The Goal [Paperback]

Eliyahu M. Goldratt (Author), Jeff Cox (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 1989

A fully dramatized version of the practical guide to business in fictional form offers an ensemble cast, accompanied by sound effects and music, that reveals how businesses can enhance productivity and provide personal fulfillment. Book available.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Alex Rogo manages a failing manufacturing plant, and his marriage is on shaky ground due to his long work hours. When his district manager tells him that profits must increase or the plant will be closed, Alex realizes he needs help. He turns to Jonah, a former professor, whom Alex discovers is now a management consultant (although Jonah's field is physics). With the help of the enigmatic Jonah and the plant staff, Alex turns the plant around while at the same time abandoning many management principles he previously thought were ironclad. This multivoiced presentation is lively and interesting and offers food for thought for managers in any field. The performances are natural and unaffected, with sound effects to enhance the illusion of reality. Although it is a novel, this title is more appropriate for business collections.
- Melody A. Moxley, Rowan P.L., Salisbury, N.C.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

ELIYAHU M. GOLDRATT is an Israeli physicist, inventor, and philosopher whose unconventional approach to business management has made him one of the most sought-after consultants in the world today. Through his lectures and writings, as well as his work with such corporations as General Motors, Ford, Proctor & Gamble, and AT&T, Dr. Goldratt continues his crusade to teach businesses to re-examine their basic assumptions in order to compete effectively in the new global market place. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Gower Publishing Ltd; 2nd edition (October 19, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 070450636X
• ISBN-13: 978-0704506367
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,658,574 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eli Goldratt is an educator, author, scientist, philosopher, and business leader. But he is, first and foremost, a thinker who provokes others to think. Often characterized as unconventional, stimulating, and "a slayer of sacred cows," Dr. Goldratt exhorts his audience to examine and reassess their business practices with a fresh, new vision.

He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from Tel Aviv University and his Masters of Science, and Doctorate of Philosophy from Bar-Ilan University. In addition to his pioneering work in Business Management and education, he holds patents in a number of areas ranging from medical devices to drip irrigation to temperature sensors

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaking down the walls of Cost Accounting, February 2, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Goal (JV) (Audio Cassette)

Although this book is intended as a lesson for operations managers, the concepts taught proved invaluable to me as a Controller. The Goal teaches us that conventional cost accounting measurements are not a true indicator of the success or failure of a plant. Moreover, they can actually hinder improvements and rational decision making. The book teaches us to break out of the mold we have been stuck in for so long. Getting it on audio tapes was a plus, as it was a much more productive way to spend my drive home. To any accountant who has not read this book DO SO NOW, for your plant's sake!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Process of Ongoing Improvment in Business and Life!, January 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Goal (Paperback)

After picking up The Goal I was impressed with the way it was written. Reading a business book in a narrative format was something I did not expect to see. The narrative format helped to grab my attention and keeping it through the book. It is no wonder that is has sold over a million copies. I have since recommended this book to both family and friends not just as a book about business but it can help in every aspect of life. My manager friends who have started the book say that the approach to keep it away from the traditional business snooze books is great. I loved the fact that he was able to let the reader figure out what Jonah (an oracle like figure) meant before Alex got it. I felt it did take Alex a long time to understand and it did seem there was some basic changes in his plant that the untrained eye could see but over all I have nothing but praise for this book. If it weren't for the fact that Jonah did arrive at the plant it could have almost been thought of that Jonah was the subconscious of Alex Rogo and he had the answers all along. I felt that The Goal did a great job leaving an open ended question, showing that yes, indeed life is a process of on going improvement.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A passionate introduction to manufacturing science, January 10, 2000

By 

S.Venkatesan - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Goal (JV) (Audio Cassette)

It is very interesting novel. It is also a non-fiction on foundations of production management. The author achieves sufficient balance in narration. The basic focus is how to view the bottleneck production centers. He draws attention to philosophical flaws of traditional management's ( both production and accounting group) approach to this aspect. He leads to this analysis by discussing a camp trip of the hero with his son and his friends. The novel should have stopped with the possibility of hero's promotion as divisional manager. ( The discussion about theory of constraints is an essay. Trying to push that discussion spoils the climax of the novel).