My Life and Work

Interesting, like listening to Grandpa give you advice (2010-05-29) : 4/5
Obviously this book is old and dated but most of Mr. Fords advice is still as relevant today as it was way back then. There are a few areas of the book you might raise an eyebrow but in general, the wisdom pours from the pages. Henry Ford's work ethic is second to none and it was also interesting to see how he felt about compensation of his employees. Of course, this book is only his point of view but if you read other biographies of Ford, you would get a different picture of his relationship with employees. Focusing on this book and this book only, his advice on many different subjects is invaluable and you should enjoy this book.
mesmerizing read (2009-04-25) : 5/5
i visited ford/s estate in dearborn some years ago. i always wondered why / after visiting the park / why h was fascinated with edison to the point of relocating his home and research center brick by brick. this book looks less at content / names and locations and dates / and more at processes / analysis / personnel / assembly line. given that he had been presented with an award by german chancellor hitler for ford support in germanys industrial climb / i found his statements regarding the jewish race somewhat guarded but nevertheless revealing. all the way through / this was a captivating page turner. i give it a solid A and highly recommend it.
The Classics of Management (2008-09-21) : 4/5
Henry Ford is the classical writer on management. He stands on a same line with Sun Tzu, Niccolò Machiavelli, Robert Owen, Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol.

This is the foundation of all the management literature, and every modern manager should be aware with the works of the authors above mentioned.

In the book "My Life and Work", Henry Ford presents his view on different things: management philosophy, social life, human abilities and capabilities, the role of the bankers in the production, good debt and bad debt, the labor and the speculation, the roots of poverty and the ways to solve it, the role of the government, and other important topics.

You will also find an autobiography in this book, but there is a lot of things that Henry Ford avoids in this book, e.g. how did he took the controlling stake in the Ford Motor Company. He didn't write in the book that he have started another company, Henry Ford and Son, and made a show of taking himself and his best employees to the new company; the goal was to scare the remaining holdout stockholders of the Ford Motor Company to sell their stakes to him before they lost most of their value. The ruse worked, and Henry and his son purchased all remaining stock from the other investors, thus giving the family sole ownership of the company.

The best business and economics book ever written (2008-04-13) : 5/5
Anyone who has read "My Life and Work" will understand exactly what is wrong with our country today. There are three ways to create wealth--grow it, mine it, or make it--and activities like flipping houses or trading carbon credits do not qualify.

Ford developed what is now known as the Toyota production system, and readers will see a very explicit description of just in time manufacturing (and its benefits) in "My Life and Work."

Ford also summarized effective labor relations in one sentence: "It ought to be the employer's ambition, as leader, to pay better wages than any similar line of business, and it ought to be the workman's ambition to make this possible."
Henry's thoughts in todays world (2007-12-10) : 5/5
In reading the book I keep thinking what Henry was saying in 1922 could be said today. War profiteering, patriotism, interest rates, bureaucracy, education are all topics that sound so familiar in today's news. Henry had it right then in lots of ways and I think a lot of what he put forth it could be used in today's society.