Customer Reviews

Twenty-First-Century Jet: The Making and Marketing of the Boeing 777

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

21St-Century Jet : The Making and Marketing of the Boeing 777 is an excellent book. Though it does not go into exqusite detail about the systems of the 777, it provides an entertaining look into not only the design and construction, but the men and woman behind the aircraft. There is more to this plane than just it's systems, and that rarely told story is what makes this unique book one that will be enjoyed by engineers, plane enthusiasts, and anyone who has ever flown on an airplane. The story behind the 777 is amazing, the complexity of the plane is daunting, and putting this all into writing, the author makes a story that rivals any novel.

This title is less about aviation and flying than it is about project management and visionary business and management practices. The challenge of designing, building, and marketing a multimillion dollar aircraft it daunting, but the insight into the personalities and practices behind the challenge are insightful, illuminating how a good end-to-end project is run.

Those looking for hardcore aviation insights might be disappointed, as another reviewer was. But those who really want to understand the complex realities of running a business and a huge team will find insipration.

For those familiar with aircraft design (or even just followed The New York Times reporting), this offers a very limited insight into the 777. It won't tell you anything that you don't already know. For the complete neophyte, however, it may be worth a go. Still, Sabbagh could have provided a more animated story with greater details. He should have said lots more in the pages provided. The PBS series based on this book is better. Given the staggering and fine attention that Boeing gave to the 777 (essentially it's gambling the whole company), Sabbagh regrettably, doesn't meet up to the recognition it so rightly deserves

For thoughs of you that manage projects whether large or small, this book provides an added dimension to your knowledge base. This easy reading book provides insight into a well managed project from concept to rollout. No special aviation or engineering knowledge is needed to enjoy this book. The author does a good job of explaining many terms used in the book. The book gives a the reader an appreciation, of the complexity, of managing a project on the scale of the 777

This book sounds like a novel, but unfortunately does not read like one. In fact it is more like a technical narrative. Sabbagh does a good job here of explaining the technicalities behind the designing and building of the Boeing 777. It remains accessible to those who do not have a background in aviation.

Throughout the book I was deeply annoyed by the constant physical descriptions of various people and their personalities. I can understand that some readers will like this, but I found degrading his remarks on the physical stature and cultural traits of the Japanese people. In my opinion it has no place in a book like this.

The other thing that bothered me a lot is the naive and pervasive admiration the author displays for Boeing. It's certainly a great company which has an astounding legacy that extends all the way back to 1915. But they are not alone. Very little room was made here for the other players in the field and the few times they were mentioned it was always with a negative tone. It gave me the impression that the author was there to please Boeing, like one would naturally do with a sponsor.

So these two aspects of the book greatly diminished the pleasure I could have derived from reading this story of the 777. Unfortunately it was like that from the beginning till the end. Yes, in spite of the above reticences I read the book in it's entirety. I wanted to learn more about Boeing and the 777. On that account I was not disappointed because we are given a lot of basic descriptions of the aircraft and the associated manufacturing processes. And even if I would have been able to take a lot more in I understand that it would have been outside the scope of this book, which was written for the educated public at large and the aviation buff in particular

By his own admission Sabbagh is not a specialist himself. Yet, he gave me the impression that he understood quite well what he is talking about. I guess he must be a very bright person. He is certainly a good writer. If not my kind.

In the end one star fell off the sky because of the "Dramatis Personae" tied to each protagonist. And a second one because Boeing is not God.

Visitors to Amazon who read customer reviews may have noted that low ratings turn off readers--'helpful' ratings go down with the number of stars. A pity, since intelligent readers realize that ratings derive from reader experience and knowledge.
So: this could have been a fascinating, important book about a subject that affects millions of airline passengers. But Sabbagh snatches defeat from the jaws of potential victory solely because of his writing style--or, rather, the lack. This must be among the most hackneyed, cliche-ridden pieces of sloppy journalism ever foisted on a major publisher. One wonders whether an editor ever even looked at it.
The very first line of the book, in the Acknowledgments, is a cliche: "It goes without saying that . . ." Arrgghhh! The very first sentence of the Introduction is equally clumsy: "There are two things I know about airplanes that surprised me when I first learned them." How about: "Two things about airplanes surprised me." Beyond the clumsy construction he uses, the author should discover several thousand things that surprised him. I've been a pilot since age 17 and learn something new every time I fly. His entire introductory premise is fallacious and trivial.
The over-all impression of the book is that the author is not a pilot and doesn't really care much about flight; that he knows not nearly enough about the design, manufacturing, materials and basic aerodynamics technologies he tries to convey to the reader; and that his failure to master the language and rid himself of the leaden, cliched prose is a burden the reader is forced to share if he or she keeps slogging on.
There must be a pony around here. There must be a wonderful book about a great and epochal airplane hiding inside this mess. The reader shouldn't have to start with a shovel to find that book.
The only stars I give (two) are for information I was forced to dig out, with reluctance and frequent outbursts of impatience.

This books dramatically demonstrates that large projects can succeed. Sabbagh's style is a true delight and once you've started to read the book, you can't stop until you reach the end.

I am a great fan of commercial aviation, and read many books on the subject. But this book is a soporific nightmare. The style of the author is trite, hackneyed, and the tone is overly melodramatic.

A great book for any aviation or business buff.