Customer Reviews

Absolute Beginner's Guide to Project Management (2nd Edition)

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the better books about PMBOK-based ProjectManagement. But what I really miss, is a practical explanation of how to switch theory to reality. For example: The PMBOK defines 44 processes. Some of them have to be done one time (e.g. defining a Project Charter), but many process steps have to be done daily, weekly, monthly and with different participants. So, what I miss is a description how to organize all these processes during a concrete project including a project plan with all these process steps defined as meetings.
This book is a really good introduction to PM and it helps to understand every PMBOK process. But when trying to use this methodology in daily work, you dont know what steps to do with whom and when. I simply miss a kind of project calendar showing how to spread these processes over the timeline.

I enjoyed this book. It is jam-packed with theories and a wealth of practical experiences and lessons learned. This book is very comprehensive and goes beyond the catchy series title of "Absolute Beginner's Guide".

I particularly found the Tip/Note/Caution pop-up style side-bars amusing and very helpful (I cheated and read them first before every page). Some of these pop-ups are very insightful (e.g. Caution: Page 32 - "A good project manager can still end up managing and delivering a troubled project").

The summary/review section entitled "The Absolute Minimum", at the end of every chapter, is a very smart and practical method to review what the previous chapter was all about.

This book goes beyond the mechanics of pure project management. As an example, in Chapter 16 "Leading a Project" this book discusses leadership, techniques and success factors. The "Servant Leadership" approach is extremely effective and I am also very glad that someone had already named it and documented it as early as 1970.

Job very well done. This book is HIGHLY recommended for beginners and experts alike.

Marwan F. Zakaria, PMP

If you're either a new project manager (without PM training), or
somebody interested or involved in project management, then this
book is for you.

I've read the Project Management Institute's Project Management
Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) cover to cover and I honestly don't
know how I prevented myself from going to sleep.

This book, on the other hand, is the most exciting book I've
ever read about project management. Greg's 16 years of
experience is evident in his writing.

Get this book, read it and before you know it, you're on your
way to become a better project manager.

I think what makes this book stand out from all the others is how well the information is laid out for the reader. This is definitely a great starting point for a PM beginner. However, I think it's also an outstanding reference guide for those that have been in the field of project management for many years. Anyone that has read the PMBOK or other PM books knows that the material can become overwhelming when it's not communicated clearly. This book does an outstanding job of making the topic easy to understand. I wish this book had been around when I was starting in this field, and even studying for the PMP exam. I highly recommend it!

Emelee Mitchum, PMP

I've read 10 books on PM in the last 3 years. Without a doubt this is the most practical one I've read. It takes PM theory and goes much further than other beginner's guides to actually telling you how to do apply the theory in the real world. The mind maps are particularly good. I have used these maps extensively for operations staff training and brain storming for phase planning. Highly recommended reading.

I have re-read a number of books immediately after reading them for the first time. Re-reading well-written fiction is of course a pleasure, but I usually reserve this technique for non-fiction that is hard to understand or very dense, and I may re-read immediately after the first read or months or years later.

This book is the first I have decided to re-read before I even finished it. The information presented is so full of useful knowledge that I realized I would forget most of the points while I was taking in the newer stuff. With the diagrams and summaries there is a vast amount of content here.

I have one small criticism that I'd like to make. The book shows common-sense techniques for project management, and on subjects like this we feel we could do the job based on instinct. I think that the book, instead of being almost exclusively saying DO THIS, should have a few examples of DON'T DO THIS. Stories that involve mistakes and disasters tend to make the lesson more memorable.

I have written several books, and I have rarely been more impressed at how the author handles huge amounts of information.

Anyway, this book is worth five stars.

EDIT: Forgot to mention it, but the book has a dangerous typo. On page 208, the book says "Exclude" but the word intended is "Exude" - in this case, that's almost 180 degrees from the intended meaning.

And a big Hi! to my loyal fans. Glad you trust what I say.

As I am taking the responsibilities of a technical leader, I am being introduced more and more into the concepts of project management, and this book has helped me a lot understanding and getting insights into the subject. Compact, rich, simple, and assumes no prior project management experience. I would recommend it for anyone who is entering a senior position (especially in the software development industry).

This book is a must have for anyone in project management. It is easy to understand, presented well, and will benefit people of all experience levels. Greg clearly knows what he is talking about and should be teaching courses on project management. I only wish I had this book when I was in that business!

This is a fine introduction to project management. Well-written and well-paced, it functions as a great starting point, but can be handy to have around as a general sourcebook refresher course as well.

However, I only give this book 3 stars because of it's not an exaggeration to say that it is not much more than a printed and bound Powerpoint presentation. The entire book is a collection of bullet points upon bullet points. The sidebar tips and short chapter overviews are very nice, but mostly you learn from ordered lists.

Would have been nice for reference if the authors had focused their fine tutorial writing skills into a balance between bullet points and more narrative formats.

Still and all, despite its flaws I'd have to recommend it as the go-to book for the beginning project manager.

Project Management comes in many forms and Greg covers them all in this easy to read quick to reference guide to PM. When managing multi-level projects with teams and leaders involved it is key to have a method to the madness. Greg gives you a path to follow and makes sure the team understands that path. Love the side notes and the personality of the book as well. A successful project manager is essential to all areas of business. Most professionals should considering brushing up on this language and steps in execution to handle any type of deliverable. I read the book with a new business structure in mind and it brought to light many things that I would not have explored had I not taken the short time necessary to follow steps that force you to consider all angles of an endeavour.