My Life and Work

My Life and Work is the autobiography of Henry Ford; a businessman who revolutionized automotive manufacture in the early 20th century.

This book takes us through the major episodes of Ford's life, from his early beginnings and the development of his successful commercial endeavors. Ford's ideas on achieving the greatest efficiency during the process of automobile creation remain influential today. Namely in what is now called the 'Just in Time' method of production; wherein a complex product is manufactured with each part made ready at the precise moment of assembly. 

Released in 1922, the autobiography was penned partly in response to the groundswell of public attention lavished upon one of the most visible technological advances to appear at the time. The famous Model T car in just a decade went from obscure gadget to worldwide symbol of the motor vehicle revolution, spearheaded by the Ford Motor Company. 

Henry Ford was particularly celebrated for his policies on staff which formed a major break with the traditional procedures of the industrial revolution. He paid good wages, guaranteed his workers healthcare, and assured them of a pension - things seldom seen on any large scale before. The motivations of Ford are detailed in this autobiography; they would later inspire employment legislation responsible for creating much of the modern middle class in the USA.