Target

Author: Qi Ruolan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-01-01
Features: This book is hailed as the world's most successful business management novel. It has been included as required reading for finance and business management students by many universities in the West, including Harvard Business School. Over the decade since its publication, it has been translated into nineteen languages and sold over 3 million copies! The author, Eliyahu Goldratt, is an Israeli physicist and management consultant. He explains his original "Theory of Constraints (TOC)" using a novelistic approach. The book depicts how a factory, after implementing TOC, transforms from a crisis-ridden situation to one of prosperity. Many fundamental principles of business management are conveyed naturally to readers through vivid narration. The book has a clear structure, with high points and climaxes throughout. What's truly astonishing is its authenticity and relatability—it feels as if everything in the book is happening right around us.
The novel begins with a vivid depiction of fierce market competition. The factory faces numerous crises, and the headquarters has reached their limit, announcing a three-month deadline for improvement or else the factory will be shut down. The plant manager, due to severe imbalance between his family and work life, finds himself in a difficult predicament. As the protagonist, a man with ambition and responsibility, he must face these challenges. The book's narrative is clear and structured, with high points and climaxes. The most astonishing aspect is its realism and familiarity—it feels as if everything in the book is happening around us.