Book Description
How to speed up business processes, improve quality, and cut costs in any industry
In factories around the world, Toyota consistently makes the highest-quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer, while using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory, and half the floor space of its competitors. The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.
Complete with profiles of organizations that have successfully adopted Toyota's principles, this book shows managers in every industry how to improve business processes by:
- Eliminating wasted time and resources
- Building quality into workplace systems
- Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology
- Producing in small quantities
- Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector
Customer Reviews:
Understanding the Concept.......2007-10-21
My employer has been implementing the Lean Concepts. I was a bit lost with alot of the terminology. Now that I have read most of the book, it has help me understand the terminology and I link it to the concept. I can't wait to finish reading it.
Great - Toyota Way Audio (CDs).......2007-10-18
We have purchased 22 Audio versions of the Toyota Way because our Employees love listening to these CDs.
Great classic.......2007-10-10
I am on my third reading of this book. It is a classic and greatly enjoyable as well as educational and informative. I think every manufacturing professional should read it. I also recommend the book Lean Six Sigma That Works: A Powerful Action Plan for Dramatically Improving Quality, Increasing Speed, And Reducing Waste
Excellent book on the Toyota Way and Lean Manufacturing!.......2007-09-07
Jeffrey Liker clearly knows what he writes about. The book is the result of more than a decade of study, on site visits and interviews with several Toyota key people. It describes 14 toyota principles, which go through the Toyota Philosophy, the Toyota Production System, the relationship with employeees, customers, suppliers and partners, and a focus on continuous improvement. No wonder Toyota is one of world top most admired companies!
Very interesting is also the Japanese management principles and mindset - slow but determined, patient, self-reflection, learning by actuall observation and doing, consensus seeking, and managing for the long term.
By coincidence, yesterday (6/Sep/2007) the news came up that Jim Press (American Toyota President)was hired by Chrysler - I can imagine why.
Good Book on Toyota and Lean.......2007-06-30
A good book on the Toyota Production System (TPS) and Lean manufacturing. Liker does a good job of explaining both. I especially liked his cautions about mis-using Lean principles and pitfalls to failure.
Like most business books, the important stuff could have been expressed in many fewer pages. Liker almost gushes about Toyota to the extent that it somethimes reads as a vanity or promotional publication by Toyota - this makes me wonder if it really presents a balanced perspective.
Overall, I recommend it to anyone interested in Toyota or Lean.
Amazon.com
IDEO, the world's leading design firm, is the brain trust that's behind some of the more brilliant innovations of the past 20 years--from the Apple mouse, the Polaroid i-Zone instant camera, and the Palm V to the "fat" toothbrush for kids and a self-sealing water bottle for dirt bikers. Not surprisingly, companies all over the world have long wondered what they could learn from IDEO, to come up with better ideas for their own products, services, and operations. In this terrific book from IDEO general manager Tom Kelley (brother of founder David Kelley), IDEO finally delivers--but thankfully not in the step-by-step, flow-chart-filled "process speak" of most how-you-can-do-what-we-do business books. Sure, there are some good bulleted lists to be found here--such as the secrets of successful brainstorming, the qualities of "hot teams," and, toward the end, 10 key ingredients for "How to Create Great Products and Services," including "One Click Is Better Than Two" (the simpler, the better) and "Goof Proof" (no bugs).
But The Art of Innovation really teaches indirectly (not to mention enlightens and entertains) by telling great stories--mainly, of how the best ideas for creating or improving products or processes come not from laboriously organized focus groups, but from keen observations of how regular people work and play on a daily basis. On nearly every page, we learn the backstories of some now-well-established consumer goods, from recent inventions like the Palm Pilot and the in-car beverage holder to things we nearly take for granted--like Ivory soap (created when a P&G worker went to lunch without turning off his soap mixer, and returned to discover his batch overwhipped into 99.44 percent buoyancy) and Kleenex, which transcended its original purpose as a cosmetics remover when people started using the soft paper to wipe and blow their noses. Best of all, Kelley opens wide the doors to IDEO's vibrant, sometimes wacky office environment, and takes us on a vivid tour of how staffers tackle a design challenge: they start not with their ideas of what a new product should offer, but with the existing gaps of need, convenience, and pleasure with which people live on a daily basis, and that IDEO should fill. (Hence, a one-piece children's fishing rod that spares fathers the embarrassment of not knowing how to teach their kids to fish, or Crest toothpaste tubes that don't "gunk up" at the mouth.)
Granted, some of their ideas--like the crucial process of "prototyping," or incorporating dummy drafts of the actual product into the planning, to work out bugs as you go--lend themselves more easily to the making of actual things than to the more common organizational challenge of streamlining services or operations. But, if this big book of bright ideas doesn't get you thinking of how to build a better mousetrap for everything from your whole business process to your personal filing system, you probably deserve to be stuck with the mousetrap you already have. --Timothy Murphy
Book Description
IDEO, the widely admired, award-winning design and development firm that brought the world the Apple mouse, Polaroid's I-Zone instant camera, the Palm V, and hundreds of other cutting-edge products and services, reveals its secrets for fostering a culture and process of continuous innovation.
There isn't a business in America that doesn't want to be more creative in its thinking, products, and processes. At many companies, being first with a concept and first to market are critical just to survive. In
The Art of Innovation, Tom Kelley, general manager of the Silicon Valley based design firm IDEO, takes readers behind the scenes of this wildly imaginative and energized company to reveal the strategies and secrets it uses to turn out hit after hit.
IDEO doesn't buy into the myth of the lone genius working away in isolation, waiting for great ideas to strike. Kelley believes everyone can be creative, and the goal at his firm is to tap into that wellspring of creativity in order to make innovation a way of life. How does it do that? IDEO fosters an atmosphere conducive to freely expressing ideas, breaking the rules, and freeing people to design their own work environments. IDEO's focus on teamwork generates countless breakthroughs, fueled by the constant give-and-take among people ready to share ideas and reap the benefits of the group process. IDEO has created an intense, quick-turnaround, brainstorm-and-build process dubbed "the Deep Dive."
In entertaining anecdotes, Kelley illustrates some of his firm's own successes (and joyful failures), as well as pioneering efforts at other leading companies. The book reveals how teams research and immerse themselves in every possible aspect of a new product or service, examining it from the perspective of clients, consumers, and other critical audiences.
Kelley takes the reader through the IDEO problem-solving method:
>Carefully observing the behavior or "anthropology" of the people who will be using a product or service
>Brainstorming with high-energy sessions focused on tangible results
>Quickly prototyping ideas and designs at every step of the way
>Cross-pollinating to find solutions from other fields
>Taking risks, and failing your way to success
>Building a "Greenhouse" for innovation
IDEO has won more awards in the last ten years than any other firm of its kind, and a full half-hour Nightline presentation of its creative process received one of the show's highest ratings.
The Art of Innovation will provide business leaders with the insights and tools they need to make their companies the leading-edge, top-rated stars of their industries.
Customer Reviews:
Kudos to Ideos.......2007-08-28
Excellent book with good insights. If you are in the business of innovation, this is one book that you shouldn't miss. I also recommend EIGHTSTORM: 8-Step Brainstorming for Innovative Managers.
Innovation for All.......2007-06-29
Through anecdotes, Kelley demonstrates how stumbling blocks to innovation can be overcome. He shows an appreciation for experimentation, momentum, and embraces failure as a true path to knowing. Failed prototypes are wonderful learning tools. Kelley's perspective keeps spirits high. He leaves much of the innovative process open ended - nearly encouraging innovation on innovating.
Interestingly, Kelley notes how medicine is becoming personalized and that the future can not be perfectly predicted. Still, he says we must aim at it. This was an important nugget of wisdom for me, a research coordinator at a think-tank-like public health research group, the Healthcare Innovation and Technology lab at Columbia University. On a daily basis we deal with innovation to improve healthcare and need to effectively innovate. Given that we tread a very specific territory - health and technology - and that Kelley's book could be so useful to us, it is obvious that he really has something to offer to everyone.
Innovation and creativity "how-to" guide.......2007-06-07
The Art of Innovation explains many of IDEO's creative techniques and in so doing paints a picture of the physical context in which all that creativity occurs, namely IDEO's office, your average geek's idea of paradise brimming with high-tech prototypes, foam cubes, "tech box" caddies with giant Post-Its and coloring pens ... and yes, it does look more like a playschool than Dilbertesque gray cubicle-land. Teamwork, friendship and a shared passion for helping clients innovate is clearly what binds people together and stimulates their creativity, while a supportive and forgiving management structure doesn't just tolerate weirdness, it actively encourages it. IDEO seems to have taken Tom Peters' advice "If you want to do weird, hire weird people" to the next level. In IDEO-land, "normal" people would probably stand out a mile.
Two creative techniques - brainstorming and prototyping - are particularly well described, in a way that encourages the reader to try something different. I've learnt some new tricks and even started applying them since reading the book.
El arte de innovar estilo IDEO.......2007-06-01
IDEO ha hecho de la innovación un arte, el cual es un proceso sistematizado, con pasos muy definidos, congruentes y faciles de llevar por las personas que conforman dentro sus empresas los equipos de innovacion y diseño.
Skip it and go right to 10 Faces.......2007-03-19
I recently read both this book and the Ten Faces of Innovation. My recomendation is to skip this book. It is written more like an advertisement for IDEO and was left feeling like Tom has crossed the line into arrogance. If you read it as a stand alone book there is a lot of useful information. However most of the concepts are covered in Ten Faces. If you have time read both books but if time is of the essence then jump right into the Ten Faces, you won't be disappointed.
Book Description
The eleventh edition of Strategic Management is a current, well-written strategic management book with the most up-to-date compilation of cases available. Designed in functional four-color, it offers a popular practitioner-oriented perspective, focuses on skill-building in all major areas of strategy formation, implementation, and evaluation, and weaves three very contemporary themes throughout each chapter–globalization, the natural environment, and e-commerce.
The author provides and overview of strategic management, as well as strategy formulation and implementation, strategy evaluation, strategic management case analysis, 46 Experiential Exercises and 43 cases including service company cases and manufacturing company cases.
For management professionals, small business owners and others involved in business.
Customer Reviews:
Good book.......2007-06-01
Easy reading, good explanations of basic concepts and up to date scenarios in real world.
Used at new price.......2005-10-01
I ordered the book new. It arrived with dented/chipped corners and a slightly torn spine on hardcover. I assumed it was new but slightly damaged from storage or shipping. Three weeks into the college term I am discovering highlighting already in the book. I feel ripped off.
not pleased at all........2005-09-01
I ordered the 7th edition as this page shows and incorrectly received the 5th edition. Problem was not corrected.
A good book, but not spectacular.......2003-09-01
This is a good, step-by-step book for strategic management.
It lays out the steps very well, but it could use a bit more information.
The financial ratios section could use more information, and the case studies are often unequal in the types of information that they carry. This makes it difficult to do competitor comparisons.
How do you rank a company's workers policy when only one case has information on it and the other does not? You cannot simply discount such information when it could be an important competitve factor.
Essentially, this is a good book for teaching you a process, but it could use some work on giving you more details.
Strategic Management: Concepts & Cases.......2002-03-20
It is a helpfull book, especially for anyone who deal with the strategy formulation. This book provide some valuable tools for analyzing the organization's environment, both external and internal, which is something special with this book that make it different with the other.
Book Description
Financial statements are the basis for a wide range of business analysis. Managers, securities analysts, bankers and consultants all use them to make business decisions. There is strong demand among business students for course materials that provide a framework for using financial statement data in a variety of business analysis and valuation contexts.
Customer Reviews:
Case study is worth reading..........2007-04-21
First part of this book is about reading financial statements. If you already know the statements, you don't need to read the first part. However, even if you can read the statements, the second part, case study, will be helpful to your real analysis.
good case study.......2006-04-30
I found the chapters are not very in detail. I was using it as the textbook and the lecture notes are way better. I read the book at the begginning but stopped in the middle as it doesn't really help. However, the end of chapter case studies are pretty good.
Useful if cumbersome.......2002-12-16
This review applies to the edition WITH CASES. This isn't recommended for anyone who is just starting out with choosing investments. Beginners might be better off with a more general overview of financial statement analysis (FSA) like Higgins' "Analysis of Financial Statements" or Fraser and Omriston's "Understanding Financial Statements".
This was one of two textbooks used in a financial statement analysis course I took for my MBA. Most chapters are down-to-earth and as a whole the book is well-written.
The other text we used was Penman's "Financial Statement Analysis and Security Valuation" which was also a great resource as far as gaining a basic understanding of the mechanics of financial statements and how to build a valuation model.
I contrast the two books because while Penman provides a run-down of several different models analysts can use (and does a good job of arguing for the Residual Income Model of valuation model as being the best), Palepu delves into the implications of companies' choices of accounting methods and provides more insight into what different kinds of businesses should look like in terms of their financial statements.
The cases at the end of each chapter add a lot of value to the text because they get students to focus on the specific issues detailed in each chapter. By picking apart different companies' financial statements we learned to use financial statements to assess the success or failure of companies' efforts to carry out their business strategies.
I rate it "Good - 4 stars"
Required Text.......2002-09-17
This is a required text at my school, but after having read the first 5 chapters there is almost nothing of value that I have read. I have spoken to several people that have used this text for the class in prior semesters and they told me that they had stopped reading it after the first several chapters also.
Excellent Capstone Book.......2000-10-12
This book is an excellent description of all the elements that would go into reviewing a potential investment opportunity. It is not a detailed book in one category, such as financial accounting, but it ties business strategy analysis, financial analysis, forecasting analysis, and valuation analysis together. Most other books focus on one area and don't tie all of these together well. This one takes you down the path to evaluating the opportunity to its fullest. It is an excellent capstone book after you have sifted through the details of strategy, finance, and accounting.
Book Description
Case Studies in Finance links managerial decisions to capital markets and the expectations of investors. At the core of almost all of the cases is a valuation task that requires students to look to financial markets for guidance in resolving the case problem. The focus on value helps managers understand the impact of the firm on the world around it. These cases also invite students to apply modern information technology to the analysis of managerial decisions.
Customer Reviews:
for advanced level classes.......2007-07-31
This is a great book. However if you want to get the most out of it
1. You need to already know corporate finance- intermediate to advanced level.
2. This book has only cases. Only if they are discussed in a classroom setting, you would be able to learn something.
The extent to which you would learn would depend upon how well the Professor conducts the discussion in the class. I had a great Prof. for this class so I really applied whatever I learn over 3 semesters of finance.
WARNING-These are only cases, almost NO content.......2004-03-18
I bought this book to read outside of a class hoping to read through some really good case studies in finance, and hopefully apply several semesters worth of finance classes to some real world examples. However after receiving the book I realized that these were only cases, not case studies, meant to be discussed in a class. There is almost no content, and college professors would actually be better off building their own cases from current business publications.
Good Finance book.......2004-01-28
The cases in this book will make one think more than other books in this area.
Bravo to Bruner!.......2003-02-10
Case Studies in Finance and its instructors manual are absolutely the BEST of their kind in all the years I've been teaching finance and strategy. Bravo to Bruner! I've never seen an instructor's manual so complete. The At-a-Glance section has been very helpful when structuring a course design. Case Studies in Finance and its supplements are being used by the finance faculty at ESADE Business School, in Spain, as a guide to restructure their first year core finance course in the Full-Time MBA programme.
Excellent, made the subject practical.......1999-02-22
The book was excelleant, but I never knew if the answers I provided were correct, is there no model answers on the case studies that one could check one's answers against. I am a final year MBA student in South Africa with no real previous Finance experience and this book really assisted me in gaining a practical understanding. Please let me know about model answers
Book Description
Companies expect managers to use financial data to allocate resources and run their departments. But many managers can’t read a balance sheet, wouldn’t recognize a liquidity ratio, and don’t know how to calculate return on investment. Worse, they don’t have any idea where the numbers come from or how reliable they really are.
In Financial Intelligence, Karen Berman and Joe Knight teach the basics of finance—but with a twist. Financial reporting, they argue, is as much art as science. Since nobody can quantify everything, accountants always rely on estimates, assumptions, and judgment calls. Savvy managers need to know how those sources of possible bias can affect the financials—and they need to know that sometimes the numbers can be challenged.
While providing the foundation for a deep understanding of the financial side of business, the book also arms managers with practical strategies for improving their companies’ performance—strategies such as “managing the balance sheet” that are well understood by financial professionals but rarely shared with their nonfinancial colleagues.
Accessible, jargon-free, and filled with entertaining stories of real companies, Financial Intelligence will help nonfinancial managers be smarter and more confident in their everyday work.
Customer Reviews:
Illuminating.......2007-10-10
This book helps to demystify corporate accounting and arms the reader with the ability to ask the right questions for growing a profitable business.
Excellent book ... for beginners only.......2007-06-10
If you have some understanding of finance - even basic - don't expect to learn anything out of this book. I was expecting much more than that given the target audience - "managers" - and the publisher. I doubt that in today's world, a manager wouldn't have some sort of understanding of finance. Nonetheless, the book is well written, explained and organized. I had my analyst read it as an introduction and he liked it a lot.
Clear, interesting, fun.......2007-03-30
I had to buy this book for a fiscal management class. It is probably one of the best management books that I've read. It is really clear. I don't really have a head for finance, but this book makes it simple and entertaining. There are lots of examples from real life. This is a great book if you want to know more about financial vocabulary and basics. Also might be a good brushup, though I was starting from scratch so I wouldn't know.
A good beginning..........2007-03-10
This is an overview of what to look for in balance sheet and income statement as a manager. However, better information resides with cost based accounting around activities(ABC/M). This book is an excellent read for simple information. Not bad for the price!
Fun with managerial accounting.......2007-01-09
I really enjoyed reading "Financial Intelligence" by Karen Berman and Joe Knight. The authors use a fairly casual tone (often humorous) to combine a semester's worth of managerial accounting with a healthy dose of private sector application. The book is a quick read and should be great as an introduction to managerial accounting or a refresher for anyone responsible for managing a P/L at any level.
Book Description
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement, bringing IBM back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again.Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of America's top companies -- McKinsey, American Express, RJR Nabisco -- Gerstner's insights into management and leadership are applicable to any business, at any level. Ranging from strategy to public relations, from finance to organization, Gerstner reveals the lessons of a lifetime running highly successful companies.
Download Description
"
Who Says Elephants Can't Dance? sums up Lou Gerstner's historic business achievement, bringing IBM back from the brink of insolvency to lead the computer business once again.Offering a unique case study drawn from decades of experience at some of America's top companies -- McKinsey, American Express, RJR Nabisco -- Gerstner's insights into management and leadership are applicable to any business, at any level. Ranging from strategy to public relations, from finance to organization, Gerstner reveals the lessons of a lifetime running highly successful companies. "
Customer Reviews:
Great leader.......2007-08-27
When I started the book, I have no idea about the history of IBM. I am not an IT person, so I have heard IBM but that is basically it.
I learned a lot from the book about IBM, what they did wrong and how he changed it.
But besides everything he revised the company culture and organizational structure. I think that is the hardest thing a CEO can achieve. His vision, his attention to details but still seeing the big picture amazed me. No wonder they picked him as the great saver of the IBM legend.
The book is long and sometimes repeats itself, without going into details.
The part I enjoyed the most was his e-mails. How encouraging was he after 9/11, he mentioned employee names and all the things they did both to help and also to get their business going. He sent e-mails to his 300.000 employees. His tone and the things he mentions, his clarity was amazing. He is an excellent leader. IBM is very lucky to have such a good CEO.
What Life at the Top is Really Like--As Told By a Superb Leader.......2007-08-16
Having spent twenty-three years in management before I became an entrepreneur, I recognize that moving from one side of the desk to the other side may be the longest journey a professional person ever makes. When we shift into a leadership spot, not only do we find that our prior perceptions might have been totally inaccurate, we have to address personal and professional challenges we would have never imagined.
I applaud this book as one man's record of what life at the top is really like. He won me over immediately when he decided to wear a blue shirt because everyone else was wearing white. Thoreau would have applauded his individualism.
With my current profession dedicated to improving individual and corporate communication, I agree with Gerstner's assertion that "No institutional transformation takes place, I believe, without a multi-year commitment by the CEO to put himself or herself constantly in front of employees and speak in plain, simple, compelling language that drives conviction and action throughout the organization."
Another striking bit of Gerstner wisdom: "Success in a company comes foremost from success with the customer, nothing else."
He's right on target again when he observes that "lack of focus is the most common cause of corporate mediocrity."
Yet Gerstner goes beyond mere platitudes: "Execution--getting the task done, making it happen--is the most unappreciated skill of an effective business leader."
Possibly two of Gerstner's words capsule his approach to awakening IBM to its possibilities: "constructive impatience."
In my judgment, Louis Gerstner should rank alongside Jack Welch as a take-no-prisoners leader. Read this book, and you will agree that he was the right man at the right time for IBM.The Complete Communicator: Change Your Communication-change Your Life!
Where Were the Details?.......2007-06-06
Throughout this book Gerstner discusses the changes IBM made and how he helped turned the company around. I have no doubt that he was a large part of the dynamic shift at IBM to again make it the successful, global company that it is today, but I felt that I went through the book without completely understanding what those changes were. There was a lot of discussion of how IBM was operated and managed when Gerstner took control of the company in 1993 as it was falling apart before the public's eyes, and there was a lot of explanation of how IBM was successful and reborn when he stepped down from the CEO position in 2002. But there was little substance in between. I am not sure if that is because the day-to-day steps taken throughout the mid and late 1990s are too mundane for the average business reader, of if the details were just left out. Gerstner does share some insight into leadership skills and his management style, but IBM as is left in the shadows. All in all, this is not a bad book, but be aware that the reader is left wondering exactly how IBM regained its dominant position in the marketplace.
A leader thru change.......2007-05-17
Mr. Gerstner provides his story of when he took over the reigns at IBM and brought the company back on its feet. This is a strict business book with internal memos and charts at the end so it can lend itself to being a bit boring in some parts. However, when the authir describes how he was able to navicate thru the huge complexity of all the different divisions, then this book becomes a valuable reference for any business leader who needs to go thru the same process.
smooth transaction, exact product, nice&easy supplier.......2007-05-14
exact product at an affordable price w a smooth transaction
Book Description
Barbarians at the Gate has been called one of the most influential business books of all time -- the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history. Bryan Burrough and John Helyar's gripping account of the frenzy that overtook Wall Street in October and November of 1988 is the story of deal makers and publicity flaks, of strategy meetings and society dinners, of boardrooms and bedrooms -- giving us not only a detailed look at how financial operations at the highest levels are conducted but also a richly textured social history of wealth at the twilight of the Reagan era.
Barbarians at the Gate -- a business narrative classic -- is must reading for everyone interested in the way today's world really works.
Download Description
With more than 500,000 copies sold, Barbarians at the Gate is the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history: the frenzy of strategy meetings and society dinners, of boardrooms and bedrooms -- giving us the view from the top of the financial ladder to the social history of wealth at the twilight of the Reagan era.
Over six months on the New York Times bestseller list, Barbarians at the Gate is the definitive account of the largest takeover in Wall Street history. Bryan Burrough and John Helyar's gripping record of the frenzy that overtook Wall Street in October and November of 1988 is the story of deal makers and pulicity flaks, of strategy meetings and society dinners, of boardrooms and bedrooms, giving us not only an unprecedentedly detailed look at how financial operations at the highest levels are conducted but also a richly textured social history of wealth at the twilight of the Reagan era. As compelling as a novel, Barbarians at the Gate is must reading for everyone interested in the way today's world really works.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2007-10-21
No one that works at financial markets can afford loosing this book. It's historical and wonderful. The audio book I bought was to listen on the way to work. It's perfect.
Stranger Than Fiction.......2007-09-22
A takeover story that reads like a Jeffrey Archer novel, Barbarians at the Gate is a meticulously detailed account of the takeover of RJR Nabisco by KKR in the late 80s. The authors were WSJ journalists who covered the story for the Journal and the book does a great job of communicating the tension and intrigue of those six weeks in 1988. The book does slack in pace at times but the story keeps you engaged. Recommended.
Barbarians at the Gate audio book.......2007-09-02
Great book. Great format. I listened to it on the plane. A must read business book - goes along with reading the art of war and the prince.
The business classic.......2007-08-20
Simply compulsive. If you have an interest in business and finance or people, greed and behaviour this is a must read. In many ways this story reflects a broadly held image of the 1980's and its culture of excess that was abound in our worlds financial capitals.
This is a gripping read; the story of the battle for RJR Nabisco and the characters involved contains many elements of the best fiction with the distinct difference of this story being true. Whilst the business finally conducted may not have been the finest work of the venerable KKR it was important mainly due to its Herculean scale which was at the time unprecedented.
This book is simply a must read on many levels. Since it was first published in 1990 it has gripped the imagination of many and has kindled an interest in business reaching far and wide.
The business book of business books.......2007-08-05
To say this book was expertly written, would be an understatement. The authors craft the perfect description of an LBO, with all the players, transactions, and affects on peples lives. How they were able to get inside as well as they did, is really beyond me. This is one for the ages and should be read in Business schools.
Amazon.com
What do you do if you're running the worst airline in the country,one that customers hate and that's been through Chapter 11 twice in the last 10 years? If you're lucky, you'll call Gordon Bethune. Before Bethune arrived, Continental had been ravaged by the likes of Frank Lorenzo and airline deregulation--it was considered the laughingstock of the airline industry in the United States. Under Bethune's leadership, Continental turned itself around to become one of the most respected and reliable airlines in the industry. From Worst to First describes how Bethune, with a lot of luck and the right combination of people, was able to transform Continental from an also-ran into an award-winning company. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
The numerous anecdotes alone are worth the price of the book . . . most readers will find themselves asking why everyone doesn't run a business as preached by the chief executive of Continental Airlines.-The Washington Post Book World
. . . in an age where managing seems increasingly complicated, some of Bethune's prescriptions are refreshingly straightforward.-Business Week
From Worst to First outlines Gordon Bethune's triumphs . . . about the turnaround he's led at Continental, a perennial basket case that's become an industry darling.-The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
From Worst to First is [Gordon Bethune's] story of Continental Airlines' turnaround under his command . . . The blueprint has worked . . . Fortune magazine named Continental the company that has 'raised its overall marks more than any other in the 1990s.'-The Seattle Post-Intelligencer
All of Gordon Bethune's proceeds from this book will be donated to the We Care Trust, a nonprofit organization that assists Continental Airlines' employees and their families in times of need.
Customer Reviews:
Top Notch.......2007-05-19
I had the pleasure of doing media relations for Continental in the early 2000s, including the years after 9/11. The Gordon Bethune in the book is the Gordon Bethune you meet in person: incredibly smart, driven, concerned about the people whose paychecks he signed, and satisfied with nothing less than the best. Great read. (I sound like a PR guy... But I mean it sincerely...)
Remarkable Turnaround.......2007-01-22
This is an enlightening book on how CEO Gordon Bethune, together with his team, engineered a remarkable turnaround of Continental Airlines in the mid-1990s and then steered Continental to be a very successful airline. With literary assistance from journalist Scott Huler, Continental Airlines Bethune describes how he transformed the near-bankrupt airline into one of the best companies in the industry. He outlined his four-part "Go Forward" plan for turning Continental airlines around, and offers critical advice to all business professionals. He uses numerous examples, as well as stories and anecdotes; to make his simple, yet profound points.T he challenges faced by Continental Airlines in 1994 are somewhat similar to those faced by many airlines worldwide in the past six years or so, when the industry was going through a rough patch. Many of these airlines need visionary and decisive leadership of Bethune's mould to turn the familiar red ink at the bottom line to black.
The book is well written in an easy to follow and understand manner which enables it to benefit anyone in any industry to gain insights into how to turnaround a loss making business with dysfunctional structures and demotivated people. I learnt a lot from the various examples provided which helped me to get his message across. I also enjoyed the various humorous stories which illustrates how badly Continental used to be mismanaged and how the situation was straightened out.
Although there was a fair amount of repetition which may annoy some people, I had no problem with it as it helped to reinforce the author's message. This book is absolutely invaluable for any manager or leader in any organization undergoing a turnaround process, regardless of size.
light on the details but interesting.......2006-12-18
Continental airlines was a major disaster in 1994. Gordon Bethune did a major turnaround of that company and unfortunately he does not tell us how he did it with the exception of cutting costs. He was so busy talking about how wonderful he was that he forgot to tell us how to turn the company around and not just the end results. It is still an interesting book for those who are interested in the airline industry but don't expect to get much out of it if you are looking for the story of continentals turnaround.
Great read for business people.......2005-12-16
I have been a loyal frequent flyer at Continental since the late 90's, and I have no idea the airlines was that terrible at the early 90's. As a frequent flyer, I admire Continental's plane is always cleaner than other airlines, and the flight attendant attitude is always friendly than others. After reading the book, I understand the reasons.
If you work at a company need to be turned around, this book is almost a top read. For management, there are some good ideas worth considering from reading this book.
This book can be condensed to 2/3. The last one third of the book is somewhat repeating what has been said at the beginning. Otherwise I will give it a 5 stars rating.
Great book, Even for Non-Aviation hobbiest~.......2005-12-12
This is a great book on how Continental emerged from bankruptcy twice. Bethunes punes run throughout the book which make for easy and enjoyable reading. Even for a college student such as myself.
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The Goal
