• The Goal

  • A Process of Ongoing Improvement - 30th Anniversary Edition
  • By: Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Jeff Cox
  • Narrated by: uncredited
  • Length: 11 hrs and 45 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (6,022 ratings)

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The Goal  By  cover art

The Goal

By: Eliyahu M. Goldratt,Jeff Cox
Narrated by: uncredited
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Publisher's summary

In this intriguing business novel, which illustrates state-of-the-art economic theory, Alex Rogo is a UniCo plant manager whose factory and marriage are failing. To revitalize the plant, he follows piecemeal advice from an elusive former college professor who teaches, for example, that reduction in the efficiency of some plant operations may make the entire operation more productive. Alex's attempts to find the path to profitability and to engage his employees in the struggle involve the listener; and thankfully the authors' economic models, including a game with matchsticks and bowls, are easy to understand. Although some characters are as anonymous as the goods manufactured in the factory, others ring true. In addition, the tender story of Alex and his wife's separation and reconciliation makes a touching contrast to the rest of the book. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the state of the American economy.

©1984 Original material © 1984, Revised 1986, 1992, 2004, 2014 Goldratt1 Ltd. "Standing on the Shoulders of Giants" © 2008 Eliyahu M. Goldratt. (P)2014 (p) 2014 Goldratt1 Ltd.

What listeners say about The Goal

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The Goal - still relevant today

I read this book 20 years ago, and while the story has a lot of remnants from the 1980s that don't translate well to todays modern world, the concepts demonstrated through fixing the broken factory are still true today as they were then. It should be required reading or listening to anyone who works in a leadership position in their careers regardless of the field they work.

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31 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Reinventing Production for Us IT Dummies

I am an IT manager and I am getting into DevOps. This book came up more than once in my research so I gave it a try even though I am not in fabrication and production. At least, that's what I thought until I listened to this book.

What I love about this book is that the fictional narrative allows the protagonist to "blow-up" his manufacturing plant's way of doing business. Of course, he isn't trying to blow it up, he is just trying to make it perform. But Goldratt teaches us that some things, some processes we entered the profession with, some metrics that have served us well for years - need to be blown-up and more importantly, replaced with something useful. Listen to this book and find out not necessarily what the new metrics should be - but how to discover them for yourself.

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23 people found this helpful

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Great lessons packed inside of a well told story

I really enjoyed this book...and I'm not even in the manufacturing industry! I'm working on my own food business right now. I think there's a little something here for everyone who's looking to increase efficiency in a counter intuitive way.

Also, I really enjoyed the way the story was told and I appreciate all of the extra effort that went in this audio production.

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19 people found this helpful

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This book changed the way I think

Any additional comments?

What a book. The idea of textbook flipped on its head and turned into a narrative. The ideas for the manufacturing plant I think are transferable to many other endeavors. When you ask the question - what is my goal here, and then go through the thought process outlined, amazing things happen. A great author, thinker and contributor to many businesses bottom line.

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Wish there was an abridged version

The concepts and lessons in this book are useful and relatable since it's told as a story. When it was published in 1984, it was a novel idea to write a business book as a story. However decades later, the style and content are dated. The book can be trimmed about 20% by removing the protagonist's personal problems. It doesn't add to the main topic nor is it necessary to develop the characters in a business book. Also, the beginning of the book has a lot of unnecessary drama about the possible demise of the plant and the long, drawn out struggle of how they sought the answers to their problems. You can probably start on Chapter 20 and not miss anything substantial.

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    2 out of 5 stars
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Decent concepts, but unnecessarily dramatized

Purchased following all of the positive reviews and the whole "30th anniversary" marketing. Ultimately it has a handful of good thoughts on systems and processes, and viewing things from a new perspective, especially related to American manufacturing concepts, but the dramatization of the narrative got old quickly and stretched what should otherwise have been a book of less than 5 chapters. Plenty of other resources out there will accomplish the same thing unless you really like cheesy business drama in the line of afternoon soap operas.

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Lost interest 3/4 the way in.

Struggled to finish. Pretty dated and over dramatic at times. Some good principals. Could have been shorter.

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10 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Unlistenable

Returning this immediately, multiple voice actors rarely work, and the combination of multiple voices and background music is cacophonous.

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  • E.
  • 07-24-17

Outstanding! One of the best I've ever listened to.

It was like watching a screenplay with different characters and plot lines, and the lessons are crystal clear. Recommended to anyone interested in understanding the science of Process in any business.

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8 people found this helpful

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Great education on metrics to make decisions

This is a great book on how to look at things from a different direction and pay attention to value drivers you may not be watching. I wished I read it twenty years ago.

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8 people found this helpful