Running Your Machines with SPC (Walkabout)

Book Description

After 30+ years of working with and teaching plant managers, author James Abbott has identified the qualities that set apart the most successful and promotable of this group. These managers have an intricate understanding of their machines, they are expert at assessing each component of their operation, and everyone at their facility has explicitly defined duties. These qualities are achieved by learning a specific set of holistic skills. This book provides a unique opportunity for managers to study the interrelationships necessary to take full advantage of Statistical Process Control.

RUNNING YOUR MACHINES WITH SPC explains how and why to use control charts. In addition to the conventional control charts and capability studies, you will be introduced to bonus tools like the Walkabout(R) Dependency Diagram. You will practice plotting readings on a control chart, and learn what the data is saying about the process. Finally, you will follow along as a fictional company tries to implement SPC, but misuses some good tools. When the company correctly uses SPC, the results are immediately evident.

Customer Reviews:

A Book that explained it all.......2004-03-10

I found and bought this book based on a review in Technometrics. It lived up to all my expectations. The book not explained what to do but also what not to do. This book will give everyone a jump start as to how to use SPC to make their facility run better.

My Preferred Book for Operations SPC Training.......2001-06-06

"Running Your Machines with SPC" is the book I recommend for both new and 'sustainment' operations SPC training.

Too often, operations personnel have been introduced to charting methods from a quality or engineering perspective, and not from a tactical operations point of view. A quality perspective often emphasizes product disposition, and an engineering perspective usually focuses on capability issues.

Book Description

As recommended by TV's "WISH YOU WERE HERE" The ultimate walking guide to the Cotswolds "THE COTSWOLD WAY" this long distance walk is famous the world over, and rightly so for it crosses the Cotswolds showing the land as it is seen best by foot. Written by MARK RICHARDS (well known long distance walker) in his own very special style pointing out the history behind what is seen, showing the reader in illustration the beauty of the Cotswolds and drawing maps so detailed that it would be difficult to get lost even on purpose!. The maps show both the standard way along with the 1998/99 planned official direction changes making it fully up to date and usable for many years to come. Cover design from a painting of the Cotswolds by the Internationally famous DAVID BELLAMY. Official guide used on "THE COTSWOLD WAY RELAY RACE" A publication by REARDON PUBLISHING the Cotswold Publisher a family run publishing house based in the Cotswolds using local authors and having the books printed in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, Reardon Publishing are also able to offer a whole range of Cotswold books along with maps and videos mostly in the specialised subjects of Walking, Cycling, Driving, and tourism in both the Cotswolds and associated Counties.

SPC: Practical Understanding of Capability by Implementing Statistical Process Control, third edition (Walkabout)

Average customer rating:

Excellent, self-paced program
Self-paced learning materials
This author doesn't know the first thing about statistics
Worst book for SPC users
"Practical"

SPC: Practical Understanding of Capability by Implementing Statistical Process Control, third edition (Walkabout)
James C. Abbott
Manufacturer: Robert Houston Smith Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Statistics | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Quality Control | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Total Quality Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1887355030

Book Description

Statistical Process Control, or SPC, is one of the most misunderstood and underused tools in modern business practice. SPC: Practical Understanding of Capability by Implementing Statistical Process Control, third edition debunks the myth that SPC is only for engineers or technical managers. In fact, SPC is the proper set of tools for any operation where a product is created using a continuously repeated process. This is true for both manufacturing and service industries (sometimes the "product" is actually a service to people.) Author James Abbott uses everyday language to explain WHAT makes SPC work, WHY it will work for every situation, and HOW it fits into the overall decision-making process. This third edition of SPC is the result of years of feedback and refinement. An expanded appendix provides complete glossaries of terms, constants, formulas, and a practice question and answer section.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, self-paced program.......2003-10-08

This book, along with the Self Study
Guide, are excellent self paced learning materials. I highly recommend these materials to anyone whose job demands a thorough knowledge of Statistical Process Control.

Self-paced learning materials.......2003-08-12

The SPC " Practical Understanding of Capability by Implementing Statistical Process Control" along with the Self Study
Guide are excellent self paced learning materials. I highly recommend these materials to anyone whose job demands a thorough knowledge of Statistical Process Control.

This author doesn't know the first thing about statistics.......2001-08-12

I think that it is sad that a book of such extremely poor technical quality, which the author believes is "practical understanding", fools so many people who do not understand statistics themselves. If you have not been exposed to statistics for sometime, or have always wanted to learn statistical methods, then this should not be your first book. Anyone who has been exposed to a good book on statistics, or attended a class or seminar on statistics, will quickly see that this book contains numerous incorrect definitions and interpretations of statistical terms and methods. A book review of this book by noted statistician, Lloyd Nelson (who is an ASQ Fellow and Shewhart medalist) appeared in the April 2001 issue of the Journal of Quality Technology.

As an example, the author defines the binomial distribution as one which has two modes, which he has confused with the biMODal distribution. The range is defined as the (data point - average), which would produce both positive and negative values. Of course, the range is known (by everyone else except the author) as the difference between the largest and smallest values of a set of data, so it can never assume a negative value. His discussion of control charts also demonstrates a lack of understanding as to their use and the underlying distributions on which they are based. For instance, his statement that the binomial and Poisson distributions are a special case of the normal distribution is blatantly incorrect. The list of examples goes on and on, and many more can be found in Nelson's book review.

The best advice this reviewer can give someone shopping for an easy to read and credible book on statistics is to pass this one up, save your money, and keep looking. If you subscribe to one of the journals of ASQ (American Society for Quality), namely the Journal of Quality Technology and Technometrics, then read their book reviews. The reviewers are very knowledgable and are composed of Senior Members and Fellows who have considerable practical and theoretical knowledge. They can offer valuable information on which books give the best value for the money.

Worst book for SPC users.......2001-08-01

This text is one of the worst in terms of technical merit and correctness. The author obviously does not have much of an idea about statistics and how to implement SPC....

"Practical".......2001-06-24

" The word practical in the book's subtitle says it all. The book has a decision making focus (still has the math). This really clarified everything for me. Not just a math book but a how to make SPC work for you. The idea of different tools for strategic and tactical decisions was new and refreshing."

Average customer rating:

Walkabout: Life As Holy Spirit
Mark Patrick Hederman
Manufacturer: Columba Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

The Cotswold Way "A Walkers Map" (Walkabout)

Average customer rating:

The Cotswold Way "A Walkers Map" (Walkabout)
Roger Noyce
Manufacturer: Reardon Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Map

Walking | Hiking & Camping | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1873877250

Book Description

Written, Researched, Walked and Mapping by Roger Noyce. This map was created by Roger Noyce after several years of walking and personally mapping this famous route, the mapping is based on pre-1947 O.S. material supplemented by GPS. This A2 double sided walking map is divided into 8 convenient sections, and unfolds to reveal the section required for the days walking. The map has an approximate scale of 1-1/2 in. to 1 mile and is marked in miles. A publication by REARDON PUBLISHING the Cotswold Publisher a family run publishing house based in the Cotswolds using local authors and having the books printed in the Gloucestershire Cotswolds, Reardon Publishing are also able to offer a whole range of Cotswold books along with maps and videos mostly in the specialised subjects of Walking, Cycling, Driving, and tourism in both the Cotswolds and associated Counties.

Average customer rating:

Koala Bear's walkabout
Anita Hewett
Manufacturer: Sterling Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Gone Boy: A Walkabout: A Father's Search for the Truth in His Son's Murder

Average customer rating:

A journey into the heart of a parent
An emotional journey
brave & eloquent
Gone Boy -- a riveting read
alright alright

Gone Boy: A Walkabout: A Father's Search for the Truth in His Son's Murder
Gregory Gibson
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Grief & Bereavement | Death & Grief | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Gun Control | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Parenting Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
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Accessories:

ASIN: 0385720041
Release Date: 2000-10-03

Book Description

With a New Afterword

When Greg Gibson's oldest son, Galen--eighteen, bright, unique, full of promise--was shot and killed by a fellow student at his school, Gibson found himself undertaking an unusual, highly personal investigation to discover the truth about his son's murder. He felt he owed it to his son, and he knew the process would help save his own sanity.

Gibson's journey begins with a visit to the man who sold the killer the gun and builds to an astonishing interview with the killer's parents--hardworking Taiwanese immigrants as anguished as the Gibsons about their own "gone boy." Along the way, he meets investigators, lawyers, psychiatrists, conspiracy theorists, bureaucrats, and more than a few lost souls.

An important exploration of gun violence in America, this unforgettable book shows a man talking his way out of grief with toughness, honesty, and a sense of humor as dry and bracing as a shot of good whisky. It also tells the unsentimental story of a family moving beyond rage to an understanding of the human heart.

Customer Reviews:

A journey into the heart of a parent.......2005-02-24

A moving account of how a father tries to come to terms with the random shooting death of his son. What we learn is that while the journey is probably necessary, there are really no terms to be found. No answers that will make dad say "wow, now I understand."

But that does not mean the journey should not be under taken. His acount of handeling the weapon that killed his son is as powerful a passage as there can be.

The book starts slower than it reads later in the text.

An emotional journey.......2004-12-14

Once I started reading Gone Boy, I could not put it down. Many times the words were a blur as tears filled my eyes thinking of Mr. Gibson's pain. He writes in a style that bears his soul and makes him as vulnerable and racked with pain as you and I would be in the same situation. However, he deals with it in a most unique way, he trys to find out all he can about Galen's murder, from the mental state of his killer to the manufactuer of the ammunition and everything in between. The most fascinating aspect of it all is that Mr. Gibson searches for all the components of his son's murder and gives us a picture of how all of these fragments happened to come together in the same place and time on that tragic day. My heart goes out to him and his family. His story is a sad one but necessary for the healing process.

brave & eloquent.......2001-08-25

For such a disturbing and sad subject, you are unable to take a break or put it down. It remains facinating and never falls into a "sob story". It is rational but allows you to feel every emotion along with the author. This book is a triumph!

Gone Boy -- a riveting read.......2001-08-16

Gone Boy, is Gregory Gibson's exploration of the facts and emotions surrounding the murder of his young son. As many other reviewers have remarked, it is beautifully written, thoughtful, and fascinating.

I expected the book to be a litany of complaints, wrongs, conspiracies and so-forth, and it was remarkably devoid of such histrionics. It was subtle and intelligent. Gibson's lack of histrionics makes the impact of his book all the stronger. His documentation of the incompetence of the Simon's Rock administration is bone-chilling.

One of the most interesting, and again, chilling, parts of the book was a description of his meeting with Leon Botstein, President of Bard College (to which Simon's Rock belongs). Yet, despite numerous reasons Gibson has to be disgusted with the performance of the Simon's Rock administration, he has managed to contain his anger enough to write a well-reasoned, moving book -- one that is at the same time a memorial to his son, and food for thought about violence in our society, our schools, and the domino-effect that each small decision can have in creating a tragedy.

alright alright.......2001-05-26

although the book was fairly well written i am a bit angered by the way gibson puts down the college. the college is very much still aware of the shooting and i don't appreciate being asked if i "go to that school where people get shot."

Southwest Circle Quest - A Walkabout in the American Outback

Average customer rating:

Where's the spiritual part?
A tale of adventure that inspires the soul
A mystical, beautiful, life-making story.

Southwest Circle Quest - A Walkabout in the American Outback
Brett A. Lecompte , and A.,Brett LeCompte
Manufacturer: Canyon Country Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0925685348

Customer Reviews:

Where's the spiritual part?.......2000-09-16

This book would get five stars from me for being a compelling story of a walk through the southwestern desert (most of the locales well-known to me) if that's all it purported to be. But I downgraded it to three because it purports to be a spiritual quest but is almost empty of the kind of personal questions, thoughtful reflections, and insights you would expect in that kind of book. It seemed to me that he covered a lot of ground but never got anywhere. If you want hearty on-foot adventure and survival, though, your money will be well spent. Everything long-distance hikers have nightmares about: You'll sweat with him through a harrowing time when a friend forgets to send money at an agreed time to an agreed place and the author has no cash for food, and another time when his boots fall apart, the endless and sometimes frightening search for water. You'll wonder why he started his trip through the desert during the hottest time of the year, and it is never explained. Still, he's got guts and determination and these qualities see him through.

A tale of adventure that inspires the soul.......1999-07-23

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Brett's book about his amazing adventure into the wilderness of the Southwest. It is a well written and exciting story and I found that I did not want to put it down. I read the whole thing in two sittings. Few people have the courage to undertake what Brett did. The book has inspired me to live simpler and closer to my heart and to cherish the beauty of this Earth.

A mystical, beautiful, life-making story........1999-03-04

This isn't just a book, it's an adventure you can enjoy again and again. Brett's journey is a soulful evolution through the most magical land in the USA. It shows what the culmination of dreams and the human will can co-create. This man WALKED through 1400 miles of the American Southwest, recording his thoughts and personal unfolding. It is a journey not to be missed. If you enjoy philosophy, the desert, or just pure adventure, you will love this book.

Average customer rating:

See the Movie
Dated but still a compelling read
An exellent survival book.
Walkabout In A Nutshell
An insightful adventure

Walkabout (Puffin Books)
James Vance Marshall
Manufacturer: Puffin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0140312927

Customer Reviews:

See the Movie.......2007-03-08

"Walkabout" is the novel that inspired the Nicolas Roeg-directed 1971 film that is considered a masterpiece. And the film is a masterpiece, so original and so beautiful to look at that it has a hypnotic quality to it. Then there's the book, which has the same plot outline but bares few similarities to the film. In the novel, we meet two American siblings. Fourteen year old Mary and six-year-old Peter, who are the sole survivors of a plane crash and are now forced to wander the Australian desert. During their walk, wondering how they're going to get food and water, they meet a young naked Aborigine boy doing his walkabout. The walkabout is a six month period of time in which a young Aborigine man-child must wander the outback of Australia using his survival skills and knowledge of hunting to stay alive (or not). Sensing that they're weak, the Aborigine begins leading the children through the desert. Since they don't speak the same language, Peter begins to try and communicate with the boy. Mary, who is a typical 14-year-old girl, doesn't try and communicate with the boy. The theme of the novel and the film is "miscommunication" and it ruins the lives of both Mary and the Aborigine, although a little more so in the movie. The book doesn't pack a real dramatic punch. It's a brisk 158 page read that is entertaining, but it amazed me while reading it that it managed to inspire such an incredible film. First off, the way the children are stranded in the desert is much more haunting in the film. The fate of the Aborigine is much more poignant in the movie. The film has a magical and hypnotic quality that the book simply does not possess. If the movie didn't exist, I'd recommend you read the book. The movie does exist though and so I must say that the only reason you should read the book is if you've already seen the movie and you're curious. I think there's a real danger that reading the book and then seeing the movie will ruin that magic of it. The movie is a masterpiece, the book is entertaining and provides a small history lesson. The book is also much more character driven then the film, obviously, because you hear what the characters think and say. The film doesn't even bless the characters with names and it gives them sparse dialogue. If you want to read the book, go ahead but I suggest you see the film first.

GRADE: B-

Dated but still a compelling read.......2006-09-03

As dated as this book is and remember it was first published in the 1950s, there is something compelling about it that makes you want to read it from cover to cover.

The plot in itself is quite simple, two white children, a boy and a girl are lost in the Australian outback after a plane crash which kills the crew; neither child has any experience in the art of surviving in a hostile environment and it is only by luck they are found by a young Aborigine boy who is on Walkabout, a trek he must make alone before he can be called a man.

The story follows the children and their saviour through the outback until the death of the Aborigine caused either by the racial prejudice of the white girl who fears the Aborigine along possibly with her own blossoming sexuality (however I am not so sure about this because of the era the book was written in) or the fact he (the Aborigine) did not have any immunity against the diseases that while people carried such as the common cold.

Either way the children are on their own again but they now have the survival skills they need to make their way back to their own world which is filled all the trappings of supposed civilisation, such as technology and racism.

A surprisingly haunting read even now in the 21st century and it was made into a film some years ago with Jenny Agutter in the leading role.

An exellent survival book........2005-09-08

If you like the survival books (Hachet, the Cay) you'll probally like this book. But unlike the other survival stories it occurs right in the middle of the Austrailan Outback. An American boy and girl meet up with an Aborigine boy and face the rough desert together. The author of the story tells of the flora and fauna that normally coudn't survive in that habitat, but is still facinating to learn about. They have to get used to each other's culture of life, which gets the bushboy killed. It is a great book about culture and life and I think you would like it to.

Walkabout In A Nutshell.......2004-04-01

The book Walkabout by James Vance Marshall portrays the difficulties that arise when two siblings find themselves lost in the Australian Outback fighting to stay survive. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it showed how the children were guided and how the knowledge of an Aborigine boy provides a vital source of information that greatly increases their chances of survival. The story had an excellent flow to it, and the word choice is exceptional, Marshall's description of the land lets the readers imaginations' run rampant. My only complaint about this book would be the fact that it was a little slow at times, but overall it was an excellent, well-written book.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is captivated by the television show Survivor. There are so many descriptions of native plant life and species of animals that provide a source of nutrition for the children. Also, anyone who is interested in the outdoors and living in harsh, extreme conditions would be fascinated by the techniques that are used to stay alive by the Aborigine boy. These skills have been used for thousands upon thousands of years, but they still hold true even in the technologically advanced 21st century. This book was an excellent read, and it would most likely be enjoyed by anyone who read it.

An insightful adventure.......2003-10-14

Two modern American school children from Charleston, South Carolina are trapped after a plane crash in the brutal desert of Australia where no one is around in miles. Their "civilized" destination, tens of miles away, is a small town by the name of Adelaide. Walkabout is a realistic adventure story that reminds us of the bitter wilds of Australia that have been forgotten. It also reminds us of how arduous it is to survive in the exhausting conditions of the desert, especially in Australia. Walkabout puts you in a defenseless little world where civilization is lacked. You even get to know about the Aborigines that live in the Australian outback. By the end of this exciting Walkabout readers will be quite thankful that they are alive comfortably at home reading this book. The vivid descriptions of nature and the wilds in this book make it a stunning success. It reveals and pictures in our mind the beauty and splendor of the Australian wild. There is no doubt that this story has left me with some beautiful images in my mind of the terrific wilds of Australia. I think that this thrilling adventure is so effective that when you finish reading the book, you will want to meet these to modern children who have survived many days of desert. There is also a film called Walkabout that is strongly recommended to see. You will love the film if you have read and enjoyed the book. "Walkabout is a small masterpiece...one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen" -Rex Reed, Daily News. If you like fiction then you'll enjoy this one. Give it a try, I'm sure that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

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