Customer Reviews

The Project Manager's Desk Reference

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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I bought this book after researching the [project management] topic for months. The book is very easy to read, and gets to the point very quickly. By the third chapter, you have a very good idea of what you are up against. If you are already in the middle of a project, you can use this book as a very good checkpoint. I am novice in the project management role and I found this book to be very handy and resourceful.

Project Manager's Desk Reference is a complete, well-written guide about Project Management intended to college students and to any person not familiar with this subject.

The topics covered by this book include Project Planning, Scheduling (PERT), Controlling (Earned Value Analysis), Reporting/Evaluating and Risk Analysis. The book also discusses other subjects that certainly will be faced by the Project Manager, like how to Improve the Communication Skills, how to Solve Problems and Making Decisions.

This book is not intended to experienced managers that need more tools to conduct their projects. These people should look for specific books about the aspect of Project Management that they need to deep into, like Risk Management.

This book was a Required Book for a Project Management college course that I took. The book gives a good overview of the basic Project Management techniques that everyone uses, however, it does not get into real detail about some topics. It is good for the beginning Project Manager, or a student, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone studying for their PMP exam. The PMI PMBOK is a better reference for studying for the exam in my opinion.

This book is expensive...but it is worth it.

Whether a novice project manager or a seasoned veteran, this book is an invaluable reference to have nearby. It can be read from cover-to-cover (which I would recommend). It is written in non-technical English with ample descriptions and examples that break down project methodologies into "bite-size" pieces.

If you're an experience PM, this book presents some interesting and useful approaches to what you already do. I don't think you can ever read too much in this industry.

If you are new to project management, this isn't a bad place to start. The book walks you through the principals of project management, risk analysis, resource and budget planning, execution and all the other areas of this exciting field.

An if none of the above is a good reason to buy it, get it because people think you must know what you're doing when they see it on your desk.

This is simply the best book on project management tools and techniques I've seen. The text is clear, concise, and non-academic. The book is well-organized, making it easy to find information about whatever interests you. While this book is a good reference, it's also a book you can read from the first page to the last, unlike many "reference" books. Mr Lewis obviously knows what he's talking about, and knows how to present it well. I couldn't possibly recommend the book more highly!

This is direct and to the point. Lewis' writing style is solid and very readable. He does not have a pretentious know it all attitude like so many authors have today. Not only is this an excellent desk reference, but it also can guide you through the essential concepts needed for effective PM duties.

For a project manager with little or no experience, this remains the book to keep on the shelf for times of trouble. It's a good introduction for students and has one or two moves that some of us might not have thought of. That said, it doesn't go into as much depth as it could, and is rather selective about which techniques it's going to detail.

I own two large shelves of the top project management books and this is the one that I grab for first when I want to reference something. The book is true to its title.

This book was a Required Book for a Project Management college course that I took. The book gives a good overview of the basic Project Management techniques that everyone uses, however, it does not get into real detail about some topics. It is good for the beginning Project Manager, or a student, but I wouldn't recommend it for someone studying for their PMP exam. The PMI PMBOK is a better reference for studying for the exam in my opinion

I have always considered Lewis one of the founding fathers of the modern profession. His short "Fundamentals of Project Management" book published by the American Management Association is one of the first project management books I read. That book provided a brief overview, while "The Project Manager's Desk Reference" expands into all the elements of the project management discipline.

Lewis covers the entire project lifecycle. He begins with a concept overview and his "Lewis Method of Project Management". He discusses initiation and requirements, paying particular attention to problem definition and articulating the mission. He makes it clear that many projects build solutions to the wrong problems. Lewis spends a few chapters on implementation planning, providing good coverage of the WBS - "there is no project that won't benefit from doing a WBS", critical path, estimating, etc.

He spends several chapters on controls, which appear to be an area of specialization. I would have liked to see more on tools and techniques, but there's a very good presentation on concepts and strategies. There are some good sound bytes that speak volumes:

* "A control system is designed to cope with the routine; exceptions must be given special handling."
* "The important should be controlled. However, what is controlled tends to become important."
* "If control data does not result in action, then the system is ineffective."

I also appreciate the explicit mention of feedback loops and third order systems. Finally, there's the obligatory section on earned value, which I skipped.

There are a couple of chapters on defining and avoiding project failure, which is very appropriate for a PM book. He makes an important point on perceptions, and perceived successes and failures. He stresses the importance of establishing a mutual agreement on criteria of success with the stakeholders in order to prevent a perceived failure. Conversely, "if the right people consider the project a success, it is, for all practical purposes." While scope, costs, and schedule may be a source of pressure during the project, "once the job is complete, if it satisfies the needs of a lot of key people, the missed cost and schedule targets become less important" (This fact sometimes escapes analytical project managers). Lewis then proceeds to quantify 13 common causes of project failure and then transitions into risk management, which I found lacking in applied tools. I expected a little more on risk management given the energy spent on defining success and failure in the previous chapters.

Lewis provided some chapters on systems theory and decision and problem solving theory at the end of the book. Most of this was cursory, but there are some practical inclusions, such as the is/is-not matrix and stratification. I was glad to see this as these subjects are too often absent from such books.

Early on the author states "Dealing with people is a major function that a project manager must perform" and later presents secionts on communications skills including insightful concepts like self-discovery via the Johari Window, interpersonal skills, and B2B communications.

Lewis brought in guest authors for several chapters. While a good idea, I personally didn't particularly like the selections and felt the subject matter did not belong.

The Desk Reference does not focus on any particular industry and should be relevant to all project managers. Accordingly, there aren't many case studies.

In his preface, Lewis says of handbooks, "there is the knowledge that I could find almost anything I need to know in those great, massive books". He says of his book, "I believe it covers the core knowledge you must have to be successful as a project manager". Lewis does indeed touch on everything you need to know, but while it has the breadth, it lacks the depth in several areas. "Handbook", and definitely "desk reference", in my opinion, imply breadth *and* depth. I learned from, enjoyed, and recommend "The Project Manager's Desk Reference", but would rather see it take the title of his earlier "Fundamentals" book.