LexFather

I bought it last night. Very good book and I recommend it. The Lexus story really concentrated on the LS 400 and how Lexus came to be. It also was very "nice" to other car makers. There are also tons more pics.
The Relentless Pursuit, I like, B/c it explores the other Lexus models as well. It also explains the failures or Acura/Infintii some and how Lexus avoided them. There are maybe 8 pictures and the book, IMO, jumps around some. Both books have some of the same quotes in them.

This book also explains Lexus mistakes better and how they fixed them immediately. It also goes more into Toyota's history as a carmaker. I learned a lot about Toyota in this book. Finally, it is BRAND NEW, with pics of the new GS and explaining where Lexus is going in the future, even how the Lexus "SUPER SEDAN" is not a question of if, but simply "when" it will come out.

The book was $28 with my Barnes and Noble discount so about $32 for the book.

mmarshall

Does it really tell us anything about the decline of Acura or Infiniti that most of us don't already know? It is no secret that poor marketing and lack of a solid direction played a large role for both of them.

jet864

Got The Lexus Story a few days ago and it in about a day. Just got The Relentless Pursuit but I'm only about 10 pages in. The tone seems mich more in depth and/or professional. After this book I wanna read The Five Machines that Changed the World or something like that, that focuses on the Japanese practice of lean auto production and how it puts them ahead of virtually the rest of the world in car manufacturing.

James

mmarshall

Got my interest up, guys. Sounds like it might be worth what it costs.

squarehat

Just finished reading Lexus: The Relentless Pursuit , which I bought over the weekend. It places much more emphasis on the specifics of operations management, quality control, product differentiation, customer service, and brand/corporate culture than on the cars itself. I found it a fascinating read, as it ties in with my career/educational background. Those looking for a book focused on more on the cars themselves should go for The Lexus Story (which I happened to receive as a Christmas present ).

James, I definitely recommend The Machine That Changed The World by Womack, Jones, and Roos. I read it in an undergraduate industrial economics class in the late 90's, and it is perhaps one of the books that had the most impact on my management style. The Toyota (and Honda is also heavily mentioned) principles of continuous improvement, the empowering all levels of workers as subject matter experts, and "lean" production can be applied to improving the production of many other things besides automobiles.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

this is nice, sick. sounds like as soon as i finish my lexus story it's time to head over to the next reading