The Goal
10th March 2006 by Sean
| Authors: Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox |
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I had a friend in college who lived, breathed and died economics. Everything in life, no matter what the subject, could be explained by economics. He recommended this book to me and it was one of the most intriguing business books I’ve ever read.
It is a novel about a Alex Rugo, a plant manager that learns the concepts of the Theory of Constraints from an ex-physics professor named Jonah. What is most interesting is that the book uses the storyline to teach about the theory of constraints rather than explaining the concepts in a textbook or standard business book style.
What Business Week says.
Goldratt’s system, in essence, forces production managers and workers alike to coordinate their work… with an underlying principle in mind: that ‘Bottlenecks’… are what ultimately constrain the manufacturing environment.
What a reader says.
Goldratt’s brilliance is displayed through his thoughtful description of the production process, the necessary changes to the process and his careful thought processes described in such a way so even a layman could understand. The author stimulates your thought processes and compels you to join Alex Rogo in his search for answers. At first glance, The Goal, seems to be an informative research about how to be successful. However, you quickly realize that you are caught up in the life of Alex Rogue, a plant manager, who does not even know if he will have a job in a few months and you become entranced in the story of his life and you want to continue reading. Alex makes some important discoveries in his journey through the production process that enhances and sharpens his critical thinking skills. These epiphanies are transformative not only to the Alex Rogo but also the reader.