Best Automotive Industries
Eliminating wasted time and resources Building quality into workplace systems Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology Producing in small quantities Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector. The result is an amazing business success story: steadily taking market share from price-cutting competitors, earning far more profit than any other automaker, and winning the praise of business leaders worldwide. Dr. Jeffrey Liker, a renowned authority on Toyota's Lean methods, explains how you can adopt these principles--known as the "Toyota Production System" or "Lean Production"--to improve the speed of your business processes, improve product and service quality, and cut costs, no matter what your industry. You'll learn how Toyota fosters employee involvement at all levels, discover the difference between traditional process improvement and Toyota's Lean improvement, and learn why companies often think they are Lean--but aren't. The Toyota Way, explain's Toyota's unique approach to Lean--the 14 management principles and philosophy that drive Toyota's quality and efficiency-obsessed culture. The book is full of examples of the 14 fundamental principles at work in the Toyota culture, and how these principles create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Being from a mechanical and industrial engineering, this book brought out many changes in my work life and personal life."
"It's mostly a history book but it's a really neat one all the same."
"I listened to the audiobook while driving along with reading the book whenever I was stationary such as home and work."
"A treasure chest, chuck full of powerful concepts, explained simply, clearly, and concisely: sums it up for me!"
"I'm just an unfrozen caveman operations guy and even I can see the genius behind these principles."
"Excellent book!"
"While Mr. Liker is apparently very keen on Toyota, the lean methods and principles speak for themselves."
The inside story of the epic turnaround of Ford Motor Company under the leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. In the bestselling tradition of Too Big to Fail and The Big Short , American Icon is narrative nonfiction at its vivid and colorful best. “A standout…brimming with smart observations and fresh insights into Ford’s success.” –Alex Taylor, Fortune “Fly-on-the-wall accounts of Mulally negotiating deals and Ford overcoming challenges from the inside and outside…A paean to the ingenuity, grit and optimism that once defined American industry and to capitalism played with government on the sidelines.” – Reuters “A compelling narrative that reads more like a thriller than a business book.” – New York Times “A must-read.” – Huffington Post “A fascinating read for anyone who follows the car industry.” –Financial Times. “Bryce G. Hoffman’s American Icon brilliantly recounts the Lazarus-like resurgence of the Ford Motor Company under the bold and inspiring leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. Highly recommend!” —Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, Rice University, and author of Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress “Bryce Hoffman has written a riveting tome based on deep insider information about the resurrection of the Ford Motor Company from a near death experience and the establishment of a business model that promises to be a prototype for large organizations of all types.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But the book provides so much background detail about meetings and personal interactions that it becomes very clear early in the book that Mulally really is as genuine and down-to-earth as he has been portrayed in other media. Again, Hoffman demystifies Ford's roll, corrects many of my own assumptions about who he is personally and also provides some insight into the types of individuals in the Ford family. The topic of the Ford family comes up a number of times in the book and Hoffman lays out very squarely that some of the family are nothing more than decedents of the fortune who have no daily connection to the company, and others as mid-level managers, learning and guiding the business, who live and breathe by the companies success and failure and desperately want it to succeed."
"Intertwined in the midst of a wonderful comeback story are proven leadership principles that can be applied anywhere."
"Credit Bill Ford for having the guts to realize that he did not have the ability to save the company."
"As the book ends, the Ford turnround per se is achieved but it begs for an epilogue in the near future or maybe a follow up about the search for Mr. - Related to the former point: the end of the book where the author reflects on the various elements of the turnaround context is also useful. But it is happening in a context that matters a great deal to give full force to Mullaly's leadership qualities. - Each chapter is preceded by a quote from Henry Ford, putting the content under his intellectual patronage. But given the rather complex and larger-than-life Henry Ford (including unsavory sides), it would have deserved a few lines in the intro to better define the boundaries of this intellectual patronage (or did I just miss it?). A change in the company and the industry did not go without affecting many lives… It is not the subject of the book but could have put in perspective the positive tone of the turnaround and highlighted some costs. I read "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis and the 2 books offer an interesting contrast. Perhaps later Google and Facebook… The high tech industry is currently going through a major change and those who will know how to lead a large company reinvention should be an interesting subjects for the talented Mr. Hoffman."
"This book chronicles the evolution of the company to its current dominance - all in the context of Ford's historic past."
"Very well written book."
A Washington Post reporter’s intimate account of the fallout from the closing of a General Motors’ assembly plant in Janesville, Wisconsin—Paul Ryan’s hometown—and a larger story of the hollowing of the American middle class. For this is not just a Janesville story or a Midwestern story. “Goldstein is a gifted storyteller, and Janesville is a raw, beautiful story, one that sheds needed light on a country searching for some pathway to the future.” —J.D. “A superb feat of reportage, Janesville combines a heart-rending account of the implications of the closing on GM workers and their families with a sobering analysis of the response of the public and private sectors. The reporting behind this book is extraordinary and the story—a stark, heart-breaking reminder that political ideologies have real consequences—is told with rare sympathy and insight.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Soul of a New Machine. “We’ve been hearing a lot since the November election about the press missing The Story of a middle class losing ground, hope, and heart.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"“Even a small city wrenched by the worst of what a mighty recession metes out does not have a single fate.”. Amy Goldstein tells the varied fates of the people of Janesville, Wisconsin beginning with the closing of Janesville’s manufacturing plants in 2008. I’ve witnessed first-hand how my clients among America’s former great industrial companies booted thousands of their employees out the door and shipped their jobs off to China and Mexico, often after brutally extorting the fired American employees into training their foreign replacements by threatening to withhold their severance pay. It was followed by the unrelated closing of the town’s other major employer, the famous Parker Pen Company, which fired its American employees and moved their jobs to Mexico. (Perhaps they did not make permanent moves to the other towns because they held out hope that GM would eventually re-open the Janesville plant. The town succeeded, by paying $11,500,000, to attract the distribution center of one of the “dollar store” chains, Another grant of $36,000,000 of public money (state, local, federal) attracted a startup medical devices manufacturing company, that may eventually employ up to 150 people. The new jobs pay much less than GM paid, so many people have drastically reduced their standard of living. =====. “Laid-off workers who went back to school were less likely to have a job after they retrained than those who had not gone to school.”. Retraining did not translate into greater success at finding a job. When the major employer in a town closes, every other employer loses business and starts laying off its people too. NAFTA-WITH-MEXICO and GATT-WITH-CHINA were sold on the promise that they would “create millions of high paying jobs for American workers who will make products for export.” American companies never intended to use free trade agreements to export to other countries. The pool of $2 / hour labor in Mexico induced the Parker Pen Company to give its American employees the boot, and perhaps expedited the decision by GM to permanently close its Janesville operation. (I don’t know if GM’s management made this calculation, but I witnessed management’s calculation at other companies that moving work to Mexico and China would enable the closing of US factories during the next recession). “Retraining for a better job” is a delusion foisted by executives and Wall Street money funds who profit by beating Americans out of their jobs. They want to make it socially acceptable to profiteer by sending their people’s jobs to Mexico or China by pretending that it’s the American workers’ fault for being too dumb to retrain for some line of work more in demand. This is yet another sign that the so-called “new economy” failed to replace the jobs that were lost when we relocated the high-paying jobs to Mexico and China. Wisconsin, even with its diminished manufacturing economy, retains some family-owned, closely-held companies that haven’t yet been taken over by Wall Street hacks who buy companies in order to shut them down and move the Americans’ work to Mexico and China. Places like Janesville and other towns in the middle of the country have a sense of community that will always make them home to the people who grew up there."
"People who participate in job training often end up worse off than those who do not. Going from middle class to food stamps is not a pretty thing."
"for a sociologist."
"Impeccably researched, beautifully written."
"An interesting book, that ends up being a bit of a downer."
"was a good look into town and loss of work."
"It was a pretty clear picture o f what happened here when G.M."
"As a fifth generation native of southern Wisconsin--descended from immigrant dairy farmers who prospered in Rock, Green, and Dane Counties, but also of a father with an 8th grade education who spent a working life in a foundry in suburban Milwaukee--perhaps I'm too close to Marv and Matt Wopat and their colleagues to see the heroism in showing up to work everyday and hoping for the best. Who believe with unassailable certainty that the arc of American economic expansion after the war--an anachronism just as surely as plantation farming in the South and textile milling in England during the 18th and 19th centuries--constitutes an eternal truth. Whether she set out with a disposition to lionize the lineworker or whether she simply warmed up to people who are obviously honest and hardworking, there's a consistent tone that's better suited to a high school essay about grandpa who served in the war than to a vigorous piece of journalism."
Best Transportation Industry
Eliminating wasted time and resources Building quality into workplace systems Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology Producing in small quantities Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector. The result is an amazing business success story: steadily taking market share from price-cutting competitors, earning far more profit than any other automaker, and winning the praise of business leaders worldwide. Dr. Jeffrey Liker, a renowned authority on Toyota's Lean methods, explains how you can adopt these principles--known as the "Toyota Production System" or "Lean Production"--to improve the speed of your business processes, improve product and service quality, and cut costs, no matter what your industry. You'll learn how Toyota fosters employee involvement at all levels, discover the difference between traditional process improvement and Toyota's Lean improvement, and learn why companies often think they are Lean--but aren't. The Toyota Way, explain's Toyota's unique approach to Lean--the 14 management principles and philosophy that drive Toyota's quality and efficiency-obsessed culture. The book is full of examples of the 14 fundamental principles at work in the Toyota culture, and how these principles create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is a good mix of examples of how the Toyota way is followed and how to implement."
"The original story by the original people - buy this for the "lean production" method."
"Being from a mechanical and industrial engineering, this book brought out many changes in my work life and personal life."
"Toyota not only lead the way for manufacturing but for building a company and culture of continuous self improvement for all aspects of the company."
"It's mostly a history book but it's a really neat one all the same."
"I listened to the audiobook while driving along with reading the book whenever I was stationary such as home and work."
"A treasure chest, chuck full of powerful concepts, explained simply, clearly, and concisely: sums it up for me!"
Best Total Quality Management
Eliminating wasted time and resources Building quality into workplace systems Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology Producing in small quantities Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector. The result is an amazing business success story: steadily taking market share from price-cutting competitors, earning far more profit than any other automaker, and winning the praise of business leaders worldwide. Dr. Jeffrey Liker, a renowned authority on Toyota's Lean methods, explains how you can adopt these principles--known as the "Toyota Production System" or "Lean Production"--to improve the speed of your business processes, improve product and service quality, and cut costs, no matter what your industry. You'll learn how Toyota fosters employee involvement at all levels, discover the difference between traditional process improvement and Toyota's Lean improvement, and learn why companies often think they are Lean--but aren't. The Toyota Way, explain's Toyota's unique approach to Lean--the 14 management principles and philosophy that drive Toyota's quality and efficiency-obsessed culture. The book is full of examples of the 14 fundamental principles at work in the Toyota culture, and how these principles create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is a good mix of examples of how the Toyota way is followed and how to implement."
"The original story by the original people - buy this for the "lean production" method."
"Being from a mechanical and industrial engineering, this book brought out many changes in my work life and personal life."
"Toyota not only lead the way for manufacturing but for building a company and culture of continuous self improvement for all aspects of the company."
"It's mostly a history book but it's a really neat one all the same."
"I listened to the audiobook while driving along with reading the book whenever I was stationary such as home and work."
"A treasure chest, chuck full of powerful concepts, explained simply, clearly, and concisely: sums it up for me!"
Best Automobile Industry
The inside story of the epic turnaround of Ford Motor Company under the leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. In the bestselling tradition of Too Big to Fail and The Big Short , American Icon is narrative nonfiction at its vivid and colorful best. “A standout…brimming with smart observations and fresh insights into Ford’s success.” –Alex Taylor, Fortune “Fly-on-the-wall accounts of Mulally negotiating deals and Ford overcoming challenges from the inside and outside…A paean to the ingenuity, grit and optimism that once defined American industry and to capitalism played with government on the sidelines.” – Reuters “A compelling narrative that reads more like a thriller than a business book.” – New York Times “A must-read.” – Huffington Post “A fascinating read for anyone who follows the car industry.” –Financial Times “A Detroit News journalist’s in-the-room account of the resurrection of America’s most storied car company…With colorful anecdotes, sharp character sketches, telling details and a firm understanding of the industry, Hoffman fleshes out every aspect of this tale, reminding us of the hard work, tension, and high-stakes drama that preceded the successful result.” — Kirkus. “Bryce G. Hoffman’s American Icon brilliantly recounts the Lazarus-like resurgence of the Ford Motor Company under the bold and inspiring leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. Highly recommend!” —Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, Rice University, and author of Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress “Bryce Hoffman has written a riveting tome based on deep insider information about the resurrection of the Ford Motor Company from a near death experience and the establishment of a business model that promises to be a prototype for large organizations of all types.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased it hoping to get a decent idea of what Ford went through during the economic crisis of 2006-2009, but this book proved to be a detailed, engrossing story that I could barely put down."
"This is an excellent book on Mullaly and more importantly, on Ford."
"But the book provides so much background detail about meetings and personal interactions that it becomes very clear early in the book that Mulally really is as genuine and down-to-earth as he has been portrayed in other media. Again, Hoffman demystifies Ford's roll, corrects many of my own assumptions about who he is personally and also provides some insight into the types of individuals in the Ford family. The topic of the Ford family comes up a number of times in the book and Hoffman lays out very squarely that some of the family are nothing more than decedents of the fortune who have no daily connection to the company, and others as mid-level managers, learning and guiding the business, who live and breathe by the companies success and failure and desperately want it to succeed."
"He truly understands how to inspire great work by his colleagues and bring them out of a massively dysfunctional culture. Every organizational leader will do well to read and emulate his leadership style and substance. One of my favorite parts was where the direct reports to Alan were trying to put him in his place by saying that autos were very complex, required long lead times to create, and thousands of parts had to come together just right so the vehicle would run well. A second one was about two months into his effort when one person, who is now the current CEO, dared to say something wasn't going well in one of the Canadian operations under his organization. The weekly Thursday meeting was another brilliant innovation to keep things moving rapidly and solving problems as they went forward with plans many of his subordinates had developed."
Best Transportation Industry
The inside story of the epic turnaround of Ford Motor Company under the leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. In the bestselling tradition of Too Big to Fail and The Big Short , American Icon is narrative nonfiction at its vivid and colorful best. “A standout…brimming with smart observations and fresh insights into Ford’s success.” –Alex Taylor, Fortune “Fly-on-the-wall accounts of Mulally negotiating deals and Ford overcoming challenges from the inside and outside…A paean to the ingenuity, grit and optimism that once defined American industry and to capitalism played with government on the sidelines.” – Reuters “A compelling narrative that reads more like a thriller than a business book.” – New York Times “A must-read.” – Huffington Post “A fascinating read for anyone who follows the car industry.” –Financial Times “A Detroit News journalist’s in-the-room account of the resurrection of America’s most storied car company…With colorful anecdotes, sharp character sketches, telling details and a firm understanding of the industry, Hoffman fleshes out every aspect of this tale, reminding us of the hard work, tension, and high-stakes drama that preceded the successful result.” — Kirkus. “Bryce G. Hoffman’s American Icon brilliantly recounts the Lazarus-like resurgence of the Ford Motor Company under the bold and inspiring leadership of CEO Alan Mulally. Highly recommend!” —Douglas Brinkley, professor of history, Rice University, and author of Wheels for the World: Henry Ford, His Company, and a Century of Progress “Bryce Hoffman has written a riveting tome based on deep insider information about the resurrection of the Ford Motor Company from a near death experience and the establishment of a business model that promises to be a prototype for large organizations of all types.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I purchased it hoping to get a decent idea of what Ford went through during the economic crisis of 2006-2009, but this book proved to be a detailed, engrossing story that I could barely put down."
"This is an excellent book on Mullaly and more importantly, on Ford."
"But the book provides so much background detail about meetings and personal interactions that it becomes very clear early in the book that Mulally really is as genuine and down-to-earth as he has been portrayed in other media. Again, Hoffman demystifies Ford's roll, corrects many of my own assumptions about who he is personally and also provides some insight into the types of individuals in the Ford family. The topic of the Ford family comes up a number of times in the book and Hoffman lays out very squarely that some of the family are nothing more than decedents of the fortune who have no daily connection to the company, and others as mid-level managers, learning and guiding the business, who live and breathe by the companies success and failure and desperately want it to succeed."
"He truly understands how to inspire great work by his colleagues and bring them out of a massively dysfunctional culture. Every organizational leader will do well to read and emulate his leadership style and substance. One of my favorite parts was where the direct reports to Alan were trying to put him in his place by saying that autos were very complex, required long lead times to create, and thousands of parts had to come together just right so the vehicle would run well. A second one was about two months into his effort when one person, who is now the current CEO, dared to say something wasn't going well in one of the Canadian operations under his organization. The weekly Thursday meeting was another brilliant innovation to keep things moving rapidly and solving problems as they went forward with plans many of his subordinates had developed."
Best Manufacturing Industry
Eliminating wasted time and resources Building quality into workplace systems Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology Producing in small quantities Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector. The result is an amazing business success story: steadily taking market share from price-cutting competitors, earning far more profit than any other automaker, and winning the praise of business leaders worldwide. Dr. Jeffrey Liker, a renowned authority on Toyota's Lean methods, explains how you can adopt these principles--known as the "Toyota Production System" or "Lean Production"--to improve the speed of your business processes, improve product and service quality, and cut costs, no matter what your industry. You'll learn how Toyota fosters employee involvement at all levels, discover the difference between traditional process improvement and Toyota's Lean improvement, and learn why companies often think they are Lean--but aren't. The Toyota Way, explain's Toyota's unique approach to Lean--the 14 management principles and philosophy that drive Toyota's quality and efficiency-obsessed culture. The book is full of examples of the 14 fundamental principles at work in the Toyota culture, and how these principles create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is a good mix of examples of how the Toyota way is followed and how to implement."
"The original story by the original people - buy this for the "lean production" method."
"Being from a mechanical and industrial engineering, this book brought out many changes in my work life and personal life."
"Toyota not only lead the way for manufacturing but for building a company and culture of continuous self improvement for all aspects of the company."
"It's mostly a history book but it's a really neat one all the same."
"I listened to the audiobook while driving along with reading the book whenever I was stationary such as home and work."
"A treasure chest, chuck full of powerful concepts, explained simply, clearly, and concisely: sums it up for me!"
Best Electric & Hybrid Automotive
A guide on how to convert any gas- or diesel-powered vehicle to electric power. "Mark Warner is a professionally licensed mechanical engineer, a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, and a life-long automobile expert and builder.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I feel it goes very deep on the basics and it covers a lot of preliminary concepts, but it does not go as deep in the chapter related to real life conversions."
"This book is quickly becoming dated."
"Book was somewhat dated by this point in history but the basics were covered."
"This is a good starting point, I was hoping for a little more, I will need to find another book that maybe gets past the general description of components and more on integrating it into your ICE in an actual conversion."
"Lots of pictures but, a little more details needed."
"Awesome book if you're looking to convert your car to electric."
"Enjoyable and understandable ... lots of resources."
"Best Book available for the do-it-yourself person.Excellent product."
Best Quality Control
Eliminating wasted time and resources Building quality into workplace systems Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology Producing in small quantities Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector. The result is an amazing business success story: steadily taking market share from price-cutting competitors, earning far more profit than any other automaker, and winning the praise of business leaders worldwide. Dr. Jeffrey Liker, a renowned authority on Toyota's Lean methods, explains how you can adopt these principles--known as the "Toyota Production System" or "Lean Production"--to improve the speed of your business processes, improve product and service quality, and cut costs, no matter what your industry. You'll learn how Toyota fosters employee involvement at all levels, discover the difference between traditional process improvement and Toyota's Lean improvement, and learn why companies often think they are Lean--but aren't. The Toyota Way, explain's Toyota's unique approach to Lean--the 14 management principles and philosophy that drive Toyota's quality and efficiency-obsessed culture. The book is full of examples of the 14 fundamental principles at work in the Toyota culture, and how these principles create a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"There is a good mix of examples of how the Toyota way is followed and how to implement."
"The original story by the original people - buy this for the "lean production" method."
"Being from a mechanical and industrial engineering, this book brought out many changes in my work life and personal life."
"Toyota not only lead the way for manufacturing but for building a company and culture of continuous self improvement for all aspects of the company."
"It's mostly a history book but it's a really neat one all the same."
"I listened to the audiobook while driving along with reading the book whenever I was stationary such as home and work."
"A treasure chest, chuck full of powerful concepts, explained simply, clearly, and concisely: sums it up for me!"
Best Business Writing Skills
Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, On Writing Well offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. His 17 books include Writing to Learn; Mitchell & Ruff; Spring Training; American Places; Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs ; and most recently Writing About Your Life .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"For instance, if you skip the travel writing chapter, or if you read it thinking that it only applies to travel writing, then you will miss two golden and persuasive arguments that ought to apply to *any* writer: 1) The things that come to the writer easiest -- cliché, excessive detail, syrupy and vague language -- are the things that keep the reader bored/detached/passive. It's excruciatingly hard to do, but once you realize that that's the goal, and once you realize that the parts that come easiest are what's getting in the way of that goal, then you can start writing well."
"This book is one of the finest books ever written on the subject of nonfiction writing. And more than anything else, I learned to trust myself and the concept that, in the end, people don't love a book because they are in love with the subject, they love a book (and stick with it regardless of topic) because they like the author."
"I am a non-fiction writer and this is the best book I have read regarding what I hope to accomplish."
"This book is NOT a how-to write recipe book, rather one on fundamentals and principles. The third section discusses the different forms of writing (Nonfiction as Literature, The Interview, The Travel Article, The Memoir, Science and Technology, Business Writing, Sports, Writing About the Arts, and Humor). Finally the fourth and last section is on attitudes (The Sound of Your Voice, Enjoyment, Fear and Confidence, The Tyranny of the Final Product, A Writer's Decision, Write as Well as You Can). Overall, a very insightful book on the topic of writing non-fiction. On the critical side, given the breadth inherent in such a topic (writing), the book did not have a lot of depth in the areas presented. Below are some excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful: 1-On email: "Just because they are writing with ease and enjoyment doesn't mean they are writing well.""
"There's something so intimate in reading a book when you know its author pored over ever single verb, article and comma dozens of times to make the gestalt as cohesive as possible."
Best Quality Control & Management
Written in the parable style of The One Minute Manager, Raving Fans uses a brilliantly simple and charming story to teach how to define a vision, learn what a customer really wants, institute effective systems, and make Raving Fan Service a constant feature--not just another program of the month. 1 cassette / 90 minutes. Read by Rick Adamson, Kate Borger, and John Mollard.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great book for any one in customer service or education!"
"Overall I give the book 4/5 stars because I believe the need to learn the concept of raving fans outweighs the boredom I experienced at times as I read the book. The book would have received 5 stars, however, I have to deduct one star for the many pages of character conversations that should have been omitted from the book."
"Every new employee gets a copy of this book."
"A lot of what he wrote was true in the industrys today and his observations were right on when it came to us as consumers and our acceptance of sub par service from the waiter to the CEO of some of the largest companies in the US today."
"In deed they are ... yet the book needed to be written and read to "remind us" that they are common sense."