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“Lean” is one of the buzzwords-du-jour. More than a buzzword, it is taking hold in a variety of industries that go far beyond the world of automotive manufacturing that gave it birth. One of the most influential books about lean production—and already advocating for the broader dissemination of lean principles—is “The Machine that Changed the World.” The ideas it conveyed, and the principles that it articulated, are still referenced and quoted broadly today.
So just what is lean? Where did it come from? Why is everyone talking about it? And just what do you need to know about what lean might mean for you, your organization and your industry? In this review, I take a deep dive into the book, as well as the thinking behind it. I’ll explore what’s worthy and value, and also the cautions.
If you’re curious about lean, if you want to get deep into its principles or relevance, or you’d like to just like to watch me arguing with an inanimate object, this is a review you will want to check out.
Buy it on Amazon: The Machine that Changed the World by Womack, Jones and Roos
If you like this one, these are a couple of other books that you might be interested in:
📚 The Toyota Product Development System by James Morgan and Jeffrey Liker