Six Must-Read Books for Your Summer Reading List

Joe Woodland sat on a beach in Florida more than 70 years ago and ran his fingers through the sand. The lines reminded him of the dots and dashes used for Morse code, and he soon discovered that inspiration and insight don’t always come in a laboratory.

Woodland’s doodles sparked an idea for solving a supply chain challenge that he and Bob Silver had been working on—creating a usable product code and a machine to read it—and by 1952, they had a patent for a “classifying apparatus and method.”

It would be nearly 20 more years before IBM’s George Laurer, with Woodland’s support, developed the industry-accepted Universal Product Code that’s now ubiquitous in modern retailing. The origins of the UPC, however, go back to Woodland’s realization that such a code was possible by using lines of varying thickness like the ones he had drawn in the sand.

As you head off for summer vacation, it’s worth keeping in mind that solutions to your supply chain challenges can emerge from unlikely places, including the books you carry to the pool or beach.

A quick search reveals more than 3,000 titles for books on supply chain management. And while many of those are worth reading, we’ve found that some of the best books on supply chains aren’t actually books on supply chains. Consider these six when packing your beach bag:

1. How the War was Won

Written by Phillips Payson O’Brien, this book provides a logistics perspective on World War II. In an effort to reduce allied casualties, the United States and United Kingdom decided early on to attack enemy supply posts. Therefore, they invested heavily in their navies and air forces.

2. The Goal

Written by Eliyahu Goldratt, The Goal shows that inspiration for managerial challenges can come from the most ordinary of circumstances. Manufacturing plant manager Alex Rogo is facing some serious troubles at work and at home—something with which many supply chain leaders can identify. The entertaining narrative keeps readers engaged while they learn to think about identifying and ultimately managing the constraints that are part of any business process. Rogo memorably finds inspiration when he is volunteering on a hike with his son’s Boy Scout troop.

3. The Box

Written by Marc Levinson, the authors argue that the most transformative technology of the 20th century was a steel box. The creation of the uniform shipping container by Malcom McLean broke unions and shrunk the world by reducing the costs for global transportation. We are still feeling the economic and social reverberations.

Visit SCMR.com for the full list of book recommendations.