The Elegant Solution

One million. That's how many new ideas the Toyota organization receives from its employees every year. These ideas come from every level of the organization - from the factory floors to the corporate suites. And organizations all over the world want to learn how they do it. Now Matthew May, Senior Advisor to the University of Toyota, reveals how any company can create an environment of every day innovation and achieve the elegant solutions found only on the far side of complexity. A tactical guide for team-based innovation, THE ELEGANT SOLUTION delivers the formula to the three principles and ten practices that drive business creativity. Innovation isn't just about technology - it's about value, opportunity and impact. When a company embeds a real discipline around the pursuit of perfection, the sky is the limit. Dozens of case studies (from Toyota and other companies) illustrate the power and universality of these concepts; a unique 'clamshell strategy' prepares managers to ensure organizational success. At once a thought-shaper, a playmaker, and a taskmaster, THE ELEGANT SOLUTION is a practical field manual for everyone in corporate life.

Reveals the business philosophies of the Toyota corporation that have rendered it one of the ten most profitable companies in the world, explaining how its innovations have been culled from employees at every level of its organization and how their team-based examples can be successfully implemented by today's managers. 40,000 first printing.

"Toyota is becoming a double threat: the world's finest manufacturer and a truly great innovator . . . that formula, a combination of production prowess and technical innovation, is an unbeatable recipe for success." -- Fortune, February 2006 For the first time, an insider reveals the formula behind Toyota's unceasing quest to innovate and do more with less, a philosophy that has made it one of the ten most profitable companies in the world (and worth more than GM, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, and Honda combined). In a rare look into Toyota's ability to consistently achieve breakthroughs that outperform the competition, The Elegant Solution explains what Toyota associates have known all along: it's not about the cars. Rather, Toyota's astounding success is just the visible result of a hidden creative process that begins with a seven-digit number. One million. That's how many new ideas the Toyota organization implements every year. These ideas come from every level of the organization -- from the factory floors to the corporate suites. And organizations all over the world want to learn how it's done. Now senior University of Toyota advisor Matthew May shows how any company can achieve an environment of everyday innovation and discover the kinds of elegant solutions that hold the power to change the game forever. World-class benchmarks like Lexus, Prius, Scion -- even Toyota's vaunted production system -- are simply shining examples of elegant solutions. A tactical playbook for team-based innovation, The Elegant Solution delivers powerful lessons in breakthrough thinking in a provocative yet practical guide to the three core principles and ten key practices that shape successful business innovation. Innovation isn't just about technology -- it's about value, opportunity, and impact. When a company embeds a real discipline around tapping ingenuity in the pursuit of perfection, the sky is the limit. Dozens of case studies (from Toyota and other companies) illustrate the universal power and applicability of these concepts. A unique "clamshell strategy" prepares managers to successfully lead and sustain the innovation effort. At once a thought-starter and a taskmaster, The Elegant Solution is a vital prescription for anyone wanting to truly master business innovation.

Autistic junior fellow, Theo, and a first-year undergraduate, Charlotte, begin a romantic friendship which comes to be tested when Theo happens across a shocking revelation, which has embarrassing ramifications for the whole University not to mention a threat to their beloved city of Cambridge, England.

In a quiet 1720 Swiss university town, math prodigy Leonhard Euler tackles the elusive puzzle of his mentor's brother's suspicious death at the sides of the world's most brilliant and ruthless minds.

"The authors have provided a unique, strategy-focused resource supported by a wealth of engaging examples that mathematics teachers can readily use to help students develop a more purposeful, systematic, and successful approach to problem solving." —Howard W. Smith, Superintendent Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, Sleepy Hollow, NY "Helps both new and veteran teachers better understand the nature of problem solving as a critical mathematics process. The authors present in very simple terms the strategies that are the backbone of mathematics instruction. This indispensable material is useful at all levels, from basic stages to advanced student work to the development of top problem solvers." —Daniel Jaye, Principal Bergen County Academies, Hackensack, NJ Help students become skilled and confident problem solvers! Demonstrating there is always more than one approach to solving a problem, well-known authors and educators Alfred S. Posamentier and Stephen Krulik present ten basic strategies that are effective for finding solutions to a wide range of mathematics problems. These tried-and-true methods—including working backwards, finding a pattern, adopting a different point of view, solving a simpler analogous problem, and making a visual representation—make problem solving easier, neater, and more understandable for students as well as teachers. Providing numerous sample problems that illustrate how mathematics teachers and specialists can incorporate these techniques into their mathematics curriculum, this updated edition also includes: A variety of new problems that show how to use the strategies References to current NCTM standards Solutions to the problems in each chapter Extensive discussions of the empowering strategies used to solve sample problems The second edition of Problem-Solving Strategies for Efficient and Elegant Solutions, Grades 6–12 helps teachers develop students′ creative problem-solving skills for success in and out of school.

Positive Intent isn't about upgrading your skills. It isn't about motivation. This is not a life hack; it's a new life. Living with positive intent means cutting through the noise of negativity and apathy and making a commitment to bring rigorous generosity and unwavering curiosity to every interaction. It's your lifeline when you're feeling overwhelmed, when your relationships falter, when you question yourself or your value or your direction. Living with positive intent means adopting the five principles that will help you become more trusted, more fulfilled and more resilient: 1. Remember Your Audiences (all of them, even when they can't hear you) 2. Ask a Question Instead (because your opinions probably aren't that helpful) 3. Purge Emotional Toxins (which sounds painful but is actually pretty easy) 4. Seek Elegant Solutions (rather than solutions that just solve things) 5. Sustain Your Intent (by taking care of yourself and thinking small) This is not an easy time for anyone, but it doesn't have to be so hard. We can't control our circumstances, but we can control how we respond to them. The future is unpredictable, but we can future-proof ourselves by deciding to live with positive intent.

What made the Sopranos finale one of the most-talked-about events in television history? Why is sudoku so addictive and the iPhone so darn irresistible? What do Jackson Pollock and Lance Armstrong have in common with theoretical physicists and Buddhist monks? Elegance. In this thought-provoking exploration of why certain events, products, and people capture our attention and imaginations, Matthew E. May examines the elusive element behind so many innovative breakthroughs in fields ranging from physics and marketing to design and popular culture. Combining unusual simplicity and surprising power, elegance is characterized by four key elements—seduction, subtraction, symmetry, and sustainability. In a compelling, story-driven narrative that sheds light on the need for elegance in design, engineering, art, urban planning, sports, and work, May offers surprising evidence that what’s “not there” often trumps what is. In the bestselling tradition of The Tipping Point, Made to Stick, and The Black Swan, In Pursuit of Elegance will change the way you think about the world.