The Goal

Rating:
Summary: I stopped ready after 33 pgs. & found reviews and summaries
Review: The concept is good. But the marriage details that surround it were TOO MUCH. The points could have been given in overview format and much more concisely stated.

I got tired of this fast, because I don't have time to read it all. I read about 2 books a weeks, but not when I have to sit through a bunch of boring details.

Intead, I like the setup of "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits." The first chapter was designed for executives who won't spend the time reading the whole thing, but instead want an overview to quickly grasp the point of the book. These busy readers are then instructed to find the chapters that they are interested in and read up as needed. I recommend reading the whole book, "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits" but I like the option to read or just review!

Unfortunately, I didn't have this option with "The Goal."

Rating:
Summary: Read This Book
Review: The Goal is a book that teaches the theory of constraints along with the problems with bottlenecks within Alex Rogo's plant. The problems that Alex Rogo faces are difficult to see at first. Which is why he asks advice from his old physics teacher Jonah. He acts as a consultant to Alex and his team of four members, Ralph, Lou, Bob, and Stacey. These are the main characters in the work-related part of the book for Alex Rogo, they face problems with attempting to increase their profit or bottom line.
I would recommend this book to either a manager or student because there are many things that can be learned by both. Managers can find different ways to look at the company and how to help increase profits. Students by reading this can combine the information they learn in class with how it actually works in a real world situation. This book teaches by taking the reader through the processes that the plant had to make, without being boring or tedious. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about managerial accounting, or simply someone who enjoys riveting stories.

Rating:
Summary: The Goal: Book of Plenty or Plenty of Book?
Review: The main objective of the text is to present Goldratt's theory of constraints. The story is meant to present what would otherwise be a boring and dry text in an easy to read, interesting format. As stated in "Here today, wrong tomorrow" by Daniel Butler, many of these types of books are not even opened, much less read. Goldratt actually adds a compelling story, making the book much more palatable, and also better showcasing the natural flow of the theory of constraints. The story is also inspirational, as it details a man who saves his factory and his marriage at once, as well as the moment when he took a six-pack on the hill to overlook his town trying to sort his thoughts. Those real details make Alex much easier to identify with, and make the book a much more interesting read. The inter-office politics and the scout trip are also two really good areas of the book just for the entertainment value. The late night escapades with co-workers are also mildly fun to read, but I especially liked the way that Goldratt hinted at Alex developing feelings for a co-worker before getting back with his wife. A plot twist like that is far more than I expected from the book by simply looking it. I would recommend this book to any students interested in learning about the fundamentals of the theory of constraints or managerial accounting in general. The fluidity of the book (I read it in about 2 days, a shockingly fast rate of page turns for an assigned book) and the general principles behind the book make it a good choice for an introduction to accounting, or at least far better than a textbook. I would also recommend this book to a manager just because knowledge is power. The theories prescribed in this book may or may not work for an individual corporation, but it is at least worth a read because the said manager's company could really benefit from implementing such a system. If the company would not benefit from it, the manager still read a pretty good book.

Rating:
Summary: A must-read business classic
Review: This book is the ultimate paradox - a "business novel", a love story in fact. It is the first in Goldratt's series following Alex Rogo, and how he turns his manufacturing plant around through some relatively simple (though not necessarily easy) principles. It is through this book that Goldratt introduces the reader to his Theory of Constraints, which should rank among the top five business concepts of the 20th century (including, for example, six sigma and the assembly line).

Not in a manufacturing business? This book is set in a manufacturing plant, but the concepts apply broadly. I currently work in a service business, with no tangible products whatsoever, and the keys of this book are as useful here as anywhere.

This book is engaging and easy to read, but it's not written to the lowest common denominator. It's for people who want to improve the way their business is run, no matter what level they are - though obviously, the higher you are, the bigger impact you can have.

I read this book for the first time in college, and have reread it every two or three years since. It belongs in the company of such business and self-help classics as Seven Habits, See You at the Top, One Minute Manager, and Win Friends/Influence People. Perhaps the highest recommendation I can give this book is that I have bought it and given it as a gift, out of my own pocket, to about half a dozen different people in the company I have worked for over the last six years - all VPs, SVPs, and EVPs. I figure, if they apply the principles, it's ultimately going to make the company (and me) more successful. All of them have commented positively on the book, and some have in turn passed it along.

Whether you are just starting out in business, or have already attained a high level and want to broaden (and brighten) your horizons, this is a must-read that will positively impact your business, and your life.

Rating:
Summary: The process is the thing.
Review: This book is written as one person's personal journey of discovery. It is a fast paced novel, almost a thriller, which dramatically demonstrates the power of modern management in the setting of saving a factory that is rapidly heading for disaster.

I recommend this book to people in industry who have to deal with manufacturing and quality assurance and to anybody who wants to understand the continuous improvement paradigm for running a business.

The book is a pretty fine read in its own right as a novel and it is especially relevant to anyone who wants to improve an operation such as an assembly line or manufacturing plant.

As usual here is a quote from the book however this has been edited down a bit from the original to better illustrate the point:

"Who is going to set up the other machines in t he bottleneck area?" he asks. "We will pull helpers who know enough to set up their own equipment from non-bottleneck machines" "Well I guess we can try it," says Bob. "But what happens if stealing people turns non-bottlenecks into new bottlenecks?" I tell him, "The important thing is to maintain flow. If we take a worker away, and we can't maintain flow, then we'll put the worker back and steal a body from someplace else."

Rating:
Summary: Informative and Entertaining
Review: Told in first person in the form of an entertaining novel, Goldratt's "The Goal" is a popular book that explores ideas valuable to managing numerous business situations. We are placed into the life of plant manager Alex Rogo as he faces an immediate production crisis and the threat of plant closure. During a business trip, he has a chance encounter with manufacturing guru Jonah.

Rogo's dialogue with this teacher as he wrestles with his own plant and it's manufacturing problems serves up a rich body of material that requires no background in manufacturing or assembly line processes. It remains interesting even as inventory management, assembly throughput, and bottleneck analyses take place in his quest to keep his plant in business. The use of a hiking trip to discuss fluctuations and dependencies as a scout troop progresses through the woods is superb, making "Herbie" a recognized name among many manufacturers. The book also provides a valuable illustration of the importance and impact of "choosing what to measure," that is, which numbers (production data) one should track to determine the effectiveness of an operation.

Reading "The Goal" is well worth the time for anyone managing a business. Its principles are far-reaching and applicable in a wide variety of situations. Given its popularity, you can pretty much bet that your competitors have read it.