Book Talk: Stories From My Sensei

You can learn a lot about lean from books, which may discuss lean theory, provide how-to instructions for use of lean tools, or present case studies of lean implementations.

But anyone with actual experience will tell you that book learning must be complemented by experience, and that one of the best ways to learn is under the guidance of an experienced sensei, or teacher.

A new book we are publishing next month takes that kind of learning and distills it into a series of lessons. Stories from My Sensei: Two Decades of Lessons Learned Implementing Toyota-Style Systems describes a range of experiences in several different industries, organized according to the “Toyota house” model of lean. Each chapter includes a detailed description of the tools and principles relevant to that lesson, and is accompanied by questions for the reader on how to apply the principles.

The author is Steven E. Hoeft of Altarum Institute. He has worked in several industries, at one time trained with Eli Goldratt, and has helped various organizations win more than a dozen Shingo prizes.

This insightful and entertaining book could be one of the more fascinating books in your lean library.

Do you have a question or comment about a book(s) that you would like addressed in Book Talk? Email me directly at Ralph.bernstein@taylorandfrancis.com.