Other ducks are braver, but it is Marcel who finally takes action, often with unanticipated and tragic consequences, when civil unrest on the Bloedel reserve threatens his family and clan. He struggles on against his guilt over the death of loved ones, survives otters, hunters, cults, toxic waste, and more until finding his destiny in a near-death experience. As in Watership Down we come to care deeply about an alternate animal world at once familiar and foreign, and we call to mind the spiritual insights of Jonathon Livingston Seagull and The Alchemist. At its heart, the novel is about a journey to find a holy center, a place from which to navigate the world with confidence. Some will enjoy references to Proust's In Search of Lost Time and Attar's The Conference of the Birds. Others will fall in love with Marcel and the humor, beauty, and wisdom of the story. This is a poetic, creative fable, reminding us that we, too, can find meaning and hope in a difficult and dangerous world.

Focuses on rapid implementation of practical, real-world cost reduction solutions

In today's economic climate, the need to cut costs can be the difference between success and failure. "Cost Reduction and Optimization for Manufacturing and Industrial Companies" covers all major cost reduction areas, providing easy to read examples and advice on steps to take. It provides the roadmap for implementing recommended actions with true and tried methods by taking a modern, all-inclusive look at manufacturing processes. Based on the author's cost reduction experience gained during 30 years of senior operations and consulting engagements with hundreds of organizations, this book includes easy-to-understand and easy-to-implement cost reduction concepts organized into five general areas --labor, material, design, process, and overhead.

Each chapter:

Dives into a cost reduction area and starts with the bottom line first by summarizing key points

Provides proven tactics for cutting costs without a lot of extraneous data

Follows a qualitative and design-oriented approach

Emphasizes quick implementation and measurable cost reduction

Identifies who in the organization should do the work

Outlines risks and suggested risk mitigation actions

Contains numerous tables, graphs, and photos to show the concepts described in the book

Praise for "Cost Reduction and Optimization for Manufacturing and Industrial Companie"s

"In this introductory book, Berk not only takes a modern, all-inclusive look at manufacturing processes but also provides substantial coverage of engineering materials and production systems. It follows a more qualitative and design-oriented approach than other texts in the market, helping readers gain a better understanding of important concepts. They'll also discover how micro-economic conditions relate to the process variables in a given process as well as how to perform manufacturing science and quantitative engineering analysis of manufacturing processes."--Fred Silverman, Director Engineering of Hi-Shear Technology Corporation

"Joe Berk has created a unique, practical and straightforward approach to cost reduction in manufacturing. This work provides valuable insights and concrete techniques, based on real-world experiences, to any manufacturing organization undertaking change to position itself to compete successfully in the global marketplace."--Joe Carleone, President and COO of American Pacific Corporation

Check out author Joseph Berk's blog at http: //manufacturingtraining.wordpress.com/