Customer Reviews

My Life and Work

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Sometimes with the pace of business we don't take the time to review the thoughts and concepts of the great people of the past. When I read this book I was amazed at his level of thinking. We tend to believe that "our" generation is always coming up with the great thoughts and ideas. If this is your thinking you need to step back 100 years or so to the life and times of Henry Ford. All we are doing is reinventing what he did.

It was amazing to read that many of the ideas and ideals around the turn of the twentieth century are still used today. Ford goes into great detail describing the origination of the Ford motor company, the labor force, the assembly line, and financial situations of the company. At a time when most of the male workers across the country were working for fifty cents a day, Ford incorporated a minimum wage of from three to five dollars a day. Henry Ford did a good job writing this book as well. There were several examples of sage advice include which are quoted by speakers and writers to this day. He was truly a visionary, business minded genius. The world was certainly improved by his presence. I'm looking forward to reading other of his works in the future.

A wonderfully candid look into the life of an incredibly successful and brilliant businessman. Henry Ford was a genius but never lost touch with the common man. He did a great deal to raise the standard of living for his workers. It was very interesting to take a peek into the mind of this great industrialist.

First I want to tell you what this book is not. It is not a biography. It really isn't a biography of the Ford motor company either. What it is is the mind of Ford on paper. Henry Ford was a pure genius! This book is about how Henry ran his company and about his thoughts and ideals on business. You will really get to know the man behind the company in this book. A few of the chapter titles are "What I Learned about Business", "The Secret of Manufacturing and Serving", "Wages", "Why Not Always have Good Business" and "Money - Master or Servant". This is one of the top business books ever written. I think it was written very well and it just grabs your attention from the begining. If you are looking for a great business book or just a great book about the real Henry Ford then you need not look any further. He certainly was one of the best business men to ever live.

This book, like a lot of books in their period, does not focus on one main subject but is a collection of articles/personal point of views on business matters. What struck me most is how "uncluttered" his mind is and his clear passion for doing things in the most efficient way possible. Granted, the writing style at that time can be a bit tedious and long winded, but he certainly does not mince words and his style is "refreshing" amidst all the jargons and words you see in today's business books and magazines. He shows that how an intensely focused on increasing the buying power of the customer, combined with a relentless desire to be as efficient as possible can be enormously benefiical to society. For me, it's interesting to compare him with Michael Dell's book "Direct from Dell"...you'll be amazed with the striking similarities with both of their visions...only one is supplying a motor car and the latter personal computers.

I read about this book while doing some research into Lean management. Taiichi Ohno, "father" of the Toyota Production System noted that he learned many lean principles from Henry Ford. After finishing this book, I would recommend that EVERY CEO in this country be REQUIRED to read it. It is a wonderfully clear description of management and leadership principles that all companies should embrace. Mr. Ford is clear on the purpose of a company - to build products and provide services that meet the needs of its customers. If we do this, as he notes, the money will follow. We get it backwards so often these days - we think the purpose of a company is to make money or increase its share price.

As opposed to most business books where one idea is promoted and beaten to death, Mr. Ford's book is full of good ideas on all aspects of managing a business. It's a delightfully refreshing read!

This is a book every business executive should read at least twice.
The wisdom of one the greatest entrepreneurs and practical thinkers of our time is lasting.
Exellent book. Fords thinking is focused and joyful reading

It is little wonder why the leaders at Toyota give Henry Ford the credit for leading them to the promised land of LEAN and TPS. He was way ahead of his time and in some respects his vision is still way ahead of our time. What an amazing personality, mind, and story.

Anyone who has read "My Life and Work" will understand exactly what is wrong with our country today. There are three ways to create wealth--grow it, mine it, or make it--and activities like flipping houses or trading carbon credits do not qualify.

Ford developed what is now known as the Toyota production system, and readers will see a very explicit description of just in time manufacturing (and its benefits) in "My Life and Work."

Ford also summarized effective labor relations in one sentence: "It ought to be the employer's ambition, as leader, to pay better wages than any similar line of business, and it ought to be the workman's ambition to make this possible."

"A manufacturer is not through with his customer when a sale is
completed. He has then only started".

"Even as late as 1910 and 1911 the owner of an automobile was
regarded as essentially a rich man whose money ought to be taken away
from him. We met that situation squarely and at the very beginning. We
would not have our distribution blocked by stupid, greedy men."

You will read dozens of frases like this, reminding us that great ideias can become lost in time, that stupid people can if fact take control of our companies, media and what not, and we can slowly drift into oblivion.

An eye opener.