Great Ideas of Operations Research by Jagjit Singh

This little-know book, first published in 1968, holds a wealth of ideas and information about building models to better understand what's going on in your organization.  While only 221 pages long, the book manages to provide an introduction to statistics: Statistical Specification and Inference; and an overview of Game Theory, Queuing Theory and Monte Carlo Simulation.

If your math skills are a little rusty, be warned, the author is not afraid to break out the Calculus to prove the validity of the statements he is making.  However, Mr. Singh writes so well and provides enough narrative overview that you can safely skip the proofs and still walk away with a wealth of knowledge.

If you are looking for the latest treatment of any of the subjects mentioned above, please keep in mind that this book was written in 1967, and a great deal of advancement has been made in the subjects covered.  Additionally, none of the subjects are covered in enough depth to enable the direct application to most real-world problems.  However, Great Ideas of Operations Research provides a fantastic starting point for anyone interested in improving the workings of their organization.

Finally, I have to admit, I adore a well written book that tells a great story.  Mr. Singh is a lovely writer and the case studies he uses from his time at India's Northeast Frontier Railway, Moghalsarai Rail Yard and the Assam Railway, leave you with the impression of having been on a mysterious adventure.  His writing alone makes this book worth reading.