Steve "Sneeze" Wyatt attempts to thwart his parents' plan to have him skip eighth grade, but he has bigger problems when his friends disapprove of his new list and Mrs. "Fierce" Pierce threatens to keep him from the Invention Convention.

Your organizational transformation begins here! Comprehensive, detailed, and easy to read and understand, How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement takes you through a real-life case study of one organization’s journey to a world-class continuous improvement process. Joakim Ahlstrom—one of the world’s most respected continuous improvement experts—serves as your coach. He first helps you decide whether you want to embark on the continuous improvement journey and takes you through the entire process step by step, all the way through generating remarkable business results with his unique methods. In each chapter, Ahlstrom describes a specific stage of the transformation story and provides a clear analysis of each one to help you apply his methods in your own company. In no time you’ll grasp all the concepts you need to know. How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement covers it all, including: How to shift mindsets and behaviors using the often neglected practice of coaching Common pitfalls to help you plan out how you will apply the principles and practices Using “six-legged spiders” and “fishy” diagrams to achieve measurable results Ways to avoid “Watermelon” key performance indicators that often mask the truth Ahlstrom explains rational behind all the methods in the book—the results they produce, and why—and offers practical advice on how to get full input from everyone involved. Ahlstrom concludes the book with a chapter offering a current-state analysis tool and a simple template to apply in your company. If you’re seeking to design and launch a continuous improvement program, How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement is the first book you should turn to—and it’s the last one you’ll ever need! Praise for How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement “Using a story he lived through, Joakim vividly brings to life for us the transformation from a mediocre top-down organization depending on a few internal experts for its survival to a high performance organization of empowered employees engaged in continuous improvement.” –Jeffrey Liker, bestselling author of The Toyota Way “This succinct book packs an enormous amount of wisdom and experience into an entertaining fast read. It gives a clear roadmap for any leader to implement a strong continuous improvement program in his or her unit. Highly recommended!” –Alan G. Robinson, Professor of Management, University of Massachusetts and author of Corporate Creativity and Ideas are Free “The most valuable and lean book I have read about lean.” –Göran Martinsson, Continuous improvement Manager, IKEA “Well written, easy to read, filled with excellent examples . . . If you only plan to read one change management book this year, this is the book you should read.” –Dag Näslund, Professor of Management, University of North Florida “An amazing guide in lean principles, with simple tools for simplifications.” –Susanne Schipper, Continuous Improvement Coach, AstraZeneca “Simplicity is the essence of this great book. Ahlstrom delivers a straightforward and simple approach to support your work with continuous improvement.” –Ronny Ålund, Productivity Management, Volvo CE “This book is a little gem with large content! Unlike many other books on the subject, you only have to read it once because it sticks.” –Johan Valett, Vice President Haldex Way, Haldex “I recommend How to Succeed with Continuous Improvement to anyone who needs a fast and inspiring introduction to continuous improvement.” –Janne Lundberg, Global Lean Innovation Manager, Assa Abloy

In the summer of 1861, Americans were preoccupied by the question of which states would join the secession movement and which would remain loyal to the Union. This question was most fractious in the border states of Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. In Mi

These essays, written by leading historian of violence and Presidential Commission consultant Richard Maxwell Brown, consider the challenges posed to American society by the criminal, turbulent, and depressed elements of American life and the violent response of the established order. Covering violent incidents from colonial American to the present, Brown presents illuminating discussions of violence and the American Revolution, black-white conflict from slave revolts to the black ghetto riots of the 1960s, the vigilante tradition, and two of America's most violent regions--Central Texas, whic.