Customer Reviews

Understanding And Managing Risk Attitude

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In recent years bookshelves (and readers) have groaned under the weight of multiple books on project risk management. It is no easy task to write a book, which is both better than its predecessors and genuinely novel. In both tasks David Hillson and Ruth Murray-Webster has succeeded admirably: this book deserves to become the leader in its field.

I have read many books on psychology and project management. In most cases, they are hard to read: it is difficult to grasp essentials where you overwhelmed with new terminology and research methods. David Hillson and Ruth Murray-Webster have a clear understanding of their principal audience - practicing project managers and write accordingly. Their book avoids overly complex theoretical discussions: the author always has an eye on what a project manager really needs to know.

The authors initially discuss risks and risk attitudes. Essentially risk attitude is a psychological phenomenon. Then the author focuses on two main aspects related to risk attitude. First, how people use psychological heuristics or mental shortcuts when they make choices or assess risks, then the authors discuss the emotional aspects of risk attitude. Understanding and Managing Risk Attitudes is the first book that I have encountered that has detailed discussion on emotional literacy for individuals and groups. The discussion about group risk attitudes, particularly groupthink, is especially valuable: we often do not realize that group risk attitudes can be quite different from that of individuals.

Those with project risk management experience are likely to find a good deal of new and worthwhile information in this book. If you are new to project risk management or just looking to refresh your knowledge of the latest thinking in this field, you should definitely read this book.

Lev Virine, author of Project Decisions: The Art and Science