The machine that changed the world

Wednesday 14th May 2008

Since its first publication 17 years ago, The Machine That Changed the World has come to be acknowledged as a landmark analysis of the automotive industry

Author: James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones and Daniel Roos
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: £12.99

Taking a pioneering MIT study of global industrial competition as its basis, the book examines the differences between American, European and Asian business methods, with particular emphasis on the benefits of lean production techniques.

Whilst some of the book’s data may at first appear to be a little out of date (the statistical information ranges from the late 1950s to the late 1980s), there is still much that is of relevance today. The broad focus also provides an overview of the historical context and development of mass automobile production from its very beginnings in Henry Ford’s Model-T factory in Detroit to the ruthless efficiency of the production lines of Toyota and Honda.

For this new edition, the authors have added an afterword examining the changes which have taken place in the last two decades. The rigorous and detailed research that has gone into The Machine is clearly evident on every page, and the insightful and authoritative discussion which it provides has implications beyond the world of automobile production. Accordingly, this is a book which should be of interest to anybody concerned about business and the future balances of power in the world economy.

Article tools

Comment

Free RSS feed

Not yet rated

Special Report

A man for three seasons

Berlusconi is back for the third time, sending affectionate kisses to Italians in his victory speech and promising to revive Italy's ailing economy and slash taxes. But of course, as many Italians will tell you, they have heard it all before...