Rating: 
Summary: A little outdated
Review: I want to like Deming's folksy ancedotes, his common wisdom, his steadfast loyalty to quality. Yet, his proscriptive advice rang more true in 1986 than today. He praises Japanese-style management, finance, and corporate governance practices and attacks the modern American corporation's focus on financial management, downsizing, and layoffs.It is hard to support his conclusions in 2001. Japan is lagging behind the United States in macroeconomic growth, corporate profit growth, and the development of new industries. American downsizing in the early and mid-1990s has produced leaner, more focused companies and allowed our labor resources to shift from low-value to high-value industries. The focus on shareholder value has caused managers to eliminate corporate waste and unlock hidden value through divestitures, joint ventures, and spin-offs. When is the last time a major Japanese company divested a division to focus on its core operations? The final point is that Deming produces no real evidence. He tells stories, he shares his wisdom. Deming writes like a more academic version of Tom Peters: entertaining and proscriptive, but strangely void of sound theories and non-ancedotal evidence. It all comes down to a matter of faith with both Peters and Deming, which is ironic considering Deming's advocation of scientific management and statistical control.
Rating: 
Summary: Essential Reading
Review: I was first introduced to Deming while pursuing my MBA. Since graduating, my copy of this book has become increasingly dog-eared and tattered with many pencil notations. This is essential reading for all managers and for those mired in the Old Philosophy.
Rating:
Summary: Begin the transformation NOW!!!
Review: I was introduced to Deming's 14 Points for Management briefly in college. It is now obvious to me that my professors didn't know what was contained in this book! "How could they know?" as Deming says. The profound knowledge contained in this book will energize you with a desire for improvement in your workplace and your community. Deming lays out the road map for the Transformation from the Western management philosophy by focusing on critical thinking. Prove your results are what you say they are by using the scientific method...Deming provides the necessary guidance. Drive out the fear of new knowledge, the knowledge that may uncover your shortcomings, and focus on substantiated improvements for your customers, workplace and community. You will certainly read this one more than once!!!!
Rating:
Summary: The management book.
Review: If you don't manage with respect to systems, variation, theory or psychology than you are not managing. Dr. Deming shows the way in a challenging manner.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: It's a shame Deming was only listened to after American Industry humiliated itself in the international markets. It's a bigger shame that they forget their mistakes after realizing them for a while. Deming is unquestionably one of the most original and brilliant thinkers of last century. This book WILL cause you to change your thinking about your job. You don't have to be a statistician to understand this book either, b/c the crux of it has to do with a philosophy, and a very intelligent one at that, much more than math. I liked this book so much, that I purchased a rather expensive autorgraphed version on an auction site, becuase it's really a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant!
Review: It's a shame Deming was only listened to after American Industry humiliated itself in the international markets. It's a bigger shame that they forget their mistakes after realizing them for a while. Deming is unquestionably one of the most original and brilliant thinkers of last century. This book WILL cause you to change your thinking about your job. You don't have to be a statistician to understand this book either, b/c the crux of it has to do with a philosophy, and a very intelligent one at that, much more than math. I liked this book so much, that I purchased a rather expensive autorgraphed version on an auction site, becuase it's really a masterpiece.
Rating:
Summary: Demming's theories on quality defined an era
Review: Out of the Crisis is certainly one of the great business books with lasting impact. His basic theory: it is cheaper to make quality products in the end. Expansion: Demming's theories help build great companies like Toyota behind the ever-striving goal for top quality products. Demming believes that higher quality products have less defects, more customer adoption, and better acceptance (especially for a new entrant to a market). As an Industrial Engineer, I truly appreciate this book.
Rating:
Summary: Profound and learning
Review: Profound, in the dimensions of systemthinking, variation, theory of knowledge, and psychology. Learning and competitive. Uniques. Compact, implying it takes time to read. And a life to learn.
Rating:
Summary: The #1 quality classic
Review: Read and learn. The wisdom drips off of each page. Quality especially in software organization is a transformation and the first people to become transformers are the software engineers and the software quality manager. From engineering the transformation must reach product marketing and the management team. Your effectiveness will only rise with this boook, it is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Foundations in Quality
Review: The language is professorial, but the knowledge and wisdom contained on the pages is priceless and every bit as valid today as when it was written. The book is detailed in explaining the philosophy and its underpinnings. It is short on mathematical proofs, but there are detailed references where you can find that kind of information should you choose to. There are tons of examples of why conventional management wisdom is terribly flawed, why "Quality Control" of the lot inspection sort is wasteful, and how you can fix it all. Just don't be in the market for "Instant Pudding". The explanation of the philosophy is straight forward and fairly simple. The 14 points are explained as is "operational definitions" and system tampering. I especially like the funnel experiments and how it relates to machine/process operations.
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