Why Deming Still Matters

John Willis Releases First Three Chapters of His Upcoming, New Book on Deming

THE AIM of this short post is to bring to your attention an early previews of the first three chapters of John Willis’ new book on Dr. W.E. Deming, Why Deming Still Matters: How Profound Knowledge Shaped The World, as an audiobook on YouTube - perfect for listening to while enjoying your morning coffee this weekend or while on a short drive or commute.

As John mentions in his preamble, this book has been ten years in the making and took serious shape during the first two years of the pandemic response when he suddenly had more time on his hands. His approach has been to write it as a series of stories that help you understand the totality of Deming’s philosophy through the significant events in history he was influenced by or would influence himself. Fun trivia that you’ll learn: The surprising connection between Deming and Buffalo Bill Cody…

In this excerpt, John draws from a lot of sources to tell the story of significant events in Deming’s life and in the broader world in general that would converge at just the right catalyzing moments and lead to far-reaching, unpredictable outcomes - a mirror of the very things he was learning and later putting into the world.

Some parts will be familiar to those who have read widely on Deming, including such books as The World of W. Edwards Deming, written by his long-time secretary Cecelia Kilian, and Kenneth Delavigne and Dan Robertson’s masterful treatise connecting Taylor and Deming in a continuum of scientific thought, Deming’s Profound Changes, among others. It is told in the style of a narrated documentary, with (I presume?) AI-generated voices playing the parts of the narrator, Deming, journalist Lloyd Dobbins, and a news announcer. Occasionally, John adds his own comments to draw in his personal experiences to amplify the critical points, making for a well-rounded and accessible story.

I highly recommend giving John’s audiobook excerpt a listen— I cannot wait to dig into the final product which is slated for release as an e-book by the summer (if not earlier). Also, to get more of John’s insights, be sure to subscribe to his Profound podcast (featured in my March 14, 2022 newsletter) where he interviews interesting and engaging guests who speak on various aspects of Deming’s teachings and influence.