Customer Reviews

An Introduction to Project Management, Third Edition: With Brief Guides to Microsoft Project 2007 and @task

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I must say this is one of the best books I have found to teach an introductory course in project management. It is flexible enough to use for both undergraduate and graduate courses. The third edition follows the latest PMBOK Guide, so it's a great resource for anyone planning to take the PMP exam. This book goes beyond just preparing students for an exam by including lots of information on "how" to perform various project management tasks. I really like the way a concept is explained and then an example is provided on how to apply that concept. There are several exercises and team projects to help reinforce student learning. There are also many real-world references showing how organizations do things right and wrong in project management, plus new xkcd cartoons to lighten things up. I applaud the author for self-publishing this third edition after Cengage decided not to update it. Yes, there are dozens of introductory project management books on the market, but this one is comprehensive, easy-to-read, includes a great free Web site with templates, interactive quizzes, Jeopardy-like games, etc., plus the price is right! Why should we make our students spend over $100 on a dry textbook when they can get this one and actually read it for under $60? The new appendices with guides to using Project 2007 and @task (the leading web-based PM software) are excellent. The instructor materials are also outstanding, and the author is very responsive to instructor inputs. I highly recommend this book.

The third edition is an outstanding introduction to Project Management. It is written in a style that makes it very enjoyable to read and hard to put down. The integration of basic Project Management methodology, graphics/tables, and actual examples of What Went Wrong, What Went Right, etc. provide a means to gain a very good, basic understanding of Project Management. The use of a case study from the beginning to the end of the text to illustrate the methodology presented transforms the presented theory into an understandable, real life situation. In addition, the companion website and industry references provide unlimited additional material to gain in-depth Project Management knowledge. The text is a "must have tool" for the beginner and a "required reference" for the professional.

The book is based on best practice theory. It's a shame it does not take the reader of the book into account by pointing out the benefits and motivation of such practices, because of the temporal nature of these project management theories. While the fundamentals are solid and useful the text book fails to predict or foresee various project management schemes and layouts that might be more interactive and exciting for the reader.

This is an outstanding textbook! It's easily applicable and very relevant for both aspiring and seasoned project managers. Kathy is a great leader in the project management and education communities. I highly recommend her books.

Kathy Schwalbe uses her wisdom and humor to teach us how to be good project managers. As an outstanding professor and inspiring mentor, Kathy has boosted my confidence and career. I'd highly recommend that you read her Project Management materials. After all, she 'wrote the book on it'! (heehe)

$20 cheaper than my bookstore and I got to buy the book new! :)

Still feel the price of college books are a complete scam though...

I don't normally evaluate a book (especially a 'text book') on aesthetics - but in this instance I will. It's ugly. From poorly designed cover through to textual layout that detracts from the structure of the content rather than enhances it, this is one of the most unappealing books I've seen. However, as most won't be too concerned with this as a problem I won't go into the detailed examples.

Quality: p.246 "Error! Bookmark not defined" How does that end up in a published text? There were proof-readers? Perhaps not. P.319: Question: Which knowledge areas include tasks related to monitoring and controlling? Answer: All of them! Well, not quite.

100 pages of this is related to software usage - not quite value unless you want to use both MS Project and @Task and you have little experience with either.

Questions related to 'Alpha Project Managers' isn't appropriate in a publication of this type. While explained earlier in the publication as related to a single text, the content of metrics is repeated in the book and then the Q&A asks the reader about 'Alpha Project Managers'. I don't think jargon is appropriate.

P.353 - I suppose you can reference Wikipedia if you wish to establish a definition. Nasty for instructors when students start to query the authors ability to do so when they aren't entitled in their own papers.

However, I will be positive and indicate:

This is a readable text (at least at the level of the incremental detail.) It offers a lot of additional online instructor content (of value if you wish to use this text as the basis for a course. Much less so if you don't.)

Well writen book, useful for those who maybe unfamiliar with the terms used in pm. Alone I don't think it's sufficent to pass the PM test.

This text was used with a 16 week college course. It closely follows the Project Management Institute's(PMI) standard for Project Management. PMI is the certifying body for Project Management. The information is conveyed logically and in a manner that is easily understood. This text is for anyone who performs project management and would like to learn the globally recognized standard, the associated terminology, and the associated deliverables. It is a wonderful reference with many examples within the text as well as on a companion website.

I had a good experience with this seller. The book arrived before the anticipated delivery date so I was pleased with the service.