturing processes.
Like all Shopfloor Series books, Identifying Waste on the Shopfloor presents concepts and tools in simple and accessible language. The book includes many illustrations and examples to explain basic concepts and some of the challenges that are encountered when looking for and eliminating waste.
Identifying Waste on the Shopfloor is the ideal compliment to 5S, TPM, and other tools for building a lean manufacturing operation.
Productivity's Shopfloor Series books offer a simple, cost-effective approach for building basic knowledge about key manufacturing improvement topics. Identifying Waste on the Shopfloor and all our Shopfloor Series books include innovative instructional features that are the signature of the Shopfloor Series. The goal: to place powerful and proven improvement tools in the hands of your entire workforce.
Key learning features include:
· Well-organized, and easy-to-assimilate learning
· Chapter overviews and summaries
· Questions throughout each chapter to help you apply the learning to your own workplace
· Drawings and illustrations
· Margin icons that flag definitions, main points, and other highlights
2003, ISBN 1-56327-287-3, 128 pages
Customer Reviews:
lean manufacturing.......2007-09-23
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Books Index
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General
| Popular Economics
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
The Toyota Way
The Machine That Changed the World : The Story of Lean Production
Lean Solutions: How Companies and Customers Can Create Value and Wealth Together
The Goal
Learning to See Version 1.3
