his broader contribution to the development of Toyota was his philosophy and approach to his work, based on a zeal for continuous improvement. Interestingly, this philosophy, and ultimately the Toyota Way, was significantly influenced by his reading of a book first published in England in 1859 by Samuel Smiles entitled Self-Help (Smiles, 2002). It preaches the virtues of industry, thrift, and self-improvement, illustrated with stories of great inventors like James Watt, who helped develop the steam engine. The book so inspired Sakichi Toyoda that a copy of it is on display under glass in a
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