"Global Management of Quality Assurance Systems", by Walter Willborn and T.C. Edwin Cheng, McGraw-Hill: New York: 1994 pp376 A Book Review by Norman C. Frank, PE, CQE, CQA CER Corporation, Washington, DC This books takes the broader view. It explores the infrastructure of the supranational ISO organization and ISO standards. The ISO 9000 series standards are described in some detail. The need for, and the methods of, performing quality assurance system audits meeting ISO 10011, Guidelines for Auditing Quality Systems, are covered in detail. The authors have done considerable research and provide an excellent overview of the history, development, and background that resulted in the ISO organization and the various ISO standards. This subject is not covered nearly as well in any other book that I have read. It also provides a history and description of the ISO organization. Actual milestones accomplished by companies achieving registration as well as relative costs of obtaining registration provide guidelines for your use in estimating the schedule and costs that you can expect in your efforts to achieve registration. Several "how to" descriptions are provided, in addition to step progressions toward registration, to help guide you in your planning and registration journey. One drawback is that the book seems to have been written back in 1992, as indicated by the examples and documents used in the book. This seems a bit out of date for a book that carries a 1994 copyright notice. The dated examples get the concepts across to the readers, but the readers are left to go find the latest criteria and examples before they can put the information to immediate use. Even with this drawback, the book might be worth buying just for the history. People who implement the ISO 9000 series standard in their companies, through managers who need to know the methods and approach to developing and guiding the ISO 9000 registration process, to consultants who need to know the history of the European community and ISO organization as well as the history, development, and background of the ISO standards will find something of use in this book. A conditional recommendation based on the apparent dated examples used in the book. ---------------- Mr. Frank has over 25 years experience in the field of quality, in the areas of nuclear quality assurance, research and development, and consulting. He is currently in Washington, D.C., with CER Corporation out of Las Vegas, Nevada.