10 top Lean Six Sigma Books to ace your exam

Lean Six Sigma is a data-driven approach to eliminate defects in any business process. From application development to manufacturing, the right implementation of Six Sigma can help you to improve processes by finding and removing the causes of errors.

Whether you’re aiming for a Six Sigma Yellow, Green, or Black Belt™ certification, choose the best Six Sigma book to ace your exam.

Our top 10 Lean Six Sigma books are:

• Lean Six Sigma for Dummies
• Lean Six Sigma Minitab
• The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook
• The Six Sigma Handbook 
• Six Sigma for Managers
• What is Lean Six Sigma?
• The Six Sigma Yellow Belt™ Handbook
• Six Sigma Green Belt™ Study Guide for the ASQ Exam
• Six Sigma Green Belt™ Study Guide (Trivium Test Prep)
• The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt™ Handbook
  
  

1. Lean Six Sigma For Dummies

It may seem odd to consult a “For Dummies” book for something as in-depth and critical as Six Sigma, but this book comes packed with useful information!

Lean Six Sigma combines two of the defining methodologies of the workplace – Six Sigma and Lean –to make work better and faster.

Lean Six Sigma for Dummies outlines the key concepts of Six Sigma and explains how you can use it to get the best out of your team and business. As with other “For Dummies” books, the emphasis here is on digestible, plain English without the jargon.

This book is ideal if you’re new to Six Sigma or are gearing up to achieve the Yellow Belt™ certification. However, if you’re revising for your Black Belt™ exam, this may be too basic.

Lean Six Sigma for Dummies includes:

• Key Lean Six Sigma principles explained
• Lean Six Sigma jargon explained in plain English
• Hands-on checklists
• Tips from those in the industry

Amazon reviews state that the book is full of solid, useful and applicable content that helped people pass exams and undertake successful Lean Six Sigma projects.

2. Lean Six Sigma Minitab™

Get a practical approach to implementing Lean Six Sigma methodologies with the Lean Six Sigma Minitab. With over 150,000 copies sold, this Lean Six Sigma guide is firmly established as the go-to- practical guide for business improvement professionals across the globe.

The Lean Six Sigma Minitab includes:

• 140 Lean Six Sigma tools and techniques
• Logical route maps through the Six Sigma DMAIC flow
• Interactive examples
• Free data files and templates

This book explains the Lean Six Sigma methodology clearly and simply, making it ideal for additional reading at any level of Six Sigma knowledge. With a very impressive 4.8/5 rating on Amazon, the book has been praised as “essential” and “the most clearly explained guide on Lean Six Sigma.”

3. The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook 

Despite its 2005 publication date, this tried-and-tested Lean Six Sigma quick reference guide is ranked by Amazon as the #1 Best Seller in Six Sigma management.

The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook is a complete, results-based reference to the tools and concepts you need to understand to apply and use Lean Six Sigma.

This is an ideal reference guide for professionals studying for Green and Black Belts™ certification. This book contains excellent advice on how best to use the Six Sigma tools in different situations. With step-by-step instructions, it can help you get a true understanding of how to carry out Lean Six Sigma processes.

The Lean Six Sigma Pocket Toolbook includes:

• Brief summaries of the 70 most important tools in Lean Six Sigma
• Quick and easy reference guide to the DMAIC improvement cycle
• Concise but thorough information in a pocket-sized format

While this book is not a training document, it is still a fantastic revision guide to prompt you on the Six Sigma tools at your disposal. This book makes an excellent reference book for those interested in quality control and process improvement and is rated 4.2/5 on Amazon.

4. The Six Sigma Handbook

The Six Sigma Handbook includes every aspect of Six Sigma and is particularly useful for professionals studying for the Green Belt™ certification. The most recent edition is revised to reflect the evolving area of Six Sigma that walks you through the methodology, covering improvement techniques.

The Six Sigma Handbook includes:

• Green Belt™ and Black Belt™ certification online quizzes
• Links to walkthrough videos covering several practical processes
• Coverage of the sometimes neglected Lean methodologies alongside Six Sigma

This lengthy book provides you with everything, you need to know about Lean Six Sigma. However, this book is in-depth and may be less approachable for beginners.

5. Six Sigma for Managers

Written by Greg Brue, CEO of Six Sigma Consultants and a Master Six Sigma Black Belt™, Six Sigma for Managers provides 24 lessons that explain the fundamentals of Six Sigma.

This book is ideal for busy managers who need a quick primer and practical overview of Six Sigma.

Six Sigma for Managers includes:

• Clear definitions of Six Sigma terms and concepts
• Specifics about tactics and improving your planning
• The latest in practical insights and tips

This book provides a helpful perspective from someone who has mastered the field – ideal for any manager who is looking to implement Six Sigma, taking a Six Sigma course or simply needs to refresh forgotten skills.

6. What is Lean Six Sigma?

This is a quick introduction to how you can use Lean Six Sigma to improve your workplace, meet your goals and better serve your customers. In this simple guide, you’ll learn how Lean Six Sigma can identify and eliminate waste and quality problems – a great introductory book.

What is Lean Six Sigma? includes:

• Charts and diagrams
• Case studies
• An introduction to implementing Lean Six Sigma

This book focuses on covering Lean Six Sigma fast. This will benefit those looking for a quick overview, while readers seeking depth may be disappointed.

7. The Six Sigma Yellow Belt™ Handbook 

The Six Sigma Yellow Belt™ Handbook is a practical guide to becoming a Six Sigma Yellow Belt™. Written for professionals beginning to study or for newbie Six Sigma practitioners, this guide is the most popular Yellow Belt™ book available now.

The Six Sigma Yellow Belt™ Handbook includes:

• DMAIC Overview
• Chapters on each of the DMAIC steps
• Glossary of Six Sigma terms

There are very few books available for the Yellow Belt™, making this book stand out. Reviews are generally very positive, with an impressive Amazon rating of 4.8/5.

8. Six Sigma Green Belt™ Study Guide for the ASQ Exam

Anyone planning to take the Six Sigma Exam, especially one administered by the ASQ, should take advantage of the review material, practice test questions and test-taking strategies found in this guide.

Developed for test takers aiming to achieve the Six Sigma Green Belt™, this guide covers all of the content you're likely to face on your exam.

The Six Sigma Green Belt™ Study Guide (ASQ) includes:

• Green Belt™ overview
• Test-taking strategies
• Practice questions
• Detailed explanations

This guide is especially popular in the US, scoring a 4.6 rating on Amazon.

9. Six Sigma Green Belt™ Study Guide (Trivium Test Prep) 

Six Sigma Green Belt™ Study Guide, published by Trivium Test Prep, is one of the most popular study guides available for students aiming for the Green Belt™ certification.

This book has an emphasis on easy-to-understand and concise content. The Six Sigma Green Belt™ Study Guide includes: 

• 100 practice questions
• A review of every tested concept in the exam
  
  

10. The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt™ Handbook

Another useful book that can vastly improve your understanding of Six Sigma by tackling the knowledge needed to achieve the advanced level of Six Sigma in the Black Belt.

The Lean Six Sigma Black Belt™ Handbook includes:

• Diagrams and illustrations explaining complex frameworks and processes
• Insight from a well-respected and distinguished group of authors
• Exercises, worksheets and templates

This is one of the best books covering the Black Belt™ certification. It simplifies the Black Belt™ methodologies, helping you to apply them to your exam and to real-world situations.

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