Written with the support of Dr. Juran and the Juran Institute, Juran: A Lifetime of Influence gives us an intimate look at the man, his times, and the evolution of the concepts of quality and management that so profoundly affect business today.

Dr. Juran's remarkable story begins at the turn of the century in the Carpathian Mountains of Romania. Joseph Juran was born in a tiny village with unpaved streets and houses with dirt floors, a place that, in his own words, "had no quality problems." His journey to America, in 1912, thrust him into a world of technological marvels, of ocean liners and ice cream, streetcars and flush toilets.

Poverty forced him into his first job at age nine, exposing him to work experiences and conditions that kindled his interest in finding better ways to get things done. John Butman's penetrating narrative explores Joseph Juran's early struggles against prejudice, and how - through chess, languages, algebra, and code-breaking - his genius for analysis and problem-solving emerged.

It was at Western Electric's Hawthorne Works, one of the great factories of the age, that Juran's lifework began to crystallize. An operation of exceptional size and complexity, Hawthorne gave Juran a visceral understanding of the bedrock issues of quality. He learned the sound of a machine malfunctioning, heard the complaints of a skilled operator betrayed by shoddy materials, and discovered the consequences of poor quality control.

Then, in a dramatic turn of events, Juran was given the chance to put his innovative skills and ideas to use as an integral part of the Lend-Lease Administration effort in World War II. The immense and urgent undertaking allowed Juran to throw himself into the fight against the Nazis.

The post-War period afforded Juran the opportunity to reflect on his experiences, culminating in the publication of Juran's Quality Control Handbook, world-renowned as a "sacred text" on the subject of quality. During this time, he formulated the concepts that would establish his reputation: the definition of quality, the universal sequences for achieving breakthrough and control, continuous improvement, the Pareto Principle, and the Juran Quality Trilogy, among others.

Juran: A Lifetime of Influence describes the impact of these ideas on such clients as Alcoa, Motorola, Gillette, and the industrial leaders of Japan. It is a story illuminated by portraits of such notables as W. Edwards Deming and Walter A. Shewhart, as well as the personal observations of Peter Drucker, Steven Jobs, and Dr. Juran himself.