The Race

by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Robert E. Fox

The graphics and accompanying text reveal the implications that stem from the shop floor to our standard of living. The Race allows you to derive a superior system, Drum-Buffer-Rope, for generating logistical improvement. It also shows you how to focus these improvements so they are optimal and not just local. The epilogue and appendix quizzes will give the thoughtful reader insight in how to initiate and extend a process of ongoing improvement into other areas-like marketing and financial control.

Genres: Business, Management, Nonfiction

179 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Eliyahu Moshe Goldratt (Hebrew: אליהו משה גולדרט) was an educator, author, physicist, philosopher and business leader, but first and foremost, he was a thinker who provoked others to think. Often characterized as unconventional, stimulating, and “a slayer of sacred cows,” he urged his audience to examine and reassess their business practices with a fresh, new vision.

Dr. Goldratt is best known as the father of the Theory of Constraints (TOC), a process of ongoing improvement that identifies and leverages a system’s constraints in order to achieve the system’s goals. He introduced TOC’s underlying concepts in his business novel, The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement, which has been recognized as one of the best-selling business books of all time. First published in 1984, The Goal has been updated three times and sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. It has been translated into 35 languages.

Heralded as a “guru to industry” by Fortune magazine and “a genius” by Business Week, Dr. Goldratt continued to advance the TOC body of knowledge throughout his life, building on the Five Focusing Steps (the process of ongoing improvement, known as POOGI) with TOC-derived tools such as Drum-Buffer-Rope, Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) and the Thinking Processes. He authored ten other TOC-related books, including four business novels: It’s Not Luck (the sequel to The Goal), Critical Chain, Necessary but Not Sufficient and Isn’t It Obvious? His last book, The Choice, was co-authored by his daughter Efrat Ashlang-Goldratt.

Born in Israel on March 31, 1947, Dr. Goldratt earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Tel Aviv University and a Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy from Bar-Ilan University. He is the founder of TOC for Education, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing TOC Thinking and TOC tools to teachers and their students, and Goldratt Consulting. In addition to his pioneering work in business management and education, Dr. Goldratt holds patents in a number of areas ranging from medical devices to drip irrigation to temperature sensors. He died on June 11, 2011, at the age of 64.

Reviews

[Tiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent Goldratt book

Does an excellent job of expanding on the Drum-Buffer-Rope concept and application first mentioned in The Goal. It's a quick read that doesn't dive into the details of exactly how to identify constraints and other operational issues, but that makes it perfect as an introduction.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turned around my factory in the 90's.

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is like a slide presentation with presenter's notes. It covers the same material that the book "The Goal" covers.
The material is good, but I am rating it 2 stars because it is repetitive if you've already ready other Goldratt books.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

The most interesting part of this book was reading a description of how Japanese companies innovated into lean methodologies long long before the rest of us had heard/formalised those methods.

All the other pages were empty.

[Jose Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you do not like the humanistic method of communicating the principles of the Theory of Constraint, this is your version of how the concept is explained. This book uses a textbook approach that may appeal to people who prefer rote learning.

[Salil Sathe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its like a presentation version of the goal. Crisp and to the point. Liked it but not loved it mainly because 75% of the matter discussed in this book is earlier covered in the goal. But still the way in which the concepts are explained is just fabulous and hence the four stars.

[Mohanakrishnan Nagarajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you have read GOAL, this is an interesting workbook.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic that deserves to be read, even if you have read Goldratt's The Goal.

[Willie Coetsee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eli provides so much insight into BPR by using simple analogie.