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My Life and Work: Henry Ford Autobiography
190 pages, Paperback
Published January 27, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 29, 2020
Henry Ford’s success startled the country industrially and financially. It exhibits in a higher degree that most people would have thought possible the seemingly contradictory requirements of true efficiency. Ford spurned the ruinous pattern that the only way to increase profits was to shortchange the worker, overcharge the customer, and squeeze the supplier. Instead, he turned business into a win-win activity that delivered more value to everybody involved.
My Life and Work is not an industry-specific formula that you can follow like an instruction. It is rather a synergy of laws of science, economics, and human behavior, which Ford called a universal code. According to him, achieving balance between input and output, between the work and the salary, was crucial for the mutual thriving of manufacturers and workers.
The universal code proved its efficiency in industries ranging from coal mines to automobile manufacture. The Ford Motor Company prospered even during bad economic times, and decreased in prosperity only when Ford’s code wasn’t followed. Nations also prosper when they follow the code, which is not only scientific and impartial, but also as implacable and unforgiving as any law of nature.
Henry Ford’s realization of a far greater per capita productivity transformed the USA from a mainly agrarian society into the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world during the first part of the 20th century. My Life and Work shows exactly how he did it and contains all the fundamental principles necessary for the States to regain its lead in manufacturing and service productivity.
Ford’s book is easy to grasp (since he wrote for ordinary workers), and a very valuable source of concepts and principles. Called “the best and most comprehensive business leadership book every written”, My Life and Work deserves nothing but five stars. A must-read.
My Life and Work is not an industry-specific formula that you can follow like an instruction. It is rather a synergy of laws of science, economics, and human behavior, which Ford called a universal code. According to him, achieving balance between input and output, between the work and the salary, was crucial for the mutual thriving of manufacturers and workers.
The universal code proved its efficiency in industries ranging from coal mines to automobile manufacture. The Ford Motor Company prospered even during bad economic times, and decreased in prosperity only when Ford’s code wasn’t followed. Nations also prosper when they follow the code, which is not only scientific and impartial, but also as implacable and unforgiving as any law of nature.
Henry Ford’s realization of a far greater per capita productivity transformed the USA from a mainly agrarian society into the wealthiest and most powerful nation in the world during the first part of the 20th century. My Life and Work shows exactly how he did it and contains all the fundamental principles necessary for the States to regain its lead in manufacturing and service productivity.
Ford’s book is easy to grasp (since he wrote for ordinary workers), and a very valuable source of concepts and principles. Called “the best and most comprehensive business leadership book every written”, My Life and Work deserves nothing but five stars. A must-read.
February 15, 2020
It is very interesting to be in 2020 and see what it takes to build a successful business in 1900s. So many of his thinking holds true even after 100 years, from quality of product and service comes first, operation and product engineering, lean approach and experimental mindset.
Some topics are difficult. Understanding about 60% of his ideas, I definitely revisit this book when my mind is more ready.
Some topics are difficult. Understanding about 60% of his ideas, I definitely revisit this book when my mind is more ready.
January 25, 2021
A lot of this book is about how communism is bad, how the world economy and countries should be run and other theories of Ford. The world has changed a lot since then and many of these topics are no longer relevant. The core values of Ford come through: continous improvement, giving the best service possible, taking care of the team, greatest good for the greatest number of people.
Henry Ford created strartup culture over 100 years ago. He 10x the product and the production. Mass manufacturing lines came into being by observing, that 2/3 of time went into walking between places and changing tools. Flat organisation structure. Fairness.
Lean manufacturing - businesses shouldn't get into price speculation around the raw materials it requires. The space, time and hussle to store the extra materials does not make up for the potential savings.
Henry Ford created strartup culture over 100 years ago. He 10x the product and the production. Mass manufacturing lines came into being by observing, that 2/3 of time went into walking between places and changing tools. Flat organisation structure. Fairness.
Lean manufacturing - businesses shouldn't get into price speculation around the raw materials it requires. The space, time and hussle to store the extra materials does not make up for the potential savings.
October 10, 2019
This is an insightful book into one of the greatest entreprenuers in history. Ford was in the great age of inventors, and interacted with Edison, Firestone and many other contemporaries of his time. He also was a brilliant mind with a keen intellect for business and humanity. I found it fascinating all the way through, and the lessons he teaches still ring true today.
March 27, 2020
I liked this book. It tells us the story of the strong perdon that despite a lot of problems and challenges achieved his aim and make it achievable for his workers. He inspired me to create my own volunteer project https://essaytoolbox.com/alphabetizer and there I use several approaches of Henry Ford. I recommend this book for those who are willing but afraid of something!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews