The Origins of Efficiency
4.8 (65 items)
Limited Time Sale$54.00 cheaper than the new price!!
Free cash-on-delivery fees for purchases over $99
Product details
| Management number | 209058428 | Release Date | 2026/03/29 | List Price | $36.00 | Model Number | 209058428 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category | |||||||||
An examination of how production processesâfrom penicillin to steel to semiconductorsâget more efficient over time, and a powerful argument for efficiency as an underrated driver of progress. Efficiency is the engine that powers human civilization. Itâs the reason rates of famine have fallen precipitously, literacy has risen, and humans are living longer, healthier lives compared to preindustrial times. But where do improvements in production efficiency come from? In The Origins of Efficiency, Brian Potter argues that improving production efficiencyâfinding ways to produce goods and services in less time, with less labor, using fewer resourcesâis the force behind some of the biggest and most consequential changes in human history. With unprecedented depth and detail, Potter examines the fundamental characteristics of a production process and how it can be made less time- and resource-intensive, and therefore less expensive. The book is punctuated with examples of production efficiency in practice, including how high-yield manufacturing methods made penicillin the âmiracle drugâ that reduced battlefield infection deaths by 80 percent during World War II; the 100-year history of process improvements in incandescent light bulb production; and how automakers like Ford, Toyota, and Tesla developed innovative production methods that transformed not just the automotive industry but manufacturing as a whole. He concludes by looking at sectors where production costs havenât fallen, and explores how we might harness the mechanisms of production efficiency to change that. The Origins of Efficiency is a comprehensive companion for anyone seeking to understand how we arrived at this age of relative abundanceâand how we can push efficiency improvements further into domains like housing, medicine, and education, where much work is left to be done. âBrian Potter is the single best writer in America on how important things get built, and his new book is the single best example of his work.â âDerek Thompson, author of Hit Makers and coauthor of Abundance âBy the time you finish this book, youâll feel like youâre well on your way to becoming an expert in manufacturing.â âNoah Smith, author of Noahpinion Read more
Bestseller ranking
Lean
Customers who viewed this product also viewed
Witches & Wizards
Correction of product information
If you notice any omissions or errors in the product information on this page, please use the correction request form below.
Correction Request Form