I was still a student in a manufacturing course when i first read this book. I have to admit that i did not understand much back then. After a while a read a couple of other books such as "lean thinking" and "the machine that changed the world".
I decided to read Mr. Ohno's book once more. It was at this time i realised his grandeur and his geneus. These are the the ideas of the creator of lean manufacturing himself.
I typical japanese style every paragraph contains a small lesson that the lean practioner should know. This is a "must have" for all industrial engineers and industral managers. The book itself decribes the saven wastes, how they affect a manufacturing system, JIT principle, the Toyota "house of lean", kanban and a lot of other issue. Even if you know all these you must find out how Ohno himself perceived these issues. It is guaranteed to be a revelation!