The Wright Way: 7 Problem-Solving Principles from the Wright Brothers That Can Make Your Business Soar [Hardcover]

Mark Eppler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 24, 2003

The Wright Brothers' historic first flight on December 17, 1903, changed the world in countless ways. This book tells their remarkable story and presents the basic problem-solving techniques that led to their success, showing how they can be applied to present-day business challenges.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Academy of Management Executive: ""The Wright Way is not written as a biography nor does one need to be a history buff to enjoy and benefit from this book. It would be useful to those making personal and organizational decisions, in addition to students in a college-level decision-making or business history course. The Wright Way is easy to read and well organized with many headings that help the reader process the flow of information.""

Chosen as one of the top 10 best business books of the year by the Toronto Globe & Mail: ""A delightful discourse on problem-solving."""

Review

"Automotive Design & Production: ""What the Wright Brothers accomplished was something that people considered to be impossible. They didn’t come from wealth. They had ‘day jobs’ and other things that they had to get done. They were pretty much like the rest of us. But because of their imagination, drive, persistence, and effort, they became extraordinary.""

Niche magazine: “Eppler elevates his book to a class of its own by dissecting the problem-solving model that the Wright brothers used and applying it to the successful management of a small business.""

Business to Business: ""More than a problem-solving guide, this book also provides a glimpse into the extraordinary motivation and diligence that explain the success of two otherwise non-descript bicycle repairmen."""

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 17 and up
  
• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM (October 24, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814407978
• ISBN-13: 978-0814407974
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,660,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I highly recommend this book!, October 5, 2003

By 

Debra A Patek (Milford, OH United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wright Way: 7 Problem-Solving Principles from the Wright Brothers That Can Make Your Business Soar (Hardcover)

As a history buff --and one time resident of Dayton, OH--I have always had an appreciation for the historical contribution of the Wright brothers. Or, so I thought! After reading The Wright Way, I now see how little I really knew about these two men and, more importantly, how much I can still learn from them now, both personally and professionally.

Mark Eppler offers more than a historical account of the events leading up to and surrounding the invention of manned flight. He provides a rare, behind the scenes peak into the thoughts, motivations and unorthodox style of two brothers, who not only shared a dream to accomplish the unthinkable, but also had the persistence, tenacity, creativity and flexibility to make it happen.

What makes their story so compelling -- and the book so relevant for today - is their ability combine insights with action, vision with execution, the big picture with an attention to detail, and interestingly, team work with constructive conflict.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to expand their horizons (no pun intended) and the guidance to make their dreams into reality.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Encouragement for Problem Solvers, October 3, 2003

By 

A Bergstedt (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wright Way: 7 Problem-Solving Principles from the Wright Brothers That Can Make Your Business Soar (Hardcover)

Whether you are a visionary or one who is deluged with problems that people are bringing to you, you will be encouraged by Mark Eppler's book with the practical 7 principles for problem solving used by the Wright Brothers.

I jumped right to the seven chapters with the principles and read them first. The stories told about the Wright Brothers are expanded with the content of the author's own experiences in business and problem solving.

The assertion that it took only 11 months for the problem to be solved was unbelivable to me. The author included his email address at the end of the book, page 206, so I wrote him about this. His response pointed out the difference between conceptualizing the solution and implementing it.

The reality of conceptualizing the solution in 11 months and implementing it over a long time is a common reality that all of us in business experience also.

It's encouraging to identify with the Wright Brothers througth this book and to think of strategic contributions that each of us can make in our communities using these 7 principles for effective problem solving.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Wright Way, November 3, 2003

By 

George Brown (Batavia, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wright Way: 7 Problem-Solving Principles from the Wright Brothers That Can Make Your Business Soar (Hardcover)

It is not often that you can pick up a "managment principles" book and find it to also be entertaining and inspiring. This book is. One might think, or expect, that The Wright Way would be a "gimmick book", rehashing old managment principles with a Wright brother's twist, just to capitalize on the publicity surrounding the 100th anniversary of the first heavier than air flight. Not so. The obvious exhaustive research that went into this book reflects the authors passion about "how" the Wright brothers did what the did, not just what they did. As the CEO of a $6 million not-for-profit business, the "seven principles" struck home for me. For starters, from now on I'm going to tackle the tyrant at the get go! Enjoy this eassy, fun, and useful read.