Six Sigma Professor

Review by Dedicated Black Belt for Six Sigma for Dummies
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Title Should Be: Just Another Six Sigma Book

I guess I’m the dumb one, because I was expecting a book that simplified and clarified the Six Sigma process. After all, isn’t that the purpose of the “for Dummies” series? Well, this book does neither.

On page 2 of the book, near the top of the page, it says, “Six Sigma For Dummies is … a comprehensive, actionable description of the methods and tools of Six Sigma.” A few lines later, however, it says that “…the field of Six Sigma is much too large to fit in only 400 pages.” This indecision on the authors’ goals permeates the whole book. The book has three authors, and as you read this book you suspect that they didn’t collaborate at all on their approach to this topic.

For example, the statistics portion of the book is 165 pages long, with line after line after line after line of statistical info. Then you get to the “tool” section of the book, where you will supposedly learn how to actually apply the statistics. Even though at the beginning of this section it says, “You can’t do Six Sigma without tools,” the whole section of practitioner tools is less than 40 pages long. Only a brief overview is given of each tool, without enough detail for anyone to actually do Six Sigma work!

Sure, statistics are important for Six Sigma, but for a person just being introduced to Six Sigma, the coverage is excessive and not done all that well. If someone wants to learn statistics at this level, they would be far better off getting Basic Statistics, by Kiemele, Schmidt, and Berdine. If someone wants a general reference book for Quality, including Six Sigma, get the massive (over 800 pages) The Six Sigma Handbook, by Thomas Pyzdek. If someone wants a book that gives a practical and workable approach to Six Sigma in general, consider Statistics for Six Sigma Made Easy, by Brussee.

It isn’t that anything presented in Six Sigma For Dummies is actually wrong. It’s just, as an earlier reviewer observed, that the book does not have a target audience. And the book certainly doesn’t fulfill the implied promise of a “dummies” book to simplify and clarify the subject.

Dedicated Black Belt

Review by Six Sigma MBB for Six Sigma for Dummies
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I work as a manager and Master Black Belt at a Fortune 100 company. This book has been very useful in my training of others. I just finished teaching a Six Sigma Black Belt course in which I referred students to this book to reinforce their learning and deepen their understanding. It has transformed the way I teach Six Sigma as well as the way my students learn it.

Not only am I suggesting that BB’s and BB’s-in-training get this book, but I’m also recommending that leaders who have GB’s and BB’s on their staffs read this book. It gives enough information for leaders to understand what their Six Sigma staff are going through in the trenches. And it also provides leaders with enough education to ask meaningful questions. (Nothing is worse than an uninformed leader trying to lead Six Sigma resources!)

Review by Jeremy D. (Seattle) for Six Sigma for Dummies
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If you’re just curious about what six-sigma is this is a good, easy to understand, book. But it teaches you little that can be applied.

I’m in a company that is begining a six sigma effort and I am assisting the black and green belts in their work. I had wanted a book that would help me do the things I would probably be asked to assist with such as building a SIPOC diagram. Instead, the book is devoted almost entirely to telling you what the black belts do on a project (half of the 300 pages are about statistics and much of the remainder is about things like project charter). The obvious problem is that a book like this can’t actually teach you to be a black-belt. So after 300 pages I know some statistical principles, but not enough to actually do anything with, and I know nearly nothing about how to assist a black belt on a project.

Before you say “but six sigma is all about statistics” let me say that I know that. Stats are the core, and doing them takes training. You will not learn to do six-sigma stats from this book. You will probably not learn much else from this book either.

Review by Six Sigma Old Timer for Six Sigma for Dummies
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This book is a long time in coming. Six Sigma has been shrouded in mystery far too long, and monopolized by big companies. It is about time that the average joe can read and understand the powerful concepts behind Six Sigma. Six Sigma is no longer just for the engineers, but is applicable to everything in our daily lives. We can now do everything better – from our jobs to planning a trip. For the most part this book is an easy read. There were sections that got too technical and dragged a bit. But overall, a must read for everyone!

Review by Colorqueen for Six Sigma for Dummies
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I am working my way through this book after becoming aware of the six sigma process and how it can apply to many non-technical areas.

I want to use these ideas and principles to better organize and produce my work. Although a couple of the chapters are quite heady, I can follow the examples to get the main idea. I think just reading this is making me think in ways I never have before!