The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement

Rating:
Summary: one of the greatest business books ever!
Review: This is an easy to read business novel. No dry theory. Goldratt used his background in science to formulate and solve problems in manufacturing. His ideas are simple and at the same time brilliant. I recommend this book to anyone who is involved in manufacturing or supply chain management. The Goal gave me more insight into what is going on in a factory than half a dozen management courses I took in college.
Warning: This book is not for literature snobs. You must have some interest in manufacturing processes to find this book interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book
Review: I must admit I was quite skeptical even after I read all the reviews on the book. This was recommended by our Operations prof at MBA school.

The book is an extremely easy read, fast paced and well written. He does a great job to illustrate the essence of the theory of constraints using real world simple examples.

Strongly recommend to anyone remotely interested in process engineering or even just general reading. (The concept is probably being subconsiously used in your everyday life to help prioritize your tasks)

Rating:
Summary: heroic
Review: Great and unexpected. Like the novels of Ayn Rand, this book is a vehicle for worthy ideas about the real world. Entertainment that rearranges your brain. Wish there were more books in the world like this.

Rating:
Summary: Easy read, but tends to drag at end
Review: Straight forward & easy to follow reading. The Theory Of Constraints portion was a bit dumbed down and a the romance thread was a little tiresome, but all in all it was a decent read. The last 50 pages are a complete bore...just kept dragging along so I suggest you close the book once you think the hero has saved the town - you won't miss a thing.

Rating:
Summary: Should be more business novels like this
Review: I think there should be more business novels that wrap a fictional story around management techniques and facts to teach the next generation of business managers. I hope this book inspires others to write a story. This book I think should definitely be required reading for anyone interested in a manufacturing job and it can easily be applied to the service industry.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read for Managers and Engineers
Review: Every manager and engineer should be required to read this book. The concepts really aren't new, but the level of focus is the real change. Currently most managers try to do things similar to what is presented, but get lead astray by conflicting theories, metrics, and company policies. TOC cuts through the conflicts to present what is truely important and what is just a distraction from real improvement. This is still the place to start if you want to understand TOC.