Editorial Review

Can you imagine valuing a book so much that you send the author a Thank You letter?

Hundreds of thousands of project managers understand why PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy, PMP, is a worldwide best-seller. Is it Rita's years of PMP exam preparation experience? The endless hours of ongoing research? The interviews with project managers who failed the exam, to identify gaps in their knowledge? Or is it the razor-sharp focus on making sure project managers don't waste a single minute of their time studying any more than they absolutely have to? Actually, it's all of the above.

PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition by Rita Mulcahy contains hundreds of updates and improvements from previous editions--including new exercises and sample questions never before in print. Offering hundreds of sample questions, critical time-saving tips plus games and activities available nowhere else, this book will help you pass the PMP exam on your FIRST try. ... Read more

Reviews

My value-add Rita book-usage tips + CAPM / PMP experience...
This review is for the April 2009 6th edition of RMC's PMP Exam Prep. Also see my Amazon "Project Management Journeyman" Booklist (* NOTE: updated May 2010 -- both the Journeyman Booklist and this review per 8th value tip below *).

I'm writing this book review with 5 value-points for the reader in mind:

(1) List of 7+1 *VALUABLE* tips to get more horsepower out of the book faster
(2) I used the "harder" PMP book for passing the "easier" CAPM exam
(3) use of the RMC learning system with 2 other competitive offerings
(4) thoughts on other RMC offerings
(5) my experience with the PMBOK v4 PMI CAPM exam in light of the above


The PMI PMBOK version 4 was released in 2008, and the CAPM / PMP exams switched over from the now-superseded PMBOK version 3 as of July 2009. Seeking to certify under the latest standard, I looked at 3+ leaders in the field for self-paced PM training (RMC, Kerzner, Heldman) and chose the Rita/RMC book and system as the best overall value hands-down relative to my specific 2-POINT training goal: (a) to be *solid* in the PM basics *well* beyond your typical CAPM candidate -- but without having to read 8 to 12 different PM books over a period of months to get there; (b) do it for as close to the drive-out price of $1000 as possible versus the typical PM training program investment of $2500-5000 elsewhere.

I deliberately used the more difficult, much thicker RMC PMP book instead of RMC's CAPM book to prepare for the CAPM exam, and am pleased with the results. And going forward, I also bought Kerzner and Heldman's PMP books (again, see my PM booklist) and find their different approaches actually complement the RMC program for continued professional development quite well. Kerzner's strength is case studies and color commentary that comes from years of doing PM, teaching PM, and evolving his great book. Heldman's approach is the opposite of RMC: learn thoroughly by doing in the laboratory of the job. Heldman will push you to get good at comprehensive hands-on PM, but unfortunately it will take MUCH longer than RMC's approach for coming up to speed to pass the PMI exam sooner rather than later. *** RMC is about practical actionable knowledge NOW - and RMC delivers. *** I'm not saying anything bad about Heldman's approach; rather, I'm saying that the 3 systems (RMC, Kerzner, Heldman) have different approaches that work well together. My proposed reading order is to go through the RMC book 2x-3x and take the test. Next get through Kerzner -- an easy read to fill out one's worldview after paying the price to get through RMC. Finally, if you're a full-time PM, use Heldman's book to round things out.

On other RMC offerings, first I'll mention the CAPM online 23-hour course - you'll recall that (in addition to a 4-year degree) PMI requires 23 classroom contact hours in lieu of 1500 documented hours working on a project team for eligibility to take the exam. The online RMC CAPM course is pretty much taken straight from the book but interlaced with video vignettes featuring Rita teaching. A heads-up: don't look for fireworks with the online course. You've actually already experienced the show when you read the book; the online course complements with multi-media feedings for the CAPM candidate and thus satisfies the technicality of the PMI 23 hour classroom requirement. That's it. The price is right. Remember the gift-horse parable and your wallet will thank you.

The RMC system also offers an optional 1000+ exam questions database (FASTrack), and a flashcard drill system. If you're taking the harder PMP exam, then I would strongly recommend atleast the FASTrack as the RMC PMP book only offers 200+ questions; this is not enough for the PMP. However, for the easier CAPM exam, I found it enough to just memorize the complete Rita Process Chart and few other small patterns cited in the book. Interestingly, both the Rita chart in the RMC PMP book, AND the Process Group .vs. Knowledge Area matrix found in the PMBOK v4 book -- have the same page # -- page 43 !

My experience with the CAPM exam is that Rita was right: know the Rita Chart (and DO all the work in the book from cover to cover, no half-steppin' !) and you largely don't have to memorize Inputs / Outputs. However I'll throw in 2 warnings: (a) read the formal PMBOK book alongside the RMC book on a per-chapter basis for further subtle but important clarities around Inputs/Outputs anyway (but without memorization); (b) the PMP exam is full of experiential questions (qualitative) .vs. the CAPM exam questions are strictly quantitative. So I very much over-studied for the CAPM exam in using RMC's PMP book; but that's okay as my goal was EDUCATION (change one's mentality) and not just "training" (improve existing mentality).

Here are my 7+1 value-add observations and nuggets for getting more horsepower out of the RMC PMP 6th ed book:

(1) STUDY ORDER - SAVE YOURSELF SOME TIME: go to a copier and copy the "Difficulty Level" illustration on page 9, then the Knowledge Area bar chart near the bottom of page 99. These 2 drawings should make it clear how you'll want to tackle the book in a way that works uniquely for you. I was then able to alternate back and forth between a "hard" chapter and an "easy" chapter to help sustain my momentum; I also more readily invested more time in the harder chapters.

(2) PM PROCESSES & PM INTEGRATION CHAPTERS: PM Processes is the hardest chapter. Trust me when I say this - pay the price here to memorize the Rita Process Chart and the rest of the book becomes a breeze. Next, just skim the PM Integration chapter the first time and save the more in-depth effort for this chapter after completion of the book.

(3) RISK & QUALITY CHAPTERS: Read the Risk chapter early in your study sequence because it's the most pervasive of the 9 knowledge areas throughout the entire PM effort. Also read the Quality chapter early in the sequence else the Rita Chart can be ambiguous (e.g. Verify Scope .vs. Validate Scope, or what is QP .vs. QA .vs. QC ?).

(4) MY TRICK TO EASILY MEMORIZING THE WHOLE RITA PROCESS CHART AND NOT JUST THE PLANNING COLUMN: I oughta charge $$$ for what I'm about to share here. Rita only advises rote memorization of just the "Planning" group column (because the step-order within the other 4 PM process groups is not strictly fixed, but instead "generally" grouped and "approximately" sequenced). The good news is that "generally" and "approximately" is good enough ! So you can readily memorize all 5 columns for not much more work than memorizing the 1 column - and the results will show on the exam. So I made the following discovery after copying the flashcards pages in the PM Processes chapter (pages 47-57), then cutting them out with scissors and playing the game over several times for 2 hours. RMC does not point this trick out -- so I'm saving you a lot of time and increasing your score with this next secret ! Read carefully: the 5 original PMBOK process group columns (Initiate, Plan, Execute, M&C, Close), using the Rita Process Chart version rather than the PMBOK version, have a total of 10+24+20+17+8 = 79 steps distributed across the 5 columns. Working with the RMC PM Process Chapter flashcards revealed that, with no modifications, these 5 long columns will fragment out cleanly into 17 short columns that can each be thought of as "work-packages". These work-packages in turn can be thought of as self-contained pearls on a string that should be strung together in a self-evident logical order. I gave each of these pearls my own custom name for easy recall. The numbering sequence that emerges is: Initiate 55, Plan 5865, Execute 5573, M&C 5552, Close 332. It's easy to memorize these 5 numbers which together are the 17 digits that in turn are the 17 "pearls", and that collectively contain Rita's 79 steps. Visualize being a PM on the job through each pearl as you build the entire chart out over and over again on paper. You'll have the *entire* chart down cold in 1 to 2 hours:

>> INITIATE formerly 10 steps, now 5+5 steps = 5-step Big Picture, 5-step Make Commitments;
>> PLAN formerly 24 steps, now 5+8+6+5 steps = 5-step Project Scope + Equipment + Team, 8-step WBS + Dictionary, 6-step Other Plans, 5-step Finalize;
>> EXECUTE formerly 20 steps, now 5+5+7+3 = 5-step Product Scope + Request Change, 5-step Make the Donuts + Uphold QA standards, 7-step Manage Team, 3-step Information I/O;
>> MONITOR & CONTROL formerly 17 steps, now 5+5+5+2 = 5-step Measure + Influence, 5-step Change Control, 5-step V&V + Risk + Forecast/Report, 2-step Manage Reserves + Admin Procurements;
>> CLOSE formerly 8 steps, now 3+3+2 = 3-step External Closure, 3-step Internal Closure, 2-step Legal Closure.

(5) ONCE A DAY -- 5-MINUTE BRAIN-DUMP THE RITA CHART TO PAPER: whadya know, Proverbs in the morning, Psalms at night, and the RITA CHART while in the food-line during lunch !

(6) PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT CHAPTER: sorry guys, this chapter needs more clarity and elaboration. It's already the longest chapter in the book but that's okay. The solution is not to argue with the coke machine with 45 cents in the hand and try in vain to buy a 50 cent coke. The solution is to pay the 50 cents and get the coke. Thanks.

(7) THE LAST CHAPTER CALLED "REASONS YOU MIGHT FAIL THE EXAM": *do* the inputs / outputs exercise after the 2nd read-through (and you DID parallel-read the PMBOK book on a chapter by chapter basis, right ?!). The last chapter brings it all home for sure. Make this the partner chapter with your 2nd passage through the PM Integration chapter.

(8) ADDED MAY 2010 -- ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS ON TIME & STUDY APPROACH: Thank you for your kind posts in response to this review. To answer your questions, everybody learns at different rates. Those with lesser "verbal memory" will take longer to learn from books (.vs. multimedia) than others. Particularly for a CAPM but also for the PMP, on average, you'll want to carve out 4 to 6 weeks (evenings & weekends) and ONLY focus on project mgmt. The net time invested (with 23 hour online course included) will range from 80 to 150 hours. Regardless of the time that you will personally require, it's a mistake to either drag the effort out over multiple months or parallel-study other credentialing efforts. Why? Because with PM you are ALREADY learning multiple subjects at once! PM is an aggregate "discipline comprised of multiple disciplines". This makes it all that much harder to properly *contextualize* as it's learned. Contextualization is essential to true education over mere training. So take a month and do this "one thing" very well to the absolute exclusion of all others. Turn off the TV and iPhone; do drive-through or take-out; set clear mini-goals for the complete month; dont be discouraged if 4 weeks becomes 6. LAST TIP: near to your arrival time at #7 above, schedule the exam through Prometric 7 days out for CAPM, and 10-14 days out for PMP (factor in all those sample test questions first). Your momentum, commitment and focus will be unstoppable.

This book is all you need!
Just took and passed this exam yesterday. I studied this book exclusively for about 50 hours over the past month. I used no other training materials, no test simulations, no classes - not even the PMBOK! I am fairly experienced, so your hours may vary, but everything you need to pass this test is in this book.
First the book from an editorial view: I have taken literally dozens of IT certification exams and have used at least one book for every one. Most technical books, IMO, are written in a very sloppy fashion - typos, grammar seemingly from a language other than English, non-functioning code, etc. Not Rita's book. Rita's Exam Prep is easily the highest quality certification book I have ever read. I found only two errors in over 500 pages of real content! Ok, so now you know the book is well constructed, highly edited, and you can trust the content to be relatively error-free. Let me now explain about the actual content and how it matches to the test content (it's relevancy, if you will).
Rita obviously understands the PMP content and exam objectives exceedingly well. But just as importantly, she understands how to present the material in a way that allows to reader to concentrate and absorb the important points. I have taught before and there is a world of difference between someone who knows the material and one who can actually teach others the material. In my opinion, this book is as good as it gets for those on a self-study certification path. If you follow her study plan, there is no reason for you to fail this exam.

Out of the 200 questions on the exam, I would estimate that you should be able to successfully answer 180-190 of the questions with just Rita's book. You only need ~61% to pass, so you should have a high degree of confidence that you will pass this exam on the first try if you read and understand what Rita is presenting to you.

One final note: I read where some people thought this book was expensive. This is a high-end certification and has a high-end testing fee to go along with it. You don't want to spend ~$500 on an exam and then skimp out on test preparation! Many people spend thousands on a class and won't walk away with as much knowledge as what is in this book. For what you are getting, this book is a bargain!

THE BOOK for PMP Certification
In short this book is a very good reference for Project Management (not only for PMP Certification).

I was impressed with the overwhelming amount of people praising Rita's book and decided to buy it. Lucky me. It is indeed a very good book.

Besides being a great asset when pursuing the PMP Certification, this book is a great introductory book on Project Management, covering most important subjects.

Do not expect to get as much info as you would reading Kerzner's book, but the balance is good.

Full of illustrative pictures it presents the Project Management processes, along with explanation and examples (a totally different approach than the one used in the PMBoK). I've enjoyed A LOT this approach.


Quick Chapters Overview:

Chapters 1 - 3 cover the introductory material and the PM Framework.

Chapters 4 - 12 cover each of the 9 Knowledge areas.

Chapter 13 covers Professional and Social Responsibility.


PROS:

It has been written as if Rita were talking to the reader. It is a very nice feature that makes the reading very easy. Also, while she does that, she makes you think what and how well have you been managing your projects. Very nice. (Tell me later about it).

Ok, but what makes this book different?

Some of the items are:

* Tricks of the trade
* Eligibility Checklist
* Study Tips (Rita calls it "critical time-saving tips")
* PMI-isms
* Games and exercises
* Common Errors and Pitfalls
* Cert Study Plan
* Quick Tests (at the beginning of each chapter)


CONS:

Very small letters, make it hard to read (Ok, I got the book at the same time I had to get my first glasses, so give Rita some credit).


To summ up:

I recommend it for both the beginner and the seasoned PM alike, since it will be a nice refresher.

If you're looking for a book full of examples and templates, I'd recommend not buying it.

Hope this helps!

PMP exam Prep - review
This book was suggested by our instructor as one of the best aids to focus on passing this exam. Forget the flash cards! read this book, take the practice exams as she suggests,
use an exam simulator - and you'll pass. Best bang for he buck!

All You Need to Know
I bought Rita Mulcahy's PMI EXAM PREP (Sixth Edition) in April of this year (2010) primarily based on the excellent reviews that I read on this site.

I took and PASSED the exam today. Here's what I will share in hopes you will be able to pass the exam as well.

1) If you follow Rita's instructions in the book you WILL pass the exam on your first attempt.
2) I read the book (cover to cover)(3) times, took all the exercises and end-of-chapter tests with each reading.
4) On my third reading I was able to achieve scores on the end-of-chapter tests in the 80% - 90% range.
5) Don't obsess about the formulas too much. Rita says in her book there will be 8 or so questions that require calculations and she was right on the money.
5) Ignore the negative reviews that have been posted on this site. It is true that Rita does some self-promotion in her book and that she reminds readers that they are probably not doing PM the "correct" way. I interpret this as coming from one who is confident in her PM expertise and is goal/success oriented.

And last, but not least, I discovered that Rita passed away earlier this year. For some strange reason I felt a personal sense of loss and I never met or talked to her. May she rest in peace.

Blows the PMBOK out of the water
Give me $100 to buy books to study for the PMP, and I'll buy this book and pocket $37. Rita's book takes the arcane wisdom of the PMBOK and translates it into real english to help practitioners pass the test. I'm now a certified PMP, and I give 80% of the credit to this book, and 20% of the credit to the RMC online course that cost my employer almost $1000. This book alone should be enough for most project managers to pass the exam and become certified.

The good:
- Quick explanations of difficult concepts
- Breaks down the PMI methodology into easy to follow steps
- Reinforces those topics really necessary to understand the PMI process
- Gives helpful hints on the type of material likely to be found in the test
- Exercises, exercises, exercises! Practice makes perfect. Most of the PMI methods are no-brainers, but you have to learn everything exactly the way they want you to. Best way to do so - use this book!
- Quick exams to capture your knowledge before the chapters. If you understand it, don't waste your time.

The bad:
- I didn't buy it before signing up for her online course. Definitely grab this book.
- It's not recommended by PMI over the PMBOK. I bought both and was depressed whenever I had to open the PMBOK.

Rita's PMP Exam Prep Review
This is an excellent product. I passed PMP exam (on first try) just by studying from PMBOK and Rita's PMP Exam Prep last May. This edition is slightly more advanced and revised to fit PMBOK 4th edition. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Great things don’t happen in a vacuum. But creating an environment for creative thinking and innovation can be a daunting challenge. How can you make it happen at your company? The answer may surprise you: gamestorming.

This book includes more than 80 games to help you break down barriers, communicate better, and generate new ideas, insights, and strategies. The authors have identified tools and techniques from some of the world’s most innovative professionals, whose teams collaborate and make great things happen. This book is the result: a unique collection of games that encourage engagement and creativity while bringing more structure and clarity to the workplace. Find out why -- and how -- with Gamestorming.

• Overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games
• Improve collaboration and communication in cross-disciplinary teams with visual-thinking techniques
• Improve understanding by role-playing customer and user experiences
• Generate better ideas and more of them, faster than ever before
• Shorten meetings and make them more productive
• Simulate and explore complex systems, interactions, and dynamics
• Identify a problem’s root cause, and find the paths that point toward a solution

Play a Game from Gamestorming

We're hardwired to play games. We play them for fun. We play them in our social interactions. We play them at work. That last one is tricky. "Games" and "work" don't seem like a natural pairing. Their coupling in the workplace either implies goofing off (the fun variant) or office politics (the not-so-fun type).

The authors of Gamestorming, have a different perspective. They contend that an embrace and understanding of game mechanics can yield benefits in many work environments, particularly those where old hierarchical models are no longer applicable, like the creatively driven knowledge work of today’s cutting edge industries.

Here is one of the 83 games featured in Gamestorming:

The ELEVATOR PITCH Game

OBJECTIVE OF PLAY: What has been a time-proven exercise in product development applies equally well in developing any new idea: writing the elevator pitch. When developing and communicating a vision for something, whether it’s a new service, a company-wide initiative, or just a good idea that merits spreading, a group will benefit from going through the exercise of writing their elevator pitch.

Often this is the hardest thing to do in developing a new idea. An elevator pitch must be short enough to deliver in a fictional elevator ride but also contain a compelling description of the problem you’re solving, who you’ll solve it for, and one key benefit that distinguishes it from other ideas.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: Can be done individually, or with a small working group

DURATION OF PLAY: Save at least 90 minutes for the entire exercise, and consider a short break after the initial idea generation is complete before prioritizing and shaping the pitch itself. Small working groups will have an easier time coming to a final pitch; in some cases it may be necessary to assign one person with follow-up accountability for the final wording after the large decisions have been made in the exercise.

HOW TO PLAY: Going through the exercise involves both a generating and a formative phase. To set up the generating phase, write these headers in sequence on flip charts:

• Who is the target customer?
• What is the customer need?
• What is the product name?
• What is its market category?
• What is its key benefit?
• Who or what is the competition?
• What is the product’s unique differentiator?

These will become the elements of the elevator pitch. They are in a sequence that adheres to the following formula.

To finish the setup, explain the elements and their connection to each other:

• The target customer and customer need are deceptively simple: any relatively good idea or product will likely have many potential customers and address a greater number of needs. In the generative phase, all of these are welcome ideas.
• It is helpful to fix the product name in advance--this will help contain the scope of the conversation and focus the participants on “what” the pitch is about. It is not outside the realm of possibility, however, that useful ideas will be generated in the course of the exercise that relate to the product name, so it may be left open to interpretation.
• The market category should be an easily understood description of the type of idea or product. It may sound like “employee portal” or “training program” or “peer-to-peer community.” The category gives an important frame of reference for the target customer, from which they will base comparisons and perceive value.
• The key benefit will be one of the hardest areas for the group to shape in the final pitch. This is the single most compelling reason a target customer would buy into the idea. In an elevator pitch, there is no time to confuse the matter with multiple benefits--there can be only one memorable reason “why to buy.” However, in the generative phase, all ideas are welcome.
• The competition and unique differentiator put the final punctuation on the pitch. Who or what will the target customer compare this idea to, and what’s unique about this idea? In some cases, the competition may literally be another firm or product. In other cases, it may be “the existing training program” or “the last time we tried a big change initiative.” The unique differentiator should be just that: unique to this idea or approach, in a way that distinguishes it in comparison to the competition.

The Generating Phase
Once the elements are understood, participants brainstorm ideas on sticky notes that fit under each header. At first, they should generate freely, without discussion or analysis, any ideas that fit into any of the categories. Using the Post-Up technique, participants put their notes onto the flip charts and share their ideas.

Next, the group may discuss areas where they have the most trouble on their current pitch. Do we know enough about the competition to claim a unique differentiator? Do we agree on a target customer? Is our market category defined, or are we trying to define something new? Where do we need to focus?

Before stepping into the formative phase, the group may use dot voting, affinity mapping, or another method to prioritize and cull their ideas in each category.

The Formative Phase
Following a discussion and reflection on the possible elements of a pitch, the group then has the task of “trying out” some possibilities. This may be done by breaking into small groups, as pairs, or as individuals, depending on the size of the larger group. Each group is given the task of writing an elevator pitch, based on the ideas on the flip charts.

After a set amount of time (15 minutes may be sufficient), the groups reconvene and present their draft versions of the pitch. The group may choose to role-play as a target customer while listening to the pitch, and comment or ask questions of the presenters.

The exercise is complete when there is a strong direction among the group on what the pitch should and should not contain. One potential outcome is the crafting of distinct pitches for different target customers; you may direct the group to focus on this during the formative stage.

STRATEGY
Don’t aim for final wording with a large group. It’s an achievement if you can get to that level of completion, but it’s not critical and can be shaped after the exercise. What is important is that the group decides what is and is not a part of the pitch.

Role play is the fastest way to test a pitch. Assuming the role of a customer (or getting some real customers to participate in the exercise) will help filter out the jargon and empty terms that may interfere with a clear pitch. If the pitch is truly believable and compelling, participants should have no problem making it real with customers.

The elevator pitch, or elevator speech, is a traditional staple of the venture capital community, based on the idea that if you are pitching a business idea it should be simple enough to convey on a short elevator ride.

Reviews

A play book for work and life
For several weeks, I've been combing my bookshelves for activities to incorporate into my LIM College class on social media marketing. I wanted games to drive home the information in unconventional, interactive ways. I went to my theatre books, my business books, and my books filled with writing exercises. Nothing seemed quite right. And then I found Gamestorming. It felt like a gift out of the sky. My anxiety about the class diminished a bit more with every page.

Gamestorming details games that engage groups, both large and small, in learning and discovery. They work in corporations and in schools, and I'd like to add that they are a valuable tool for navigating just about any decision and complication in life. I found myself noting in nearly every margin how to use each game. The clear, concise description, depictions, and plan for each took a great deal of thought and care from the authors.

The metaphor of life as a game is well worked over. The trouble with the game of life is that there are no rules. You don't make them and neither does anyone else. They change from moment to moment, and the rule that seemed to work today may never be useful again. We are forced in every situation to think on our feet. Gamestorming gives us more confidence and empowers us to take our futures in our own hands.

A Gamechanger
With Gamestorming Dave, Sunni, and James created one of the most valuable and applicable collection of tools and techniques for organizational design that I have ever come across. The "games" outlined in the book help you make ideas more tangible and meetings more productive, notably through visual techniques. Gamestorming is a window into the future of how groups will work.

There is no way around this book if you are serious about making innovation and change happen in your organization.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
Are you a gamer or a game designer? If you are, then this book is for you. Authors Dave Gray, Sunni Brown and James Macanufo, have done an outstanding job of writing a book that shows you how to embrace and understand gaming mechanics that can be applied to the workplace environment.

Gray, Brown and Macanufo, begin by showing you how to break down gaming barriers and how they can be applied in the work place. Next, the authors help you identify gaming tools and techniques from a unique collection of games that help encourage engagement and creativity in the work place. Then, they show you how to overcome conflict and increase engagement with team-oriented games. Next, the authors help you make innovation and change happen in your organization. They continue by detailing games that engage organizations, both large and small, in learning and discovery. Then, the authors show you how to introduce gaming in software development. Next, they cover the core principals and benefits of games, how to design games, games for opening and games for exploring. The authors continue by encouraging the use of games for the purpose of generating ideas. Finally, they show you how to create one of the most valuable and applicable collection of tools and techniques for organizational design.

This most excellent book provides the tools and real-world examples that you need to effectively analyze your information in order to facilitate decision making. The games outlined in this book, allows you to suspend the usual behavioral standards for a limited time, thus allowing creativity to surface!!

Celebrating the Sophistication of Play
Dave Gray is a real leader in this exploding field of business visualization. As the founder and creator of XPlane, he has lived the value of playful engagement as a part of serious design. Framing these activities as "games" points right at the central power of interactive work with groups, which is to create environments where everyone can contribute, create prototypes, and evolve their ideas. It brings the kinds of ideas Michael Schrage considers in "Serious Play", and Steven Johnson in "Where Do Innovative Ideas Come From" and makes them accessible for any group. Sunni Brown got her start at The Grove and knows this business as a very talented practitioner, and consummately playful person herself. James Macanufo is also a seasoned practitioner. The exercises suggested here have been well tested!!! Buy this book and keep your innovation toolkit brimming with great ideas.

Why games matter
In Gamestorming, Dave Gray and his colleagues Sunni Brown & James Macanufo do something extraordinarily important and they do it with such simplicity and clarity that it is easy to miss what is most valuable about this book: in short, it explains why the idea of the game matters.

It has become a media commonplace, at least in the "smart" media of Wired, Fast Company, The New Yorker and the New York Times, that games and gaming are reshaping our world. Few, however, explain with such lucidity not only why we should pay attention to this phenomenon, but also give us such a practical roadmap to the application of what we have to learn.

Games are structured accelerators for learning. They are extraordinarily effective technologies for learning in groups and for accomplishing things while we learn and not simply after the fact. What Gray, Brown & Macanufo help us to see (the drawings & diagrams are fabulous) is that the game matters because it puts in our hands the technology to create and to explore other worlds, other realities; some possible, some parallel, some fantastical, but all of which are places that allow us to get beyond the constraints and the limitations of the present and the ordinary or mundane.

Gamestorming gives us both a roadmap for understanding why games matter so much and, as the authors properly say, an accessible "playbook" for how to use these powerful technologies.

My most grave complaint is that Gamestorming is still a book. Not withstanding the effort to challenge the limitations of the book (see the website at [...]), Gamestorming strains to show us things that belong on another platform altogether, perhaps something like the gamelayer that is starting to be built on top of the world we now "know": isn't that the "place" we should all go gamestorming?

This book is outstanding!
This book is outstanding! Simple yet powerful. "Gamestorming" offers a provocative framework in which groups can use games to achieve results. More practically, it provides over 80 games that can be played in groups to stimulate new thinking, innovations, creative solutions and game-changing insights. In today's hyper-competitive environment where change is constant and the need for creative solutions is ever-accelerating, this book is essential. In short, it is a great book!

Amazing & Innovative book
This is just the kind of book I was looking for. Management games to be used in presentations and team -building exercises. It had the right content and at a level i wanted for senior managers.
Highly recommended ... Read more

Editorial Review

A study guide for the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification exam, this book provides all the information project managers need to�thoroughly prepare for the test. Review materials cover all the processes, inputs, tools, and outputs that will be tested, and extra help is offered with insider secrets, test tricks and tips, hundreds of sample questions, and exercises designed to strengthen mastery of key concepts�and help�candidates pass the�exam on the first attempt.

Reviews

One-Stop Shop for PMP Certification, May 28, 2003
PASS. First time out. Any questions?

Seriously, I read the PMBOK cover to cover. DENSE. All the information is there, but it lacks several things that are crucial to a successful PMP exam preparation: intuitive organization, practice questions, and real-world applications.

Andy Crowe's book fills the gap. It presents the information in a structured, easy-to-understand format that guides you through the 39 discrete processes, their interaction, and most importantly, what you need to know about each one to pass the exam.

The final exam takes the concepts presented in the book and makes you think about them from yet another angle, and the fact that all the answers are there provides the last step in cementing the information in your head. My score on Andy's final and my score on the PMP exam were within 5 points of each other, so he obviously got it right.

The PMP exam is extremely situational. Some questions have four correct answers! What they want from you is the BEST answer. Many others focus on order of operations and ask what you, as the project manager, should do FIRST. These real-world situations are covered clinically in the PMBOK, but stressed in detail in this book.

Buy it. Read it. And Pass the PMP. I did.

This is what a PMP Prep Book Should Be!, June 30, 2006
After studying Rita Mulcahy's "PMP Exam Prep" book for months, I found myself so frustrated and confused that I started looking for other material. I went online and found the positive reviews of Andy Crowe's "The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try" and bought the book, and I am SO glad I did!

What took months to understand reading the overly-complex RMC book became crystal clear when I read Crowe's book. Crowe organizes his material well, and at the beginning of each chapter he conveniently defines the material's difficulty, memorization level and importance on the exam in terms of "High, Medium or Low". Each page has a tab on the edge that identifies what process you are in, so if you find yourself deep in concentration and suddenly wondering, "Hey am I reading about Quality Assurance or Quality Control?" there's a large indicator right in front of you to help.

On a purely mechanical level, Crowe went out of his way to make sure this book was organized to help you study. I really appreciated that.

The material itself is excellent. As some have pointed out, it is a little slim in some areas, but the book's purpose is to help you pass the exam and in this regard, Crowe admits that he glosses over some items that tend to appear less than others. I recommend you read this book and refer back to the PMBOK and one additional study guide whenever you are confused or need additional detail.

I did find that PTA (Point of Total Assumption) was covered here, where it wasn't covered in the other material I used. I didn't find any major shortcomings in the coverage of the book.

I have read criticisms of the book's grammar and spelling. I did find a few (under 5) spelling errors, but I honestly appreciated the "big print" type and simplistic words. The material covered on the PMP Exam is pretty complex and tough. And too many PMP education providers seem to think they have to mimic that complexity and difficulty to teach the material. It was incredibly refreshing to find a book that actually went out of its way to make the material simple.

The book was also an easy and fast read, unlike all of the other materials I found. I read the first half of the book (up through the end of the "Time" chapter) in one day, and the second half in another day. I then went through the book with a highlighter and re-read it, in 2 days time again, highlighting all the key points. During each of these passes, I took the questions at the end of each chapter. Finally I skimmed the material several times, only glossing over the highlighted points. Doing this I could flip through the entire book in a day. I did that twice. Finally, two days before the exam I took the entire 200 question test at the end of the book, scoring 90%.

The only suggestion I have to improve this book would be to make the exam questions more difficult, so that they more closely mimic the tough, brutal questions I encountered on the PMP exam.

The free material at the Velociteach website was great. I signed up for the online site two weeks prior to sitting for the exam. The online quizzes were good, but limited. The real benefit for me was the classroom slides which presented the material very well. Even though it was mostly a rehash of what was found in the book, it was slightly different material, presented very well, using repetitive images and phrases that really helped key concepts stick in my head. (After going online, I easily memorized word for word the definition of a "Baseline" as they always referred back to the same images and the same words on certain key points. I found this GREAT for learning!)

I took the PMP Exam a few days ago and passed fairly well, thanks completely to Andy Crowe's book. Crowe explains early on in the book how much weight each process group carries on the exam. Calculating my scores in each process group (Initiation, Planning, Executing, M+C, Closing and Professional Responsibility) x the weight each group carries on the exam, I arrived at an estimate of 75% for my score on the overall exam, passing is approximately 61%. My weakest area was in Initiating by the way, which surprised me. Note that I took the final exam in the book shortly before the exam and scored 90%. I would recommend that you get to an 85% or 95% level on this particular book's questions prior to taking the exam.

I am very pleased with my score on the exam and with this book and Velociteach in general. This is my PMP preparation book of choice and I highly recommend it to anyone who is studying for their PMP credential.

This book really delivers, July 26, 2004
Until you have actually sat for the PMP examination (a grueling 4 hour 200 question computer administered examination), it is really not possible to gauge the value of this book. After taking the test, I can say categorically, that it would not be possible for even the most experienced project manager to pass the test without having read Andy Crowe's book. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has defined a very robust set of processes and knowledge that comprises their view of project management. Often, however, this view is different than the experiences of many long time project managers.

Andy's book logically lays open PMI's view of project management and provides the reader with the understanding of PMI's approach and how it also relates to many of our actual real world experiences. In a carefully planned order, the book covers each process group explaining the key elements and important items that the reader must remember in order to do their very best on the examination. The reader learns the why of PMI's approach so that they (the reader) can apply the "why" to answering the test questions. So, instead of having to memorize answers, the reader understands the underlying philosophy and, therefore, can deduce the correct answer by applying the PMI approach to each question. Although titled as a how to pass book, it really provides a useful guide to applying the PMI processes to any project. Andy gives the reader more than a guide to passing the test - this book is a great reference that will be useful long after the reader takes and passes the PMP examination.

To help the reader with test preparation, the each chapter has review questions as well as a final examination. These questions are very similar to the kinds of questions and subject matter found in the examination that they really help to both assess the reader's readiness for the test as well as to provide an excellent practice tool. The book also provides insight as to the level of difficulty and approximate percentages of coverage each process group will represent in the actual exam. This helps the reader to focus their study time in order to maximize their study effectiveness.

Having never used a "pass the test" book in the past, I was a bit skeptical. This book certainly demonstrated that it is possible to create a book that can actually come through a promise to pass on the first try. I have and will recommend this book as a must to anyone that is planning on taking the PMP examination.

Fantastic book for passing the PMP, January 10, 2005
I passed the PMP exam this morning on my first try. Thanks to this book and Rita Mulcahy's Exam Prep, I passed it with a wide margin. This is my favorite of the two as it gets to the point and really focuses on the key concepts in each knowlege area. I would recommend that you start out with this book as it gives you a good foundation without drowning you with minutia! Then switch to Rita's book to add the polish and finer details.

The questions at the end of each chapter and the Final Exam in the book was a good representation of the actual exam. I really like the fact that Andy added a totally different final exam and didn't reuse any questions from the chapters. In this regard, this book was far above Rita's book.

Summary: No regrets at all about buying this book. Will keep it as a quick reference at work.

One of the Top Three PMP Exam Guides, April 19, 2006
have recently read a few PMP books cover to cover, and I thought I should share my experience with other readers with an intention to help them to find the right books. A brief review of what I think are the top three PMP books follows:

1. This Book: The PMP Exam.
This is a great book and relatively self contained. You can study this book and pass the PMP exam. There are a only a few topics, which are not covered in adequate depth. The material coverage, however, is organized around the knowledge areas while the exam objectives are organized in order of the process groups. That breaks the exam objective coverage into pieces, and may cause confusion. I consider the book price un-reasonably high.
I recommend this book if you are looking for a self contained book to pass the PMP exam.

2. PMP In Depth by Paul Sanghera, Thomson Course Technology.
This book has just hit the market and is relatively unknown. But I found this a rock solid book. Almost all the topics are covered with adequate depth. The material is presented in a logical learning sequence and the presentation is very cohesive: no hopping from topic to topic. It's an easy and interesting read. All concepts are clearly defined and expalined. This makes it a great book for both the PMP and the CAPM exams. I feel that the communication management could have more coverage. Although for the exams, the current coverage is enough.
The material is organized in order of the project lifecycle (the process groups) consistent with the way the exam objectives are organized. Furthermore, exam objectives covered in a chapter are explained in the beginning of the chapter. This makes the exam preparation easier and confusion-free. The book is very reasonably proced.
I recommend this book for the PMP and the CAPM exams, and also if you just want to build a good understanding of the project management basics.

3. The PMP Exam Prep by Rita Mulcahy, RMC Publications.
It is a very good book if you are either taking a course from the author or from an instructor who is using this book as a text book. There are lots of exercises. Unfortunately, this is not a self contained book. Topics are not covered with enough depth. Also there is a poor flow and a lots of hopping from topic to topic. The coverage of topics is organized around the knowledge areas while the exam objectives are organized in order of the process groups. That breaks the exam objective coverage into pieces, and may cause confusion.Moreover, it's outrageously high priced. Too many cross references and over-hyped.
Overall I recommend this book of you are using it in a course.

critical success factor to pass the exam, February 15, 2005
I cleared my pmp exam on my first try yesterday. As you know, PMBOK is a reference instead of a textbook. It is very useful, but definitely not a good starting point to learn about the PMI methodology. I knew I have to turn to other sources, which eventually lead to a procurement process. My requirement is very clear, I need some materials which can enable me to clear the exam ASAP (i.e. a short payback period). The specifications of the materials are as follows:

1. Explain everything straight-forward, so that I can capture the key points immediately
2. Light in weight, so that I can carry it around
3. Without lengthy-case to confuse me, so that I can focus on PMI methodology and principles, not the background information of other companies

According to the comments (expert judgements) here, I "procured" two text books, one by Andy Crowe and another by Rita Mulcahy, the two most popular reference books about PMP. Two books were studied instead of one as I'm not sure whether one book is adequate or not, two books can mitigate the risk, the "unknown-unknown".

I finished both within one month and was fully satisfied with their contents. Their only drawback is, the exercises provided are much easier than the actual exam. But I don't blame on the authors because the objective of these questions is let you verify your understanding (inspection). I checked the questions I missed and clarified my misunderstandings steadily (progressive elaboration). PMBOK is helpful in this stage to provide the official definition of key items. We all know that PMP means Project Management Professional, but it also means Practice Make Perfect. I passed my PMP exam (objectives achieved) as promised by Andy :) Based on the score sheet, I understand that I have some weak areas where I need "continuous improvement". Unlike PMI methodology, there is no closing process in learning. We have many similar idioms in Chinese.

I've cleared the PMP exam on first try with both books. But I still believe that, the critical success factor to pass the exam does not lie on the tools only, but also the methodology how you prepared the exam. There should be many other textbooks available which can help. I am just lucky enough to use some of them.

I passed the PMP using only this book!, May 19, 2003
This valuable guide is worth its weight in gold! This was the only reference I used to study for the PMP exam and like the title says, I passed it on my first try in March 2003 - by a wide margin I might add.

The book reads as if the author were right by your side guiding you through the critical information needed to pass the exam. Instead of simply presenting a large volume of information as other reference guides do, Andy Crowe has ranked and rated all of the information he presents. He has organized the book in such a logical format that not only did I pass the PMP exam, but I really understand PMI's processes and why PMI does things the way they do. That's the real purpose of the PMP certification in the first place, right.

I can't recommend this book enough. If you are interested in passing the PMP the first time and shaving months off your study time, (who isn't) you have to read this book.

Great book to begin with, but..., February 4, 2007
This is the first book I read to study for my exam and I passed today!!! I think it's time for me to contribute and provide comments to the other people. This book is very easy to read; however, YOU CAN'T JUST RELY ON THIS BOOK! I brought the "PMP In depth by Paul Sangher" and it is also a good book to read. In conclusion, please please read the PMBOK after you read this book since you don't want to be like me -- I got very low score and I thought I couldn't pass!! Hope this helps and good luck ;-)

If you want to pass the PMP this will do it, May 30, 2003
If your concern is to pass the PMP exam, as quickly and easily as possible, this is an excellent book. I've spent over a decade as a PM and had just come off a 4.5yr contract. I also spent two years teaching principals of Project Management in the professional certification program at Columbia using the PMBOK as the basis of my curriculum. I was comfortable with my understanding of the basic methodology and the knowledge areas.

My goal was to pass the PMP with the least amount of hassle. I didn't want to learn more about project management, additional theories or examples of excellent new approaches to the different knowledge areas, at least not as part of this process. I didn't want to spend the next six months attending a study group. I wanted to know the mindset of the PMI test developers. I wanted to know their prejudices and attitudes and how these very subjective positions were expressed through the answers they expected and the questions they designed. And since these attitudes and positions tend to change with time, I needed to know what was current right now.

For instance, I tend to solicit team feedback concerning major policy decisions. For the most part PMI doesn't consider that the team should be consulted outside of the estimation exercises. Just knowing this fact allowed me to correctly answer a number of questions on the exam. The issue here is not what approach is best or to debate the question. The issue is what is PMI's position and how does it show up in the test. This is the type of information "The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try" provided along with the foundation concepts of the PMI methodology.

The book provides the material in an efficient, easy to understand presentation. In addition the book's graphics and memorization aids are both attractive and effective. More importantly they are organized by knowledge area. I read the book in the context of the class Andy teaches. I took a sample PMP test at the beginning of the class and scored in the 50 percentile. When I took the official exam a short time after the class, I scored 81%. The class is great but the book contains the class material and stands on its own.

Very Helpful book, December 21, 2003
Hi all, I just took and passed the PMP test this weekend. I used a few different sources to study. PMBOK, Mr. Crowe's book and another book by Michael Newell. The best source was Mr. Crowe's book. I would have liked a cd with the questions and some of the questions were a bit too easy but on the whole it was a great resource and the one that I recommend the most. I also found a good website that had some sample questions called www.pmboulevard.com.
The book focused on the knowledge you really need and I followed his instructions on what too do when you take the test too a tee. But don't be fooled you must put in some serious study time to pass the test, its not easy and there is a lot too know but this book could be used as a guide.

Good luck everyone. ... Read more

Editorial Review

No book on software project management has been so influential and so timeless as The Mythical Man-Month. Now 20 years after the publication of his book, Frederick P. Brooks, Jr. (best known as the "father of the IBM System 360") revisits his original ideas and develops new thoughts and advice both for readers familiar with his work and for readers discovering it for the first time. ... Read more

Reviews

I would give it a 100 stars if I could!, May 29, 2004
If you have managed some software projects or have worked on some non-trivial software systems, undoubtedly you have faced many difficulties and challenges that you thought were unique to your circumstance. But after reading this book, you will realize that many of the things you experienced, and thought were unique problems, are NOT unique to you but are common systemic problems of developing non-trivial software systems. These problems appear repeatedly and even predictably, in project after project, in company after company, regardless of year, whether it's 1967 or 2007.

You will realize that long before maybe you were even born, other people working at places like IBM had already experienced those problems and quandries. And found working solutions to them which are as valid today as they were 30 years ago.

The suggestions in this book will help you think better and better manage yourself, and be more productive and less wasteful with your time and energy. In short, you will do more with less.

Some of Brooks insights and generalizations are:

The Mythical Man-Month:
Assigning more programmers to a project running behind schedule, may make it even more late.

The Second-System Effect:
The second system an engineer designs is the most bloated system she will EVER design.

Conceptual Integrity:
To retain conceptual integrity and thereby user-friendliness, a system must have a single architect (or a small system architecture team), completely separate from the implementation team.

The Manual:
The chief architect should produce detailed written specifications for the system in the form of the manual, which leaves no ambiguities about any part of the system and completely specifies the external spcifications of the system i.e. what the user sees.

Pilot Plant:
When designing a new kind of system, a team should factor in the fact that they will have to throw away the first system that is built since this first system will teach them how to build the system. The system will then be completely redesigned using the newly acquired insights during building of the first system. This second system will be smarter and should be the one delivered to the customer.

Formal Documents:
Every project manager must create a roadmap in the form of formal documents which specifies milestones precisely and things like who is going to do what and when and at what cost.

Communication:
In order to avoid disaster, all the teams working on a project, such as the architecture and implementation teams, should stay in contact with each other in as many ways as possible and not guess or assume anything about the other. Ask whenever there's a doubt. NEVER assume anything.

Code Freeze and System Versioning:
No customer ever fully knows what she wants from the system she wants you to build. As the system begins to come to life, and the customer interacts with it, he understands more and more what he really wants from the system and consequently asks for changes. These changes should of course be accomodated but only upto a certain date, after which the code is frozen. All requests for more changes will have to wait until the NEXT version of the system. If you keep making changes to the system endlessly, it may NEVER get finished.

Specialized Tools:
Every team should have a designated tool maker who makes tools for the entire team, instead of all individuals developing and using their private tools that no one else understands.

No silver bullet:
There is no single strategy, technique or trick that will exponentially raise the productivity of programmers.

A timeless classic "must read", February 22, 2001
There are few must reads in this industry. This is one. First published in 1975, this work is as applicable to software engineering today as it was then. Why? Because building things, including software, has always been as much about people as it has been about materials or technology--and people don't change much in only 25 years.

In the preface to the First Edition, Brooks states "This book is a belated answer to Tom Watson's probing question as to why programming is hard to manage." This short book (at just over 300 pages) does a masterful job answering that question.

It is here we first hear of Brooks's Law: "Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later." Brooks doesn't just drop that on the reader without explanation. Instead, he walks through the reasoning, discusses how communication in a group changes as the group changes or grows, and how additions to the group need time to climb the learning curve.

Those new to the industry or who are reading the book for the first time might be put off by the examples and technology discussed. Indeed, even in the newly released edition, the original text from 1975 is still present, essentially untouched. So, talk of OS/360 and 7090s, which permeates the text, is perhaps laughable to those not looking deeper. When talking about trade-offs, for example, Brooks offers "... OS/360 devotes 26 bytes of the permanently resident date-turnover routine to the proper handling of December 31 on leap years (when it is day 366). That might have been left to the operator." This is 26 bytes he's talking about!

Brooks provides a light, almost conversational tone to the prose. This isn't to say the observations and analysis were not very well researched. Comparing productivity number with those of Software Productivity Research (SPR), you'll find Brooks came up with the same measurements for productivity as Jones--only 20 years earlier!

Other wisdom is also buried in this work. Brooks declares "The question, therefore, is not whether to build a pilot system and throw it away. You will do that. The question is whether to plan in advance to build a throwaway, or to promise to deliver the throwaway to customers." The state of products I buy today tells me not enough people have taken Brooks's observations to heart!

The latest version of the text includes his work "No Silver Bullet." Brooks, who had brought us so much before, had one last "parting shot."

As I started this review I will also end it: this book is a classic. Read it.

Must reading, but too seldom read, April 27, 2000
In giving testimony before Congress a few years ago on IT issues, I said the following:

"Humanity has been developing information technology for half a century. That experience has taught us this unpleasant truth: virtually every information technology project above a certain size or complexity is significantly late and over budget or fails altogether; those that don't fail are often riddled with defects and difficult to enhance. Fred Brooks explored many of the root causes over twenty years ago in The Mythical Man-Month, a classic book that could be regarded as the Bible of information technology because it is universally known, often quoted, occasionally read, and rarely heeded."

I have been involved in software engineering for over 25 years, have written many articles and even a few books on the subject. Yet every time I think I've discovered some new insight, chances are I can find it tucked away somewhere in The Mythical Man-Month. And the tarpits and other dangers he lays out plague the IT industry today. I wonder when we will grasp and apply the fundamental insights that Brooks, Jerry Weinberg, and others laid out nearly three decades ago. ..bruce..

are your deadlines an exercise in futility?, December 22, 1999
I find myself going back to this book regularly as management tries to double the size of a team in order to cut development time in half, or make supervisors out of great technical people. Normally when you read a technology book as old as this one, its distracting to see how much things have changed; in this case, its sobering to see how little things have changed. Brooks' project examples are artifacts of another era, but teams are still failing to deliver quality software on time for all the same reasons they were then. There's room for disagreement with some things in the Mythical Man-Month (most of which are addressed in the new chapters at the end), but it convinced me that making project deadlines doesn't have to be a roll of the dice, and gave me the insight to start looking at software development as a process instead of as an accident.

Oldy but Goody, March 5, 2001
This book is a classic, but recently revised and corrected. The amazing thing is how relevant the book still is to software product development. If you are involved in software, this book is a must-read.

The most valuable part of the book, I believe, is the "plan to throw out" prototype chapter. While the goal is always to make a bigger, better, fast whatever, it is almost an axiom that you WILL build something that has to be discarded and reworked. This absolutely happens every time, I can tell you from first-hand experience. Therefore it is vital to plan to throw out so you can migrate your users to whatever will follow. If you dream that the first product is THE ONE, you risk abandoning them on a product that will inevitably evolve. Planning the throw-away also helps meet the schedule goals by setting reasonable milestones that can be met.

In my role as a product manager for a top-selling software product in its class, I found that the Mythical Man-Month was absolutely vital. However, some additional reading is recommended; Walker Royce's Software Project Management was published in 1998 and adds the dimension of software project evolution. This goes into more detail why you can't write all the specifications upfront, and even if you do, they are certain to change by the time the product is released.

Tame the software beast..., September 24, 2000
I was initially sceptical that a book on software engineering written twenty-five years ago could still be relevant today. It is.

This short, concise book contains a handful of highly insightful essays, each focusing on one main topic, usually a problem area in software engineering, and possible ways to solve it. Brooks doesn't waste pages of space in excess verbosity. He just says what he thinks, and why he thinks it. It's a very underrated writing technique.

The new chapters in the anniversary edition serve to acknowledge changes that have occurred since the original edition, and while there have been some, on the whole, most of the original text still stands. If you are in the field, or want to get into it, read this book. Simple.

An obsolete classic, January 13, 2001
This was one of the most valuable books in its day (1975). It revealed huge mistakes in one of the largest programming efforts ever, and suggested mostly-reasonable improvements.

But software engineering has advanced a lot since then, even if the software industry hasn't. For example, Brooks' sole team-level improvement is the suggestion to use Harlan Mills' chief programmer teams, while many such improvements have been found since then. And Brooks entirely ignores the main defect of the chief programmer team---the difficulty of finding chief programmers!

(As an aside, a chief programmer team works fine now with a chief programmer, a college grad, and modern tools. Code ought to be written so a college grad can maintain it, and this approach helps ensure that. The college grad can also flesh out test cases and support in other ways. But there's still the problem of finding the chief programmer...)

Brooks approach is generally, "We did that wrong. We should have done it this way, for these logical reasons." But there are often several solutions to a problem, all having logical reasons. Empirical data is needed to choose between them. Brooks rarely mentions alternate solutions, and almost never offers emperical data.

A far more valuable book is Steve McConnell's "Rapid Development". This well-researched and organized book quotes data to confirm problems, discusses solutions with associated emperical data, and recommends solutions.

Hard truths about managing software projects, June 28, 1997
Most of what you'll read in this book will not come as a surprise, you've heard it before; well, this is the source. These are observation like: Programmers who really think they found the last bug mess up your planning (since they didn't), the last 10% of a software project may take more resources to complete than all used so far and adding resources to a project will only make it finish even later.
This very book has left a tremendous impression on the industry ever since it was first printed (1971?) although most mistakes are still made. Virtually all examples are outdated like "--the date should be changed manually for a leap year, this saves some 50 bytes in main memory--" but anyone can substitute relevant examples.
The author's main argument is that no "silver bullet" will be invented that can decrease the time to perform a complex software project significantly. In this 1995 edition the author admits (in a new chapter) that some of his conclusions are incorrect but he stays with that argument: the silver bullet was not invented and will not soon (if ever) be invented.

"Adding manpower to a late project makes it later", January 14, 2001
Almost everyone who works on projects with the IT industry is familiar with Brooks' Law (cited in the review title). But all too few people have read this seminal book on project management and software engineering. Containing resources such as an explanation of Brooks' Law, an incredibly useful breakdown of what kind of documentation should accompany a product, and the new chapters which examine what's changed since the book was first released. The whole world would be saved a great deal of chaos if beginning project managers would start with this fine book.

Time Less, November 18, 2006
Few books written about software engineering have value a few years after introduction. But Brooks is time less! This is a must read by anyone who craft is computer science. I would also suggest it to anyone who is in technology managment. It is very readable and very usable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Master Microsoft SharePoint 2010

In How to Do Everything: Microsoft SharePoint 2010, Stephen Cawood--a former member of the SharePoint development team--explains how to get the most out of this powerful business collaboration platform. Learn how to use document management functions, wikis, taxonomy, blogs, My Sites, web parts, and more. Take full advantage of the content management, enterprise search, collaboration, and information-sharing capabilities of SharePoint 2010 with help from this practical guide.

• Set up a SharePoint site
• Add documents, use the SharePoint content approval workflow, and work with document versioning features
• Collaborate with others during discussion boards, blogs, wikis, events, surveys, calendars, and workspaces
• Use social tagging to create a folksonomy of keywords
• Create a taxonomy hierarchy using Enterprise Managed Metadata
• Build publishing sites, My Sites, and public-facing websites
• Show data on pages using web parts
• Customize lists, forms, site themes, and navigation
• Use SharePoint with client applications, including Microsoft Office Backstage, Outlook, InfoPath, SharePoint Designer, and third-party applications

Reviews

Great for End Users, August 4, 2010
My company just started using SharePoint 2010 and my team was in the dark on all of the changes we were seeing. In searching for training materials, I found "How to Do Everything" to be a great reference for helping everyone get up to speed and productive quickly. Unlike most "How To" books, this one is easy to get through and thankfully doesn't read like a manual.

There are 11 chapters, each covering a certain feature with an quick overview and some sample exercises. The chapters are also fairly to the point and short, so they're very helpful for someone to get through the most important details in a half hour.

Probably the best part was the section on how to find things using the new ribbon. This was a confusing point to a lot of people when we made the 2010 switch and it does a great job of explaining how to navigate.

Overall, we're having a great experience with it... people in my group have started using their profile pages and our team sites more effectively. A couple folks who had never even set up their profile in years past have suddenly become users. It's a great book to put on everyone's desk to make them feel more comfortable, as a supplement to a training course or before your team has a chance to be trained. Would highly recommend it.

A must-have book for SharePoint end users, August 12, 2010
As an SharePoint expert, I often get questions such as "How do I modify a view?", "How do I create an InfoPath library?", "How do I check in a Word document using Microsoft Office?" This book How to Do Everything: SharePoint 2010 answers this type of questions in simple language and with screenshots. It covers the common features for end users in SharePoint 2010 and explains the details so well that even a dummy can understand. I highly recommend this book to SharePoint 2010 end users. Administrators may also need this book to save some time answering how-to questions about SharePoint 2010.

Excellent New Book on SharePoint 2010 - Highly Recommended, August 18, 2010
Stephen Cawood's new book on SharePoint 2010 has been written specifically for end users who want to get the most out of their SharePoint 2010 implementation. The book covers a lot of ground, including a history of SharePoint as well as a wealth of practical and often step-by-step information that will help organizations and end users get quickly up to speed on SharePoint in general and the new features and capabilities of SharePoint 2010 in particular. One area that he spends a lot of time is on metadata, where he offers some excellent information on the use and benefit of metadata, specifically the new enterprise managed metadata (EMM) and term store functionality of SharePoint 2010. Chapter 10 titled "Using SharePoint with Client Applications" provides a unique look at SharePoint client technology and the benefits of third party tools in addition to those available from Microsoft.

Stephen provides an interesting, easy to read, and highly practical book on SharePoint 2010. I highly recommend it.

Approaching SharePoint 2010 with fresh eyes from the ground up, August 16, 2010
Having worked with SharePoint for over 3 years I found this book to be extremely helpful to dissect SharePoint 2010 as if from the perspective of a user with no SharePoint experience at all. Stephen has an uncanny way of exploring all of the elements on a screen and explaining them in very simple terms while also giving detailed background to areas that may not be apparent to a new user.

I especially liked the flow of this book as it kept things primarily focused on end user usage with small dips into administrative scenarios but only when necessary. Screenshots are used very well to point out and highlight specific screens in a logical manner.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is new to SharePoint 2010 or would like a complete overview of all of the end user functionality and concerns.

Perfect for new and experienced end-users, August 12, 2010
Having only started learning SharePoint recently it can tend to be overwhelming at first as there is so much possible when it comes to creating your own site, creating list and libraries to upload documents, and even editing web parts. I started learning SharePoint shortly before SharePoint 2010 came out and having just learned SharePoint 2007 I was worried that the transistion may be difficult. However that was not so after reading this book. It was a very light read and explained everything in an easy to understand way that made reading multiple chapters a breeze. Many end user books can tend to be difficult to read and you will sometimes end up reading chapters over again having not understood it clearly. That is not so with How to Do Everything: SharePoint 2010 as all the unnecessary techincal terminology is left out, making it a pleasure to even broswe through if something has you stumped. I would strongly recommend this book to any SharePoint 2010 end-user whether brand new or even if you consider yourself an expert.

How to do Everything MS SharePoint 2010 is a Fantastic End User book, October 27, 2010
I found the book to be very informative as it guides End Users through the new UI of SP2010, the new feature sets especially in SPD 2010. I like how it introduces the new concepts and shifts in how Service Applications are used and consumed. All in all a great book and i reccomend getting it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Every PM will love it!, October 12, 2010
I purchased this item after I passed the PMP exam .. I can see how much I needed something like that for final review .. However, I loved it! I am keeping it on the top of my work desk for quick reference. It is handy, dense, brief, the print is perfect, and the lamination keeps it safe from coffee accedents. Finally, I think evey PM will love it. Thanks Andy Crowe!!

Excellent Reference Tool and Study Aid, November 8, 2010
I bought this along with Andy's book, "The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try, Fourth Edition." This guide is a great study aid and reference tool. Prior to taking the test, I used this as a handy reference for refreshing my memory on key inputs, outputs, and processes and also for mathematical formulas. The guide is actually a laminated tri-fold guide, with a total of six pages (three sheets, front and back). It's well-organized and extremely helpful. Now that I've taken the test, I'll keep this handy for everyday reference.

PMP Quick Reference Guide, November 11, 2010
When I got this in the mail I was disappointed. It's really too small to read and I ended up discarding it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Good Study Aid, November 8, 2010
These are really good flash cards and there are enough of them that you can study them with the appropriate amount of detail. Like all flash cards, set aside the ones that you don't need and focus on the ones you have trouble with.

I used "The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try, Fourth Edition" with these flash cards, along with the other Velociteach study aid and had no surprises when I took the PMP exam.

PMP EXAM Flash Cards, October 27, 2010
Product is wonderful, am currently studying for the PMP and these cards are quickly becoming a must have tool in our study group.

Excellent study aid, December 7, 2010
Nothing beats flash cards for memorization, and a lot of memorization is required for the PMP exam. These cards also have the knowledge areas printed on them, which makes it easier to sort them for focused study on a particular area.

Note that some of the process cards list "key" inputs, tools, and outputs. "Key" means they're doing you a favor and helping you focus on the stuff you are most likely to be tested on. I was annoyed by this at first, but came to see the value of these focused lists for study purposes. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The smart way to learn Microsoft Office Project 2007--one step at a time! Work at your own pace through the easy numbered steps, practice files on CD, helpful hints, and troubleshooting tips to master the fundamentals of working with the latest version of Office Project, including information on the new, easy-to-use scenarios and reporting features. You will learn the essentials for managing time, people, and budgets for projects large and small with Office Project 2007. You will learn how to create a task list and assign resources, fine-tune your project plan, track project progress, and share and publish project information. With STEP BY STEP, you can take just the lessons you need or work from cover to cover. Either way, you drive the instruction, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Includes a companion CD with hands-on practice files. ... Read more

Reviews

Full and Practical, May 16, 2007
Once I get a Step by Step series book, and its operating model is just what you need if you start from scratch or you're an advanced specialist looking for updates. Very precise and clear explanations and companion CD with samples files for practicing just rocks!, you have the entire scenario and just need to get creative to escalate your neverending questions to the sample scenario, which is just as clear to see as on the field.
2007 version is just what I spected from the book, covering every topic from basic use to advanced control and tracking and integration with Project Server. You can notice PMI orientation in product, and that's quite good worked on the book.
I missed some information regarding some intelligence moved from Office Project to PWA (Server), like enterprise fields and server settings (well I supposed I'll get new stuff from the next MOC for Project Server)

If you want to solve questions regarding the use of the product, or maybe you're trying to get quite the expertise for a terrific project management,this book will do the job

A Project Stroll, November 22, 2007
This has been a great book for learning Project 2007. If you already know Project, it does a great job of providing review material, guiding you away from unnecessary chapters. If you have never really spent time with Project, this book does a very good job of walking you through, Step by Step, aspects and capabilities of Project, as well as exposing you to solid project management practices.

MS Office Project 2007, September 21, 2007
I bought this book because it was recommended for an online-college course that I am taking. I couldn't believe that the same book was much higher in price on several other websites and how affordable it was to get through Amazon. The book itself is excellent as it gives step-by-step directions on how to use the project. It is an excellent resource and very easy to use. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking detailed, but easy to understand directions regarding the product it is designed for.

Great Book I also thing you will find MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-632) just as good, January 3, 2009
I first read all the reviews before purchasing this book. I did see other MS Project 2007 books that are more (in the classroom) type and would have liked to have gotten them; such as Microsoft Official Academic Course Series, Or MCTS Self-Paced Training Kit (Exam 70-632): Managing Projects with Microsoft Office Project 2007 and Ultimate Learning Guide to Microsoft Office Project 2007 (Epm Learning), but since most of them didn't have a review and they were a little more costly I decided to go with the Step by Step book.

So far at this time of writing my review I am on chapter 5. My only complaint is that the book instructs you to use the CD for each chapter in the book there is a folder on the CD for you to use. Now instead of you building your project from scratch (which I would prefer to do) The MS CD for each chapter has added more than what they had told you to ad in the previous chapters, so if you decide to use the same saved project folder and continue on through the book you will find yourself adding things that you weren't told to add in the last chapter(s).

Example: in chapter 3 you add names to the Assign Resources. Jonathan Mollerup, Jon Ganio, Garrett R. Vargas and John Rodman, however should you continue on to chapter 4 and not using the chapter 4 folder you will see that you need to add nanes like Scott cooper and Patti Mintz.
Now what I am really trying to say here is, instead of having to open and work with a new folder for each chapter just continue to build in/on the project you first create. The MS Step by Step book can give you all the information to enter, but they don't do that.

Oh, and I really give the book a 4 � stars.

Note: so you can create one project folder and work through all the chapters, but you will need to add names and other information as you move on, which I have found to be a good thing because you will have to remember where to go to add the stuff in without the book telling you. Good for memorization!

Incredible MS Project Reference, October 29, 2008
One of the best reference books I have ever read (and I have read a lot of them). The authors take you 'step by step' through every critical feature in MS Project. The procedures are very straightforward; there is virtually no way to screw up their instructions. Even if you know nothing about project management, you will have no trouble with this book. In fact, this book will teach you more than how to use MS Project, it will also teach you about project management. I really can't say enough positive things about this book.

My only small criticism is that many of the figures are not labeled. I found myself labeling some of the more ambiguous figures myself.

Nonetheless, I still have no trouble giving this book 5 stars.

MS Project Software Review, October 18, 2008
Excellent book to start learning features and capabilities of MS Project 2007. Emphasis is on features most used most of the time (i.e., 90:10 rule applies nicely). It is easy to go to different sections to refine skills. Learning disk that comes with book is useful and ease to use.

Good Reference Book!, July 7, 2010
This is a very good reference book for project managers. In particular, it is useful in showing how to measure project performance with Earned Value Analysis and how to calculate the critical path of a project.

Excellent book, clear all my questions, October 3, 2008
If you are a new user with Office Project, this book is gona be perfect. Show in a easy way how to deal with the new features of that program.

Don's Review, December 16, 2008
This is an excellent book to teach a user how to use MS Project 2007. Each chapter is well thought out with clear steps to follow and illustrations to accompany those steps.

If you're learning about MS Project 2007, read this book first. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Apply the principles of Scrum, one of the most popular agile programming methods, to software project management—and focus your team on delivering real business value. Author Ken Schwaber, a leader in the agile process movement and a co-creator of Scrum, brings his vast expertise to helping you guide the product and software development process more effectively and efficiently. Help eliminate the ambiguity into which so many software projects are borne, where vision and planning documents are essentially thrown over the wall to developers. This high-level reference describes how to use Scrum to manage complex technology projects in detail, combining expert insights with examples and case studies based on Scrum. Emphasizing practice over theory, this book explores every aspect of using Scrum, focusing on driving projects for maximum return on investment. ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent book! Learn Scrum by reading stories of its use, February 26, 2004
Agile Project Management with Scrum is a wonderful book. The author, Ken Schwaber (one of the originators of the Scrum process), informs us through case studies and anecdotes. If you like learning by example, this book is for you. Scrum is quite likely the best starting point for most companies interested in pursuing an agile development process. The readability and excellent anecdotes in this book make it a fantastic starting point for any journey into agile development.

I loved seeing how Schwaber applied Scrum in many varying situations. Rather than introducing each case study one at a time, the book is organized around key areas. Multiple anecdotes are given for each key area. Throughout each chapter, Schwaber brings the anecdotes together in Lessons Learned sections and the chapters conclude by helping point out the conclusions we learn to draw from the anecdotes.

I appreciated that Schwaber was not shy about mentioning projects that didn't go perfectly-including one he got fired from for being too zealous in his role of sheepdog guarding his flock of developers.

Although this book is ostensibly about software development, Scrum has its roots in general new product development and can (and has been) applied to a wide variety of development projects. A problem with a process like Scrum is that it is best learned by "feeling it" rather than being told about it. There are many subtle differences between Scrum and a more command-and-control management process. Learning Scrum by reading a book filled with examples like this is the best way to get the feel for how to use it on your own projects.

Real world guide to implementing Scrum correctly., March 4, 2004
Our organization recently implemented Scrum, and although the
Beedle/Schwaber book was great to get us off the ground on Scrum
theory, we immediately had many questions once we actually tried to implement it in real life projects. I agree with the notion that Scrum is conceptually easy to understand, but actually quite complex to implement correctly. The scrum forum has been helpful, but we really needed a cohesive reference of situational problems. The APMWS book really hit the nail on the head and delivered what we needed the most: a practical guide to Scrum with anecdotes and "what happens if..." situations from real world Scrum implementations. This came just in time for us, and we are feeling more confident for our upcoming certification class.

The appendices in the back are also very helpful. The "Rules"
appendix is perfect as a quick introduction to Scrum for new Team
members and Product Owners. It's actually quite detailed for being such a short appendix.

Also, for newbies the three main Roles are very nicely explained. We had some misconceptions that were immediately addressed by this book.

Anyway, from a Scrum newbie that is faced with implementation issues, thanks to Ken for putting together a real world implementation guide.

Good general introduction to the concepts, January 24, 2005
The book was an easy read and provided a fair but light treatment of Scrum. The numerous examples provide a good illustration of some of the key concepts of the method and help in better understanding implementation issues and lessons learned. This being said, a complete understanding of Scrum requires additional reading above and beyond this book, and most importantly a good solid (if not many) attempt at applying it in the real world. For individuals interested in Scrum, I would also recommend a very active discussion group to which the book's author and many other Scrum aficionados contribute regularly: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scrumdevelopment/

The Bible of Agile Methodology, June 10, 2005
Reading this book won't turn you into a ScrumMaster- only experience with a few projects will do that- but this book really has all the information you need to start to implement the Scrum agile methodology in your company or department.

I've been trained in two seperate PMI-certified methodologies, and both have been complete failures in my organizations. The response, of course, has been to bring in a third methodology. The real reason for the failures has been that traditional project managment as it is usually practiced is designed to fail. It encourages the creation of fictions that live a seperate existence form the actual project, with due dates dictated from above, and project schedules fudged to meet due dates rather than actual resources. In my own organization, we had a typical example of what happens in traditional "waterfall" development: A massive project to replace our main administrative system was ticking towards a June delivery (according to the detailed MS Project charts) and then, 30 days prior to delivery, it was announced that the delivery date had been pushed back an entire year!

This can't happen with Scrum. Scrum reflects what's really happening in a project, and it encourages incremental development- prioritizing requirements, and delivering them in their order of need, instead of trying to deliver a complete project with every single componant at a certain date. It's also one of the least onerous of methodologies. As a Scrum Master friend notes, "It's the simplest methodology you can implement that will actually deliver results".

It does requrie some changes in how things are done in the traditional organizations. Scrum project managers don't assign tasks and track performance on each task; instead, they assign goals and the programmers report on progress and any difficulties they many encounter. There's a daily stand-up review to report on progress and roadblocks and monthly reviews to reprioritize and review changes in scope. The result is that the project continually is driven by the needs of the customer as they evolve, and not by arbitrary goals in the distant future.

If I've piqued your interest in Scrum at all, get a copy of this book. Better yet, order copies for all your team members, too.

The roles and responsibilities of SCRUM, March 31, 2007
When co-workers see this book on my office shelf, I inevitably get one of two reactions. The most common one is "Do you really want to take advice on project management from Microsoft?" The answer is probably not, but this book was written by the co-creator of SCRUM, and published by Microsoft press, so it's not exactly a recipe-book from Redmond.

The second reaction I get is "I was at a company/on a project/reported to a boss who used SCRUM and it worked really well." After reading several books on the subject and applying the lessons, I can see why. SCRUM has been the most useful project management method I've tried so far on my software development projects.

Since the goal of traditional project management is to standardize a known process to produce a required result, it has always had problems when applied to the creative process of producing software. This problem is only multiplied when the software to be produced is web based and consumer oriented, throwing a multitude of marketing and usability issues into the mix, making the desired end product as uncertain as the process. SCRUM is an ingenious solution to this problem; instead of trying fruitlessly to predict the future in the form of a project schedule, SCRUM emphasizes development as a continuous process that can be controlled using the same empirical feedback mechanisms of visibility, feedback, and adaptation that are already used to good effect in the manufacturing industry.

In this view, the team is a machine that constantly produces features as output. That output is inspected by end users, who then provide feedback, which is then incorporated into the next round of development. The book details the organizational roles and responsibilities needed to set up this machine and the processes to keep it running.

I found this book to be considerably more reader friendly than the original book by Schwaber detailing SCRUM. (Agile Software Development with SCRUM The emphasis on case studies rather than theoretical discussions certainly helps keep the discussion grounded, but more than that the text is more coherent and better written. Whether this is the effect of more experience or a better editor is hard to tell.

The three roles of SCRUM are the Product Owner, the Scrum Master, and the Team. The first two are single person managerial roles that are responsible for requirements definition and maintaining the process. The Team, however, consists of everyone who is assigned to do work exclusively for the project, and in Schwaber's conception it is to be completely self-managed. Now that I have gained some experience using SCRUM, I have to say that this is both the most challenging aspect of the process.

SCRUM depends on the Team effectively taking control of the product and committing themselves to delivering shippable features on a regular basis. To successfully introduce SCRUM engineers and other creative people have to be convinced that not only do they have the power to make decisions, but that it will be worth their time and effort to do so. Much of the process documented here- 30 day sprints, defined times for feedback, and so on- seem to exist to help insulate the team from those who would interfere with their control. But getting a team to the point where it is functioning at such a high level requires more than just giving an assignment. It requires either a fortuitious mix of personalities and culture, or time and nurturing. Know which one you are signing up for before you start.

There is a lot of other good advice in here as well, and I found it very helpful in taking the first steps towards a more agile approach to project management.

Complements his other Scrum book nicely, December 29, 2006
This is a good account of Scrum practices as used "for real" in several case studies, plus some general evangelism and two very useful appendices on Scrum rules and terminology definitions.

I do think it has become somewhat hard for Schwaber to imagine what it is like NOT to be familar with Scrum, as it is so deeply embedded in his thinking and practice! For instance, he uses the term "sashimi" early on without bothering to define it in Scrum terms - that comes later (Hence the 4 stars instead of 5. Would really like to give 4 1/2.)

His other book "Agile Software Development with SCRUM" has more in-depth coverage of the subject. It includes a fuller account of the essential difference between defined and empirical processes which is at the heart of Scrum and other agile methods. In this one, he does include the same reference to the (hard to find!) industrial engineering textbook that explains this, but in a more offhand way - just quoting a key paragraph a couple of times.

Perhaps the best sequence of reading depends on your role. If, like me, you are a developer, the first book is, I think, more rewarding for in-depth study and relationship to Agile principles in general, while this one is a good follow-up on implementation realities. For a manager wondering whether Scrum deserves exploring, this book will give a strong (positive) answer to that question, and can be followed by more in-depth study with the other book.

Disappointing Read, August 21, 2009
I purchased the book hoping it would provide real content about the rules and practices of Scrum. Instead, the author appears intent upon using the book to drive business to his Scrum certification business. He touts platitudes about "the rules of Scrum", but provides little substance. Outside of the basics -- that can be learned by simply searching for "Scrum" in a search engine -- the book offers little insight into how Scrum Masters conduct themselves differently than Project Managers. If you're looking for valuable insight into Scrum, skip this book. It was a waste of my money. One last gripe: The author wastes no opportunity to slam traditional Project Managers and projects run under the procedures of non-agile methodologies. Clearly, he has never worked for a good technical Project Manager on a well-run project. Contrary to his opinion, both do exist.

If you have time to read only one Scrum book ..., November 5, 2006
... you must not be taking Scrum very seriously.-)

For what it's worth: I read this book before I read the first book ("Agile Software Development with SCRUM"). I didn't have any trouble reading them in that order. I found this book slightly more helpful than the first. It seemed to cover the mechanics of Scrum in more detail. More importantly, it help me understand how to fit Scrum into the context of the real world.

sales pitch not information, February 8, 2008
This book is a sales pitch for agile project management, not a book on how to use it. There is chapter after chapter with the same format. 1) describe long list of problems company has, 2) implement agile 3) magic happens. There is a small amount of information on agile and how to use it.

It's a good overview of Agile, but feels a bit contrived, July 17, 2008
I generally like this book, and find it's content helpful. However, the examples chosen for the book focus on "broken" situations that seem to go beyond just project management and development methodology, and demonstrate that somehow magically, Scrum saves the day.

While I like the optimism and positive-thinking these examples encourage, it doesn't match reality. When I walk into a messy, complex situation, apply Scrum, and the world doesn't turn to pink roses, I'm left wondering if I did something wrong...I'm frustrated...I'm angry...I'm confused. The examples setup an expectation of outcomes that is too high to be reached generally, and I think some examples of failures and lessons learned would have rounded out this book much better.

In the real-world, "perfection is the enemy of success" and I think that's what I find missing from this book. All of the outcomes represent a perfect implementation of Scrum to solve the problem in the example. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

One of many books you need to conquer PMP - not the only, October 9, 2007
I passed my PMP exam recently. In spite of my years of experience, I found that the exam needs a truckload of preparation! I started with PMBOK Guide, Rita Mulcahy, some others, and settled on HFP. The HFP is not the first book you should read, and certainly should not be the only book you read. Unlike the somewhat snide (and ineffective) Mulcahy book, this book would give you tons of useful mnemonics to remember stuff by. After reading this book, I was having a much easier time answering questions in other books, such as Mulcahy's.

The PMP examination is not for the faint of heart. At the minimum, you should know the PMBOK Guide by rote (esp. the I-TT-O, Glossary, and the formulae). You need to supplement that knowledge using other books. These are the list of books I found useful (in no particular order):
0. PMBOK Guide
1. HF PMP
2. Mulcahy
3. Kim Heldman
4. Andy Crowe

Unfortunately, HF PMP does leave out many vital topics. This will hurt you in the exam, if you have not covered it elsewhere (e.g. Calculating CPPC and FPIP using numbers, GERT, etc., amongst many other examples). But for the topics covered, you will have a strong help from this book in retaining that information!

I would strongly encourage the authors to:
1. Consider revising the book and adding the missing topics - priceless addition, given that the authors do a wonderful job of any topic they cover in the book.
2. Add a GLOSSARY OF TERMS that may be referenced in the PMP Exam, even though these may not be covered in detail in the book (cite a ref.).

It will be worth the price you'd pay for such a book!

THIS IS A MUST HAVE BOOK, April 27, 2007
This is the book. I have read 4 different books to study for the PMP (without taking any classes) and this one by FAR is the easiest, simplest, and best book that is out there. The exercises reinforce the concepts in new and different ways (matching, crossword puzzles, short answer, etc). Even when I thought I had to memorize the formulas, I now discover I don't need to because the book explains the concepts in such simple terms that the formulas go together and just "logically" make sense. They explain a lot of terms from both a project manager AND a sponsor's perspective. This is by FAR the greatest book. The concepts are SO simple. I do recommend using PMP Practice Questions Exam Cram 2 or some book with test questions in it to go along with this book only after you have read this book.

Even after being through project management in the real world I learned a few things to help me in my current job. Anyway, I rate this a NUMBER ONE MUST HAVE. I look forward to more books in this series or any other concept out there that I want to learn. OUTSTANDING JOB TO O'REILLY, the Publisher. I give kudos and more kudos.

Engaging Coverage of Brain-Unfriendly Body Of Knowledge, June 24, 2007
If you don't mind reading the PMBOK guide for your exam preparation, then, I suspect, you would enjoy memorizing a phone book or have an unusually strong taste for suffering. In either case, don't read any further and don't buy "Head First PMP" -- reading it may be too much fun for you and dangerous to your mental health!

For those of us, who find the PMBOK bo-o-o-oring, "Head First PMP"'s approach is the *only* way to learn. Let's admit, that the topics covered by the exam, while are very important, are not very exciting. To learn them well, it is important to dig deeper into the reasons for the best practices. Following the style of the "Head First" series, the authors of this book took the subject of the PM science and turned it into a fun-to-read and easier-to-learn-and-internalize collection of graphics, questions, answers, mental games and scenarios, stories. They deconstructed the topics to their essence and then reconstructed them in a way that makes sense to everyone who is willing to focus and think. The book is very engaging and, in my opinion, is a must to read, at least to make sure that you understand all the answers.

I'd like to point out the difference between this book and other books in the series -- Object-Oriented Analysis and Design, Design Patterns, Java. Those books cover topics that are interesting (at least to me) in nature, and had been covered in other publications with various success. The "Head First PMP" book is different in the sense that its authors "dared" to apply the "Head First" approach of "you'll learn better when reading is fun" to a topic that while important, makes me think of an ominously laughing dentist holding a jack hammer.

Network Engineer/Architect - Excellent Boot Camp Book, May 24, 2007
I cant explain it but this book make it stick like "done spaghetti on a wall" . Being a visual learner this book ( as well as other HFL Books) have hit my sweet spot. It is like an instructor with a blackboard in a book, and the little devil and angel over your shoulder telling you what is right or wrong.

I am getting instant results from the first 5 chapters, An excellent guide/ training tool for all those new and somewhat new to project management methodologies. As a matter of fact I will be using this guide to train my team so expect a few copies to come my way

COWS GONE WILD - I cant wait for it to come out for mac and PC

Head and shoulders above, May 22, 2007
PMBOK this is not, nor is it like many study guides with the roteness of
memorizing the ABCs. It is "Brain-Friendly", and it provides meaning behind
the processes. Has not put me to sleep yet ......

Head First PMP Defines a New Oxymoron: Engaging Textbook, August 22, 2007
In preparation for the test, I recently spent some extended time in the bookstore comparing options to help my studies. The local bookseller I visited unfortunately didn't have the Head First book that I had heard so much about, so I ended up with a another title that was also highly recommended on Amazon. After bringing the other book home, I read two chapters and realized I was thinking about everything other than what I was reading. I decided I needed a different route if I planned to stay awake during my preparations for the exam and decided to try to source a copy of the Head First guide instead.

I found a copy of the Head First PMP title at another bookshop and settled in for what I thought was going to be another futile attempt at cramming this information into the old gray matter. However, much to my surprise, I found myself *engaged* in the content, and moreover, I was truly *learning* it! The book's approach ensures understanding of the content through thought and exercises - not reading lots of text and hoping some of it sticks long enough to pass the test.

If you haven't seen what makes the book different, definitely take a moment to visit the book's website (http://www.headfirstlabs.com/pmp) to see if this writing style is a fit for you. As another reviewer mentioned, this book definitely has a quirky feel to it (e.g. a fireside chat between the scope management plan and the project scope statement as one example) that may not be right for everyone, but for the rest of us, Fireside chats, crossword puzzles and Cows Gone Wild is half of what makes the book so engaging.

Don't let the fun use of graphics and informal style of the book fool you into doubting its usefulness or accuracy. While I can't guarantee that you'll pass the exam by reading this book, I will say that when you use the book as outlined in the book's introduction, the Head First PMP should absolutely increase your knowledge of the things PMI deems important for the exam without torturing yourself in the process.

Finally, for those that may be wondering why you should take my word on the use of this book, I passed the exam by a good margin yesterday. I found that on at least 25-30 questions, I would not have gotten the question correct had it not been for something I read in the Head First PMP book over the two days prior to the test.

Highly recommended!

Very good intro to PMP material, February 28, 2008
I bought probably 8 PMP study guides, including Rita's, Crowe's, and many others. I actually enjoyed reading this one. I made it my first pass through the material. It's a little silly, but if you toss that aside, it engages you, tests your knowledge of concepts, terms, and techniques along the way, presents you a crossword of learned terminology at the end of each chapter, and then puts you through a quiz.

I bought, and do not like, the Rita guide. She has such a snide tone... Allow me to paraphrase. "If you thought X, then you must not be a very good project manager." It's a recurring theme throughout her book. I'm still trying to get over my own mother, I don't want to get it from the PMP exam prep material.

I do like the Crowe (how to pass on your first try) book. Since it's organized like the PMBOK (and this Head First Book) what i recommend doing is reading the Head First book first, then the Crowe book. That's what I did, and it **really** reinforced my understanding. I got the same content from two different angles, two quizzes, and lots of exercises. (The Crowe book really isn't interactive like Head First, but the explanations and writing is really to-the-point and clear). When you're done this approach, then read the PMBOK (I never read the full PMBOK and I passed the PMP with flying colors two days ago--2/26/08).

I do recommend Rita's Exam Software and her flash cards, but that's all the Rita I can take. She still manages to get her snide comments into the exam software question explanations, but it's still a sound exam and with a bank of 1700 questions, it's a great diagnostic and a way to condition yourself for the actual exam.

Excellent study material!, May 14, 2007
I am working on my PMI certification and I have found many of the books to be dry and boring. I have several of the Head First Java books and purchased this PMP book as soon as it came out. It doesn't disappoint. The format of the content makes it easy to comprehend. I highly recommend it.

Great Book!!!, May 16, 2007
I never thought that PM stuff is anything else than dry boring stuff. This book just taught me the opposite. The most important output of this book is that it makes PM tangible. Some may say that PMP is outdated by Agile Project Management. The opposite is true, APM is based on PMP.

To me content and style could not be better presented.

Great Done!

Beside the superb exam preparation material in the book look for even more additional material [...]

Another win for the Head First Series!, April 26, 2007
Head First PMP makes the material from the PMBOK engaging and meaningful through the use of graphics and entertaining examples. The PMBOK put me to sleep, but the presentation of this book makes it a real "page turner." Before you know it, you've read a hundred pages and you're ready for the next hundred!

I am using this in conjunction with the Whizlabs PMP mock exams, which give you the education units required as a pre-requisite to the exam.

I also highly recommend the other books in the Head First Series, particularly Head First Design Patterns.

... Read more

Editorial Review

Information is traveling faster and being shared by more individuals than ever before. Information Technology Project Management, Sixth Edition offers the "behind-the-scene" aspect of technology. Although project management has been an established field for many years, managing information technology requires ideas and information that go beyond standard project management. By weaving together theory and practice, this text presents an understandable, integrated view of the many concepts skills, tools, and techniques involved in project management. Because the project management field and the technology industry change rapidly, you cannot assume that what worked even five years ago is still the best approach today. This text provides up-to-date information on how good project management and effective use of software can help you manage projects, especially information technology projects. Information Technology Project Management, Sixth Edition, is still the only textbook to apply all nine project management knowledge areas?project integration, scope, time, cost, quality, human resource, communications, risk, and procurement management?and all five process groups?initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing?to information technology projects. ... Read more

Reviews

A Basic to Intermediate Textbook on IT Project Management., August 1, 2003
As one can guess from the price, this book is geared to be used as a text book in a University setting. But almost anyone will find this book extremely useful because the book occupies a unique niche in the market on Project Management books.

There are several project management books out in the market that mostly fall into the following categories - General Project Management, Advanced Project Management, PMP Exam Preparation, and PM Software books. The problem I have had with these books is that there are very few that address IT Project Management and even fewer that use Case Studies throughout. I am in IT Project Management and absolutely require Case Studies to learn any subject thoroughly. Especially a practical subject like Project Management.

This book is perfect for an IT Project Manager because it - covers basic project principles, incorporates the IT view on every topic, has plenty of exercises to prepare for a PM exam (like the PMP or CompTIA's ITProject+), has a very decent section on using Microsoft Project 2000, a 120 day trial version of MS Project 2000 software in case you don't have it, plenty of mini case studies, a real-world running case study of the Northwest Airlines' ResNet project, and an excellent reference list at the end of each chapter. It is clear that the book was aimed at being the perfect reference for any IT Project Manager.

The only downside of this book is that it is very light on all the topics and does not address any advanced topics. But that would have doubled the number of pages in the book and potential been a turn-off to anyone new to the subject. It might not have appealed to an Intermediate level Project Manager either. So I don't feel that this is such a big downside and is actually a positive.

After obtaining my PMP, I came across this book when I was given the opportunity to teach Project Management Part-Time on a need basis at the Austin Community College. They use this book as the required text book for their comprehensive IT Project Management class aimed at those new to the field or those looking to gain a deeper knowledge of IT Project Management. I am glad I received a free copy of this book as I would have normally passed it up as too basic a book (since I already have my PMP). But I now realize that I will benefit tremendously by doing all the exercises in the book and strengthen/deepen my understanding of several Project Management concepts. So my immediate future is going to involve devouring this book.

I hope you too benefit from this book and enjoy using it for any one of the many purposes!

Perfect for the right audience, June 30, 2001
This book is a truly valuable resource if you meet all of the following criteria: (1) you are either a Project Management Professional (PMP), which is a certification bestowed by the Project Management Institute to individuals who meet rigorous screening qualifications for education and experience and successfully pass a comprehensive examination based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), or are seeking the PMP certification, and (2) you or your organization primarily uses Microsoft Project.

For those PMPs and PMP candidates who use other tools this book will still be valuable, but not to the degree it is for the first group.

The book's key strengths are: it completely adheres to the PMBOK, takes a teaching approach, and starts with a case study that is used and expanded as each of the nine PMBOK process areas are introduced and explained. This is a powerful approach to teaching because the PMBOK process areas are introduced in sequence and the exercises at the end of each chapter reinforces the material presented in that chapter. For Microsoft Project users this book also teaches some advanced techniques with that package, and does so in a manner that is wholly consistent with the PMBOK. Moreover, it takes into account the unique challenges imposed by IS projects. As an added bonus the accompanying CD ROM comes with a copy of Microsoft Project 2000 that is fully functional for a 120-day trial period (Appendix A also is a quick guide to this software).

Weaknesses: Many IS shops have development methodologies, such as the Rational Unified Process, in place. Although most methodologies, including the Rational Unified Process, can be aligned to the PMBOK this book does not address how to do this in any detail. Another issue is IS in most of the larger enterprises, especially those with mature project management practices in place, use ABT Project Workbench, which is an enterprise-strength project management tool. This diminishes the value of this book to readers who are used to the more sophisticated features of tools designed for the enterprise.

This book is an exceptionally well written and designed tool for teaching the PMBOK within the context of IS projects. If you fall into the primary audience I described above this is a "must-have" book.

Good book in general with a few buts, March 13, 2004
I agree with most of the reviews in general. I have been using this book as a textbook for a class on Project Management. I enjoy reading the chapters and it gives you a good overview of Project Management and the terms used in it but, that is my issue, it's an overview. I like reading the case studies but frankly I think the assignments at the end of each chapter have many that ask for more detail then the overview content of the book gives. I find this to be an issue with many textbooks. They write the book concisely to cover a whole topic in one textbook hitting the highlights, but write the assignments to be done as if you had been studying the subject in depth.
Case in point: Chapter 11 Exercise 5 on page 357. Draft an RFP (Request for Proposal) for purchasing laptops for all students, faculty and staff at your college or university. use the outline provided in Figure 11-4. List all the assumptions you made in preparing the RFP.
Sounds like a great assignment, with the exception that an RFP is a very detailed document. In the outline it is also suppose to include a Statement of Work ( a document that should be prepared before an RFP) and schedule information. To do this assignment you basically have to dream up an entire project and do previous prep work in order to write an RFP. Also, this outline is the only example of an RFP in the whole book. There is no example of a completed RFP, after all, this is an "overview" book. I have been researching on the net for sample RFP documents. I have yet to find one that even remotely looks like this outline or follows the criteria in this book.
I spend hours and hours every week just doing the prep work to get my head around this random assignments.
This book would have been better had it just made the assignments a case study that built from Chapter 1 on, instead of bits and pieces of this kind of project or that. I think I read in the main review that the book uses NWA as a case study to teach, that doesnt even happen till like Chapter 12 or 13. Did this person really read this book??
I don't mind being taught principles of Project Management but don't just hand me terms and principles and sketchy outline examples and expect me to give you the full blown details of a project that I have to make up mostly out of my own head and hope it's right. Projects are team efforts and some of these things asked for would be the product of a whole team's input not just one person yet in assignments it is just the student doing it all as if they were the whole freaking team. This kind of thing annoys me to no end in textbooks.
I could give more examples but I am already a partially dissenting voice among reviewers. I guess I could sum it up as a good book to have and read but it is a LOUSY TEXTBOOK.

First and best IT PM book, September 14, 2007
Information Technology Project Management is the first book any technical project manager should read. It does a great job of laying out the challenges and tools of technical PM. It provides practical common sense examples as well as good historical anecdotes. This book has no fluff and no superfluous chapters, it's all meat. Even if you have been doing PM for years, this book has something to offer.

Reading and understanding this book cover to cover will get you half way to your PMP certification. You will need to get a PMBOK or a PMP study guide and spend another 2 - 3 months of study. But this book is absolutely the right place to start.

Project management overview, December 1, 2001
I used this book as a study guide for the CompTIA IT Project+ exam. I passed the exam. This book is very well structured, organized, and well written. However, it is only a fundamentals overview of IT project management: experienced project managers might find it a good review, but this book would likely fall short of providing you with all the tools necessary to practically implement good project management. Fortunately, the book is riddled with references to provide you with sources of further study. Also, this book only briefly touches on concepts specific to software development. This book is really a general project management book with most of the examples taken from the world of IT, and only a few IT specific concepts.

Project Management for Information Technology Professionals, February 18, 2000
I like this book! It is a very useful aid in instructing I.T. people on the basics of Project Management. It follows the framework established in the PMI's Project Management Body of Knowledge but comes at it from an I.T. perspective in the text, case studies and examples. If you are a PM working in an I.T. environment, you will find this book useful.

This text uses the PMBOK Guide(from PMI) as a fundation, January 14, 2000
I read this book to help understand the details in "Project Management Body of Knowledge" Guild (ISBN: 1-880410-12-5). This book use some IT projects for examples. It is good for beginners who want to know all the project management knowledge areas.

Not consice, not to the point, to much verbosity, July 2, 2010
I am a database administrator & developer, programmer, and occasionally - a project manager. I require data that is short, to the point, and gets the information across in a highly efficient manner -and this book fails to do this on all points. Schwalbe was a requirement for a class I took and I did not enjoy reading it. It had all the hallmarks of a book that has been revised, revamped and re-titled (1st edition, 2nd edition, 3rd edition, 4th edition, etc) entirely too many times; it is entirely TO verbose, provides excruciating ad-nauseam detail on the same subject matter multiple time in different sections of the book, and simply fails to get to the point. If you want a book that provides a short and informative "this is what you really need to know about project management" then avoid Schwalbe and buy something else.

Kindle version not a bargain, July 12, 2010
I read the sample content and assumed that purchasing the Kindle version would be the equivalent of purchasing a new book. This is not true. The Kindle version is akin to a used book, in that it does not come with the access code required to access the premium content. This content includes "informative links from the end notes, lecture notes, interactive quizzes, templates, additional running cases, suggested readings, podcasts, the new Jeopardy-like game, and many other items to enhance your learning." If you purchase the Kindle edition, you must then purchase this other access separately for $35. The dead tree edition is a better bargain -- cheaper, and comes with both the website access and the Project CD-ROM.

Needs More Concrete IT Examples, April 27, 2010
Overall, this is not a bad book, but sometimes the organization can be confusing. Most of the book is straight from PMBOK, but then some of the presentation is more confusing than material presented in PMBOK. In methods and tools in Quality Management for example, some of the tools were applicable for only Quality Control, while others solely to Quality Assurance. A strong enough distinction was not made, and the organization was different than PMBOK.

In mentioning some of the metrics used, the author covers examples for manufacturing, which is quite surprising as this book is suppose to be about Information Technology, one would guess reading the title.

Some areas, such as Cost-Benefit Analysis and Cost of Non-Conformance, the author offers an inkling into these areas, but fails to detail how one could assess the cost of not doing quality for instance. In the industry, this is a challenging sell to management that cuts corners and ships poor quality products. I was hoping for more details. Other methods and tools were sometimes devoid of useful examples applicable to IT. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Experience learning made easy-and quickly teach yourself how to manage your projects with Project 2010. With Step By Step, you set the pace-building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Topics include building a project plan and fine-tuning the details; scheduling tasks, assigning resources, and managing dependencies; monitoring progress and costs; keeping projects on track; communicating project data through Gantt charts and other views; and exploring enterprise project management systems.

From Inside the Book:

Reviews

Good hands-on begging book on Project, September 13, 2010
If you are looking for a simple, easy way to teach yourself Project 2010 Step by Step by Carl Chatfield and Timothy Johnson is a good choice. Step by Step (SBS) is a series of textbooks published by Microsoft for learning the applications in the Microsoft Office Suite. The format is hands-on with brief explanations of concepts followed by step by step exercises demonstrating key tasks. Most students can work through the book and its exercises in about 2-3 days of solid study. Disciplined students often find a chapter-a-day to be a reasonably workable pace.

You can very effectively skip through the text taking a chapter at a time to learn specific tasks. However, don't plan on using the SBS series for reference book or quick how-to guide. In Project 2010 SBS you will cover the core skills needed for using Project as a standalone application but helps are sprinkled throughout on using Project Server. SBS assumes the reader is already comfortable with the computer and has some experience with the Microsoft Office 2007 or 2010 Ribbons.

Project 2010 SBS is a great book for learning the application and does contain many tips and tricks on the project management methodology. However, SBS is not a book on methodology. The brief appendix "Short Course in Project Management" is helpful but not a replacement for training and experience in project management. While the SBS series is best suited for individual study it can be used in the classroom in a pinch. I have used SBS series texts for several applications in classes but they are far from the best option. The price point of around $19.79 on Amazon is appealing for classrooms. The new appendix on using SBS in the classroom is unfortunately not at all helpful for an experienced instructor.

Disclaimer: As is common practice in book reviews I was given a free copy of Project 2010 SBS for review. This review was originally published on my blog at [...]

George Sawyer is Technology Coach & CEO of Sawyer Training & Technologies

MSP 2010 Step by Step, August 24, 2010
Good starter book. I bought the book because the more comprehensive ones were not coming out until October. Still will need the additional detail.

Good for first steps., August 2, 2010
I was looking this kind of books.
Easy to read, with tips and practices. If you are working on project management this is a good start.

step by step hand book., August 22, 2010
Great book. The steps are easy to follow. I downloaded the trial version of the software from MS to use this book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Editorial Review

In the updated edition of this critically acclaimed and bestselling book, Microsoft project veteran Scott Berkun offers a collection of essays on field-tested philosophies and strategies for defining, leading, and managing projects. Each essay distills complex concepts and challenges into practical nuggets of useful advice, and the new edition now adds more value for leaders and managers of projects everywhere. Based on his nine years of experience as a program manager for Internet Explorer and lead program manager for Windows and MSN, Berkun explains to technical and non-technical readers alike what it takes to get through a large software or web development project. Making Things Happen doesn't cite specific methods, but focuses on philosophy and strategy. Unlike other project management books, Berkun offers personal essays in a comfortable style and easy tone that emulate the relationship of a wise project manager who gives good, entertaining and passionate advice to those who ask. Topics in this new edition include:

• How to make things happen
  
• Making good decisions
  
• Specifications and requirements
  
• Ideas and what to do with them
  
• How not to annoy people
  
• Leadership and trust
  
• The truth about making dates
  
• What to do when things go wrong

Reviews

Updated version of a key resource., April 12, 2008
Okay, let's get the one downer about the book out of the way; it's a second edition of Scott's The Art of Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly)). Not sure why the name was changed but it might confuse some folks. Okay, it confused me, not sure about anyone else. If you've recently read the first edition then you may want to borrow someone's copy to go over the exercises/discussion at the end of each chapter.

If you haven't read the first edition, you're in for a great time! This isn't a reference book, nor is it a cheat-sheet for passing your PMP. Scott writes as friends chat over coffee. To really "get it" you need that same head game. Find your personal motivation for making things happen, either at work or in your life, and slowly reflect on a single chapter over a hot cup of joe. Even better, find a couple friends who are just as success driven as you and work through the exercises together.

My introversion is so strong that last sentence was almost painful to write, but a deeply reflective level of mental processing is what you need for this book. When you have a chapter in your head you can go over the events of the past week and generally find ways you could have handled something better. Write them down, go implement the ideas, and keep doing that as your success rate grows. Use the exercies as dry-run scenarios and really put some thought into them. Build your experience and expertise in the shadows; when the spotlight is on you'll be ready to make things happen in a big way.

Essential Buy For Project Managers, May 30, 2008
In the field of project management, 'Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management' is one of the finest books I have ever had the chance to peruse. From gathering ideas to managing teams and schedules, everything and anything is in this book that is a MUST BUY for all project managers or group leaders that want to update or learn new techniques for creating widgets in the real world and doing so efficiently and successfully. I think a chapter overview would be helpful to help the reader get an idea of the wonderous content contained within:

01. History of Project Management

I - PLANS

02. Schedules
03. What To Do
04. Vision
05. Ideas and how they come about
06. What do to with your great idea

II - SKILLS

07. Writing good specifications
08. Good decision-making
09. Communication and relationships
10. Process, Email, Meetings - Don't waste people's time
11. When things go wrong

III - MANAGEMENT

12. Leadership & Trust
13. Making things happen
14. Middle-game strategy
15. End-game strategy
16. Power and Politics

I was originally going to Highly Recommend this book but I think it's so fantastic I'm going to up it to HPR. If you are any way related to making progress at your job or possibly even life this can be useful, this book is a must read... NOW.

***** HIGHEST POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION

Over praised, way too much, May 11, 2009
For those who gave this book a 5 star rating, I really suggest you think it again. To me, this book is over praised, way too much!! And there are several reasons why I am saying that.

First of all, the majority of the content has been expressed long before; I don't see anything new or groundbreaking. For example the author talked a lot about the importance of communication, trust, relationship, etc. in project management. But isn't that just common sense? Whoever does the project management job should know that pretty well. Not to mention that Agile/Scrum/XP guys have been saying these things for many years and in a much better and enlightened way.

Second, the book is flawed in the topics the authors chose to address. For example risk management is a big topic in project management, while there is only a chapter called "what to do when things go wrong" (which is not risk management exactly) and look at what he said, "calm down ... take responsibility ... do damage control ..." Again, common sense. And let's look at what the author said about the topic of execution, which makes things happen (Or "Getting things done") -- "Priorities Make Things Happen ... Things Happen When You Say No ... ". Well, I don't see any breakthrough ideas. And what I don't get is that, while the author spent so little time in talking about big topics like risk management and execution, he spent several chapters talking about how to deal with ideas, especially the ideas in design phase -- Chapter 5 "Where ideas come from" , Chapter 6 "What to do with ideas once you have them", Chapter 7 "Writing good specifications (i.e. writing the idea down)" and Chapter 8 "How to make good decisions (when facing several ideas)". For the book addressing the whole life cycle of project management, I just don't get the author's logic.

Third, it is very hard for you to read the book from cover to cover because there seems to be a tendency to go off at a tangent from time to time. The information author represented in each chapter actually prevent you from concentrating on the central topics of that chapter.

The exercises introduced in second edition are artificial. The most obvious change introduced in the second edition is the exercises introduced in each chapters. They were said to be "thought-provoking". So let's just check some of them. This is an exercise in the chapter "what to do when things go wrong" -- "One week into development, space aliens attack your office and your entire programming staff is hit with an alien space ray that makes them 50% less talented. You are the only witness to the event, as the ray erased the staff's memory of the event. ... " Seriously, you really believe figuring this question out will help you improve your ability for managing crisis ? Okay let's check another exercise in chapter "writing the good vision", "Research visionaries. Select any two: Gandhi, Malcolm X, Thoreau, Buddha, Socrates, Jesus Christ, or Confucius. What were their visions? How did they develop their ideas? ..." We are not doing philosophy, are we? BTW I actually like the author changing the book title from "the art of project management" to "making things happen". The term "the art of" has been overused, but in its original meaning, I really think it should be only referred to the great books like "the art of computer programming"

I don't mean to be harsh here and I am not saying this book is not good at all. Just seeing there are so many praises like "beg to be read cover to cover" or "great/classic..." makes me believe someone should stand up and raise a different, supposedly objective voice.

Add My Voice to the Chorus, April 23, 2008
�
Perhaps only a little off-key since I am not a project manager -- altho my professional life is made much easier by working with some dedicated ones.

I did not read the previous edition as the other reviewers did. In fact, I was not really intending to read this edition straight through. I was going to give it a good skim for those aspects of project management that intersect my own world as a Web application interface developer.

I have to say that Scott Berkun is a real teacher because I found the *whole* book to be relevant to my work -- and it was fun to read in the bargain.

This book is not in color and does not contain lots of fancy images. The illustrating and illuminating is done verbally. For once, this was enough for me because Berkun finds a way to make things both practical and vivid. From the text, it is reasonable to assume that his public talks are worthy events.

This is definitely a book to read for people who may not be project managers but who sincerely want to build their teams by understanding this important role better.

�

Editorial Review

Demarco and Lister demonstrate that the major issues of software development are human, not technical.Their answers aren't easy--just incredibly successful.New second edition features eight all-new chapters.Softcover. Previous edition: c1987. DLC: Management. ... Read more

Reviews

Hard numbers on good work environments, February 25, 2001
Summed up in one sentence, Peopleware says this: give smart people physical space, intellectual responsibility and strategic direction. DeMarco and Lister advocate private offices and windows. They advocate creating teams with aligned goals and limited non-team work. They advocate managers finding good staff and putting their fate in the hands of those staff. The manager's function, they write, is not to make people work but to make it possible for people to work.

Why is Peopleware so important to Microsoft and a handful of other successful companies? Why does it inspire such intense devotion amongst the elite group of people who think about software project management for a living? Its direct writing and its amusing anecdotes win it friends. So does its fundamental belief that people will behave decently given the right conditions. Then again, lots of books read easily, contain funny stories and exude goodwill. Peopleware's persuasiveness comes from its numbers - from its simple, cold, numerical demonstration that improving programmers' environments will make them more productive.

The numbers in Peopleware come from DeMarco and Lister's Coding War Games, a series of competitions to complete given coding and testing tasks in minimal time and with minimal defects. The Games have consistently confirmed various known facts of the software game. For instance, the best coders outperform the ten-to-one, but their pay seems only weakly linked to their performance. But DeMarco and Lister also found that the best-performing coders had larger, quieter, more private workspaces. It is for this one empirical finding that Peopleware is best known.

(As an aside, it's worth knowing that DeMarco and Lister tried to track down the research showing that open-plan offices make people more productive. It didn't exist. Cubicle makers just kept saying it, without evidence - a technique Peopleware describes as "proof by repeated assertion".)

Around their Coding Wars data, DeMarco and Lister assembled a theory: that managers should help programmers, designers, writers and other brainworkers to reach a state that psychologists call "flow" - an almost meditative condition where people can achieve important leaps towards solving complex problems. It's the state where you start work, look up, and notice that three hours have passed. But it takes time - perhaps fifteen minutes on average - to get into this state. And DeMarco and Lister that today's typical noisy, cubicled, Dilbertesque office rarely allows people 15 minutes of uninterrupted work. In other words, the world is full of places where a highly-paid and dedicated programmer or creative artist can spend a full day without ever getting any hard-core work. Put another way, the world is full of cheap opportunities for people to make their co-workers more productive, just by building their offices a bit smarter.

A decade and a half after Peopleware was written, and after the arrival of a new young breed of IT companies called Web development firms, it would be nice to think DeMarco and Lister's ideas have been widely adopted. Instead, they remain widely ignored. In an economy where smart employees can increasingly pick and choose, it will be interesting to see how much longer this ignorance can continue.

Anyone managing software projects should read this!, March 30, 2000
As summer interns at Microsoft, my friends and I used to take "field trips" to the company supply room to stock up on school supplies. Among the floppy disks, mouse pads, and post-it notes was a stack of small paperback books, so I took one home to read.

The book was Peopleware, by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister. This book was one of the most influential books I've ever read. The best way to describe it would be as an Anti-Dilbert Manifesto.

Ever wonder why everybody at Microsoft gets their own office, with walls and a door that shuts? It's in there. Why do managers give so much leeway to their teams to get things done? That's in there too. Why are there so many jelled SWAT teams at Microsoft that are remarkably productive? Mainly because Bill Gates has built a company full of managers who read Peopleware. I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is the one thing every software manager needs to read... not just once, but once a year.

An absolute must-read!, December 16, 1999
I cannot overstate just how great this book is!

DeMarco and Lister don't mess around. They go right to the heart of project and team management and tell you exactly what makes one company succeed while so many others fail: it's not technology, it's people.

With reckless abandon, they attack cubicles, dress codes, telephones, hiring policies, and company core hours and demonstrate how managers who are not insecure about their positions, who shelter their employees from corporate politics, who, in short, make it possible for people to work are the ones who complete projects and whose employees have fun doing so. The authors use no-nonsense writing, statistical evidence, and even humorous anecdotes to drive their points home.

While the first edition was as appropriate to today's corporate cultures as it ever was, the authors have added analysis of some of the latest trends in management in this new second edition, and show what's good and what's not. The update includes coverage of the dangers of constant overtime, the stupidity of motivational posters, the side effects of process improvement programs, how to make change possible, and the costs of turnover. As with the rest of the book, all topics receive thorough and thoughtful treatment.

Although the book is weighed heavily towards software engineering projects, you'll find that much of what DeMarco and Lister say apply to projects where creativity and analytical skills are required. If you're a manager of such a project, consider this book required reading before you do anything else today. If you're a team member on such a project, buy a copy for your boss, and an extra one for your boss's boss.

One final note: I'd wager that Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, must use this book as inspiration for his comic strip. Dilbert's encounters with his moronic boss and idiotic company policies seem to come right from the pages of Peopleware's advice on what not to do.

The truth behind the failure of software projects, December 29, 1999
Programming languages come and go with an occasional paradigm shift thrown in. However, the thought processes and the mental gyrations needed to complete large software projects remain largely unchanged in the decade since the first edition of this book was published. Unfortunately, management skills also remained stagnant as well. In this book, the authors lay out the ugly truth as to why much of software development fails. It is not a lack of technical or technological competence on the part of developers, but a strong tendency by management to treat programmers as mere code generators possessing accelerator buttons. Simply prod, bribe, threaten, cajole or berate them and the button is pressed causing them to work overtime with a smile, with no associated loss of productivity. The authors lay out examples of all of these techniques.
Quality developers must possess a great deal of originality, creativity and pride in what they do. Destroy that using the techniques listed in this book and the consequences are obvious. Even brown, scorched earth looks green by comparison and the quality people depart. A large percentage, perhaps even the majority, of software development projects fail. Many studies support the position that it is largely a failure of middle management. Millions of dollars could be saved if all who fall into that category would read this book and have the courage to act on what they read. Unfortunately, that will probably not happen. After all, the authors did come out with a second edition, didn't they?

Hits the Mark, April 17, 2001
I was asked to read this book for a Master's degree class. Like many textbooks, I approached it with caution, but was pleasantly surprised by what I found within. Though this book was written primarily for software developers who are often backed against the wall to produce, the content is really universal to most business situations. We usually have to work with people, and we usually have to produce in our various fields.

Peopleware is a book you should read if you desire your business team to reach its full potential regardless of the industry you are in. Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister cover a lot of territory that is totally missed by other leader/manager books. They cover topics such as the workplace environment, the value of fun, and developing a chemistry with your team that is highly productive.

While reading the book it was obvious that they had served in the trenches of American businesses. The universal mistakes that companies continue to make over and over have been catalogued and brought to light in this volume. But they not only highlight the common mistakes, they offer proven techniques to help you avoid these same mistakes.

If you are in the process of forming or leading individuals or a team of people, the ideas found in this book will help you take them the top. You will enjoy the writing style, the humor, and the information contained in this volume.

Finally! Recognition that P.M. is about *people performing*, June 4, 1999
and NOT about managers "getting" people to get their work done. I've read many many books on project management, and they're pretty much all identical at the root: tools and techniques for dealing with the "project" as a thing. Nothing on dealind with the people doing the work. _Peopleware_ is the first book I've seen that's focused on the human dynamic as THE critical componment of project success.

When I read the first edition, I was amazed that a book so deliberately (and so joyfully) positioned against the catalogue of corporate commonplaces had made it into print--and now a second, expanded edition? This is too much to hope for!

Needless to say, I _immediately_ bought three copies of this new edition (one for me, two for friends and colleagues), and I'm drafting a list of everyone else I'll be sending a copy to.

Truly, DeMarco and Lister are iconoclasts of the first order--a trait which in of itself makes them worth reading. But they're also skilled writers and, perhaps most importantly, a POSITIVE and encouraging voice for corporate change. When's the last time you laughed reading a book on project management?

Deep, accurate, pleasant to read, October 12, 2002
The main goal of this book is that it encourages the software developers and their management to think deeply about they way they create the software. Software development is the "research", not the "production", and the stimulus and processes that work well in for example metallurgy will harm software development. The authors show the consequences of borrowing organizational processes from other areas to software. They encourage to focus on the people rather than to process. The software developers aren't "replaceable units", "plastic uniformed people".

Although the textual work of the authors is marvelous, the quality of the printed book (paperback edition) is awful. The paper is thin and translucent, showing the lines from the other pages, the interline spacing is too low, turning a page to a big mess. That was the only reason I've rated the book as four-stars.

The information in this book is very accurate, without pure assertions. The authors always are giving full references if they are providing figures or studies. The authors have a good sense of humor, and it is the great pleasure to read this book. The information is given in the very dense manner: the other authors might have needed ten volumes to express what Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister has put in this small book.

I strongly recommend this book to any individual involved in software development, as well as "Agile Software Development" by Alistair Cockburn. These books aren't from "ten steps to success" series. They encourage deep, creative approach to the topic.

One of the best books ever written about the workplace., November 3, 2002
The book was written about software development projects, but is absolutely loaded with insight not just on that subject, but on management styles and workplace conditions and rules. One can read this book and become genuinely excited about the potential explosion of productivity, hand-in-hand with employee job satisfaction, that could occur if managers would simply follow the advice given by the authors on how to be effective workplace leaders.

Alas, it probably won't ever happen. Several years ago, the large (Fortune 20) company I worked for brought in Timothy Lister to present the book and the ideas in it to management prior to the start of a major software project. Lister did an excellent job presenting his and DeMarco's philosophy. The managers nodded sagely and showed every sign of comprehending and accepting the concepts contained in the book. Then Lister left, the project started, and the managers immediately reverted to the old style: setting unrealistic deadlines, pressuring employees to deliver more and more in less and less time, and in general following every tired old management strategy that almost always leads to a failed project -- as indeed, it did in this case.

So read this book, learn from it, and enjoy it (it's an easy, entertaining read) -- even if your managers are too stupid to profit from it.

A must read for software leaders, June 18, 2004
In his 25th Anniversary Edition of "Mythical Man-Month", Fred Brooks points to PeopleWare as the influential IS book of the 1980's, and says that it was influential for the same reason MMM was: The primary challenges of software development are social, not technical. Companies that forget this are setting themselves up for failure.

If you've seen dilbert style software "management" and want to find a better way, I can't recommend this book more strongly. If you read it, you'll want to find a way to get your superiors to read it as well.

In my experience, a great deal of so-called "management" is really shoft-term optimization: "IF we can eliminate X benefit we can save $Y per year!" and cost control. DeMarco and Lister point out that the real goal is productivity, and suggest numerous ways to treat employees as people to get increased productivity, as opposed to treating them as inhuman "Resources" and managing by spreadsheet.

One story from the book: In my early years as a developer, I was privileged to work on a project managed by Sharon Weinberg, now president of the Codd and Date Consulting Group. She was a walking example of much of what I now think of as enlightened management. One snowy day, I dragged msyelf out of a sickbed to pull together our shaky system for a user demo. Sharon came in and found me propped up at a console. She disappeared and came back a few minutes later with a container of soup. After she'd poured it into me and buoued up my spirits, I asked her hwo she found time to for such things with all the management work she had to do. She game me her patented grin and said "Tim, this _IS_ management!" - TDM

This book is all about the manager's role: Not to make people work, but to make it possible for people to work. How to do that, how teams jell, etc. It's a pleasure to read and it's ... right. And in a field full of false promises, snake oil, and worthless statistics, that's saying something.

Breezy and simplistic, but often hits the mark, September 4, 1997
This book is written by consultants for managers, rather than by programmers for programmers, but is a good read nonetheless. De Marco and Lister are definitely suits, but have clearly seen a lot of software projects succeed and fail. The best bit of the book is their statement that, while they can't make up a list of things that guarantee success, it's easy to make a list of things that will guarantee failure (and it's a rare project that doesn't score at least 50% against that list). It's small enough to be read in a single cross-country flight, and they write well enough to make that reading enjoyable. ... Read more

Editorial Review

“If you are a young designer entering or contemplating entering the UX field this is a canonical book. If you are an organization that really needs to start grokking UX this book is also for you. "  -- Chris Bernard, User Experience Evangelist, Microsoft

User experience design is the discipline of creating a useful and usable Web site or application—one that’s easily navigated and meets the needs of both the site owner and its users. But there’s a lot more to successful UX design than knowing the latest Web technologies or design trends: It takes diplomacy, project management skills, and business savvy. That’s where this book comes in. Authors Russ Unger and Carolyn Chandler show you how to integrate UX principles into your project from start to finish.

• Understand the various roles in UX design, identify stakeholders, and enlist their support
• Obtain consensus from your team on project objectives
• Define the scope of your project and avoid mission creep
• Conduct user research and document your findings
• Understand and communicate user behavior with personas
• Design and prototype your application or site
• Make your product findable with search engine optimization
• Plan for development, product rollout, and ongoing quality assurance ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent UX resource, April 1, 2009
A Project Guide to UX Design is a book that defines the micro and macroscopic views of user experience design and its role in the project life cycle. Russ and Carolyn do a great job of reiterating what the core of user experience design is as well as identifying the different roles that utilize it. The book covers a lot of ground and takes a transcendental approach of showing the underlying purpose for each role in order to promote a synthetic comprehension of user experience design as opposed to shallow memorization.

The main target audience of the book are Information Architects, Interaction Designers, User Researchers, and other project stakeholders (Business Analysts, Content Strategists, Copywriters, Visual Designers, and Front-end Developers).

To make the contents more inviting, I've created an enclosing outline to provide abstract classifications for several groups of chapters. Each number represents the number of pages in each chapter:

+ Introduction
- Chapter 1: The Tao of UXD (8)
- Chapter 2: The Project Ecosystem (29)

+ Business Perspective
- Chapter 3: Proposals for Consultants and Freelancers (15)
- Chapter 4: Project Objectives and Approach (10)
- Chapter 5: Business Requirements (15)

+ Research
- Chapter 6: User Research (26)
- Chapter 7: Personas (13)
- Chapter 8: User Experience Design and SEO (17)

+ Information Architecture / Interaction Design
- Chapter 9: Transition from Defining to Designing (18)
- Chapter 10: Site Maps and Task Flows (17)
- Chapter 11: Wireframes and Annotations (17)
- Chapter 12: Prototyping (15)
- Chapter 13: Design testing with Users (25)
- Chapter 14: Transition: From Design to Development and Beyond (10)

The book also contains frequent references to books, online resources, and user experience groups and authors throughout as opposed to an Appendix or a 'For further reading' section nested in the back. This helps to drive home the thoughts as you read them, rather than 'when you are finished'.

As an aspiring user experience professional, I do believe that this book is worth owning, reading, and referencing as a compass to create effective user experience in any project setting.

Excellent Tool for Anyone who Cares About the User Experience, May 20, 2009
A great overview of user experience project approaches. This book provides insight as well as practicalities to both novice and experienced UX project team members.

Great book for new UX professionals or organizations new to UX, July 4, 2009
If you are a young designer entering or contemplating entering the UX field this is a canonical book. If you are an organization that really needs to start grokking UX this book is also for you.

It's a crisp overview of all the foundational activities that you'll encounter as a UX professional.

If you've been practicing and in the UX field for a few years and want a good gut check to answer the question, "Am I doing this right" this is the book for you too. I don't think it will teach experienced professionals anything they don't already know but then again I don't think that was the goal of the book.

UX Design is really focused on how the work of UX designer gets done day to day and its focus on topics that some UX folks ignore, but are critical, like SEO and contract creation are refreshing. The best analogy I can think of regarding this book is that it reminds me of the excellent professional practice guides that the AIGA used to put out years ago.

There's a natural Web focus in this book but folks that are in the UX discipline in any realm should find it useful and perhaps essential reading.

Fantastic book, great reference, December 15, 2009
This book is phenomenal. Having worked in Human Factors designing User Interfaces for quite a few years, seldom have I seen a broad overview that gets it. You won't find exacting details or templates of how to do each step of the UX task, but you will get a complete sense of what you should be doing at each step you find yourself. There is enough information in this book to really get you started. Also if you already knee deep in a project, you can jump to that point.

I read the book cover to cover and put over 20 tabs on the book for the references they have provided on the web. I checked quite a few and they are a gold mine of info.

I like this book because of its broader appeal. If you sit down and read a text that goes into excruciating detail before you are ready to use that information, reading becomes laborious and you don't retain it. Or you bail on the book and never get the overall picture.
This book is a nice balance of the full picture and the ability to get the detail.

Mind you, when I say it does not go into detail that might be a bit misleading. For instance, when in the section about Search engine Optimization, it helped explain this concept in enough detail that I had a clue what the issues were when dealing with an advertizing firm. Sure enough there were links listed here to provide even more detail. The User research and persona usage was very up-to-date regarding how these would be used and why you might use varying degrees of details. In the section about Wireframes and Annotations, there were good examples and advice as well as links to get more. The User testing section had interesting information that was very current as well. I could go on and on, but the book speaks for itself. You can view the Table of Contents online.

Another thing and it is not a small one, the book is well designed for reading. The font is pleasant and the layout is efficient and provides cues for both "Surfing" and "Deep Dives" of information. In fact they provide sections called Surfing, Snorkeling and Deep Diving, which is very helpful. Nice when a book practice what it preaches and makes itself as usable as the products it's meant to help design.

This book is going on my desk for reference and has been recommended to colleagues.

Finally...a tactical UX design guide, May 2, 2009
This is an excellent real-world primer on UX design that captures all the necessary elements for someone to become a competent UX designer. It strikes the right balance between revealing better design practices with the most effective project management approach which is often omitted in books in the same category.

Core Curriculum for User Experience, April 26, 2009
Like most of my professional peers, I came into User Experience through a strange and varied path. This allowed me to learn a great deal but randomly and often slowly. What Russ and Carolyn have done with this book is to distill years of hard-earned experience into digestible, friendly lessons. 'A Project Guide to UX Design' arms the up and coming UX practitioner with the right amount of information to begin as well as springboards to deeper territory.

This book, paired with Kim Goodwin's 'Designing for the Digital Age', forms the 100 and 200 (respectively) levels of UX Foundation Education. I am more than a tiny bit envious of newibe UXers who get to benefit from Russ & Carolyn's experience!

Might be OK for UX designers "in the making" but not enough depth for those "in the field", November 6, 2010
Despite the title, this book looks to me to be clearly aimed at those just starting out, both in UX design and in design/development in general. A product or software development veteran is going to get very, very little new information out of this book, even if said veteran is light on UX design. Given that assessment, I am not happy with the subtitle about the book being for UX designers in the field. It's just not.

I struggled to find anything covered in the book that I didn't already know, and got perhaps one or two marginally useful ideas. The book is pretty thin to start with, and after you finish getting through the obvious and common sense observations/recommendations aimed at rank beginners, there just isn't much left.

If you have experience and want more depth on UX, particularly for software design/development, I think a good alternative to consider is Designing for the Digital Age: How to Create Human-Centered Products and Services. It's a much thicker book, and while it contains some of the beginner stuff too, it goes well beyond it.

If this book's title had made it clear that the audience was UX design noobs, and if I had wandered across it in a reference section or something, I would have rated it higher. I'm sure they wanted to try and expand the audience, and created a title with that in mind, but quite candidly, I feel cheated by this book because I got so little out of it.

Great book for beginners, May 20, 2010
This book provides an easily digestible overview for anyone new to the UX field or looking to refine their UX process. Most beneficial for new practitioners may be the chapters related to the overarching aspects of the redesign process, such as writing proposals and creating personas. While these activities may or may not be done by the UX designer, it's critical to begin a project with the solid understanding of where and how the design parameters were obtained.

As an IA professional who is newISH (3 1/2 years) I actually was surprised to find the majority of the book too basic (though this had the benefit of boosting my confidence). My original expectation was that the book would cover more of what I consider to be the the core IA or UX design tasks, that actually result in client deliverables--site maps, wireframes, and prototypes. Having attended a workshop with Russ Unger and recognizing his expertise in this area I would look forward to a book focuses on developing and enhancing these skills.

That said, I was glad to find the majority of the book to be consistent with my practices and still found nuggets of information that will be beneficial as we continue to refine the website redesign process in my work environment. I will certainly make attempts to expose other team members to this content in a never ending attempt to convey the importance of user experience.

Whirlwind overview of diverse topics, April 29, 2010
This book is a good introduction to the field of user experience design, which is actually an intersection of several fields, from project management to user research to usability testing. This book is *not* about user interaction design -- a misconception I had when I bought it. Rather, it covers collecting business requirements, user requirements, planning with wireframes, task flows, and creating and testing prototypes. Though many of the techniques can be applied elsewhere, this book focuses on web-based experiences.

A complete guide for a new comer, October 26, 2009
I am a student and have found this book extremely inspiring and rich in content, examples and resources. I highly recommend it to those seeking inspiration, information and further resources to explore. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Agile in the wild, October 19, 2010
What this book isn't: boring theory about agile methodology and history of "how did it all start". This book is neither source of THE secret of agile software development.

What this book is: a great and valuable source of reality connected simple facts that would allow you to re-evaluate how you build your software. Inception Deck is a great tool to kick off a project. Project planning and execution from agile point of view and with developers in mind are chapters that logically explain how to address everyday issues on traditional projects. This book is about achieving targets by going with simplicity.

My favourite Agile overview book at the moment, December 6, 2010
I've worked with JR at ThoughtWorks before and this book provides a very clear insight to how we approached Agile. I can confirm that what you read here is not simply musings about how things might work but based on direct experience and experimentation.

The Agile Samurai is currently my favourite Agile overview book at the moment and I'd want to give it to every client beforehand to save myself having to describe essentially the same things. For other books, I typically have to do too many adjustments.

If you're new to Agile, this is a great book to start with; if you're experienced with Agile, this is a good book to check how your model compares with another experienced practitioner.

Humor and How to do Agile, December 2, 2010
I knew I was going to like The Agile Samurai from the first page:

"Agile is a way of developing software that reminds us that although computers run the code, it's people who create and maintain it."

Jonathan Rasmussen, the Other JR, has written a great, short, to-the-point book about how to move a project to agile. From the beginning "Deliver something of value every week" to the Agile Principles sprinkled throughout the book, such as "The best architectures, requirements, and designs emerge from self-organizing teams" to the conversations between the student and the Sensei, you can learn how to move your project from where it is to agile.

Some pieces I particularly like are:

1. All of Chapter 4, Seeing the Big Picture, where Jonathan suggests we need an elevator pitch for our project. I'm stealing this idea right away.
2. Chapter 8: Agile Planning, Dealing with Reality. After a humorous side trip with Murphy and his Law, Jonathan introduces us to burndown, burnup, and team velocity charts.
3. Chapter 15: Continuous Integration: Making it Production-Ready. What if you only had one hour to deploy your product. Could you? Jonathan walks you through what you need to do to make the code production ready.

Jonathan has great advice about how to know how agile you are:

"And don't forget. It's not about "being" agile. It's about building great products and delivering world class service to your customers."

This is a great book. If you are thinking of starting an agile journey, do yourself a favor and get this book. You will not be sorry.

Get out there and start reading this book!, November 30, 2010
Reading The Agile Samurai, I felt like I was sitting with the author over a cup of coffee or a mug of beer, learning good ways to plan and develop good software products. The book has a fun and conversational style at the same time as it delivers serious lessons about software projects. The illustrations aren't there just for fun (though they are amusing), they help to quickly explain the concepts.

Though I've been working on agile teams for 10 years and read countless books on the subject, I was surprised to find some tools and ideas in here that are new to me. For example, I'd never heard of the "Inception Deck", ten questions and exercises to get your software project off to the right start. It looks like an excellent approach. I also like the idea of creating a "product box" to focus on what's compelling for your customers and on the benefits of your product.

One thing I appreciate about The Agile Samurai is how the author incorporates ideas from many disciplines, such as Lean. Even more valuable are the many anecdotes from the author's experience. One theme I found in the book is the need to deal with reality, and it's helpful to have real-world examples.

I particularly enjoy the little conversations between the "Master Sensei and the aspiring warrior" that wrap up each chapter. You had the same questions the aspiring warrior asks! This is a fun way to explore the confusing aspects of agile development.

If you're new to agile, you might as well know the truth right from the start, and this book is grounded in reality. Yes, high-level estimates ARE guesses, as the author says, "usually really bad, overly-optimistic ones". Meet the Cone of Uncertainty! But the author gives us a way to estimate to acknowledge all this but still help us plan.

Here's one of my favorite paragraphs in the book:
Just don't be strong-armed or bullied into committing something you and the team can't deliver. That's not doing anyone any favors. And this collaboration thing has to be two-way. Just be honest, and tell them what it's going to take. [The Agile Samurai, p. 148]

This book really will help you deliver something of value every week. It covers many critical techniques in a surprisingly comprehensive way, giving the reader suggestions for additional reading. Agile newbies will learn accurate and useful information about everything from XP practices to Kanban, as well as where to learn more about all that. The author puts agile concepts together to come up with practical advice, such as how to create a visual workspace.

In my view, the book ends with the best possible advice: "Don't worry about being agile". The author gives you many tools and techniques, and prepares the reader (or "aspiring warrior") to figure out what is best for that individual and that project. We shouldn't worry about being "agile", we should indeed aim to build great products and deliver great service to our customers. To paraphrase the author, get out there and start reading this book, then get out there and start doing it!

Great Toolkit, November 17, 2010
The Agile Samurai is an easy read, and great for someone like me who has dabbled in agile development, but never really 'got it'. This book gathers all of the key elements of agile development, and explains it in terms that most anyone will understand. I really like how the author adds real scenarios and some humor to keep it very entertaining. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand Agile development on a new level. Even if you already use agile development in your software design, this book will help you understand and use the tools available to you on a new level. It is a great reference and has added another toolkit to my growing set of development tools.

Good for the newbie and veteran alike, November 15, 2010
I really liked this book for three reasons. First, it covers a broad range of agile topics at a high level, and explains them clearly. After reading this book you will be well prepared for other books that might dive into each practice more specifically in depth. Second, for people new to agile methods, this book is an easy read, with a diagram and an analogy on every page. These are powerful tools for helping inject the knowledge into the minds of those learning agile methods for the first time. This leads me to my third reason for loving this book. As an agile mentor myself, this book has become a toolbox of good ideas for explaining agile methods. Everyone is different, and a lot of times you need to explain things differently to different people. This book has some great ways of explaining agile, how it works, and why it works. Of course, the easiest way would be to simply recommend the book, which I most certainly do!

The book I will recommend to folks new to Agile, October 29, 2010
I had a chance to talk with the author at length about the book after I read it. You can really tell Johnathan knows his stuff, and that the advice offered has been battle-tested. His choice to use humor makes the book readable, fun, and an easy read. For people new to agile, or even seasoned practitioners who want to learn some clever ways to communicate what agile is and isn't, this book will no doubt be useful for years to come.

Great read, October 19, 2010
I read through this book pretty fast. It's a great resource for people like me who had a shaky understanding of agile methodology. I knew a few concepts (stories, iterations) but not really a big picture from start to end. This seems to cover everything "agile", at least to a beginner like me (project inception, planning,execution,etc). Everything is written in an entertaining way with samples to really help you get the concept the author is writing about. All the complexity of agile is easy to follow in this book. This will be my handy resource that I'll keep at work for sure. It would have been handier if I'd had it sooner!

Agile Samurai Delivers!, October 18, 2010
If you have any interest at all in Agile development this is the book you need to pick up. The Agile Samurai is a great resource to bring you and your team up to speed, and also gives great tips and techniques to those are are well on their way down the Agile path. Not only is it well written with concepts that flow flawlessly into one another and are easy to understand but it's also full of humor to keep you smiling along the way. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Learn Microsoft Project TO-DAY!!!, July 22, 2010
Another gem in the Missing Manual line of books. This book makes learning Microsoft Project 2010 easy breezy and fun to boot! Spanned over 700+ pages and 27 chapters of smoooooth writing and easy to follow examples, the author does a grandiose job of turning newbie users into experienced ones in no time at all. From the basics of Project to setting up schedules to assigning tasks to making changes to tracking progress to getting your schedule on the web, this is an all in one solution.

If you need to learn Microsoft Project, look no further. The Missing Manual line is known for its high quality products, and this one fits the bill. My only caveat is that I wish there was some color in the book to spice things up, but it's not essential.

Buy It.

Now.

***** RECOMMENDED

Excellent reference guide, November 23, 2010
It is evident the author is a project manager and speaks directly to fellow PMs. You will not be disappointed with this book! ... Read more

Reviews

This book is not just for technology people, and it's great, July 12, 2010
I don't do technology development, most of the work that I do is on the business side of the organization, understanding requirements through business process and business architecture (as described in the pages of the book Rethink).

Starting as early as the foreword, there are great takeaways in every section of this book which is a very quick read. I will admit that I skimmed some of the software development segments because that's not what I do, but here's a breakout by some of the early chapters:

FOREWORD - the notion of the importance of batch size is vital when looking at organizational constraints. It's something Goldratt never addressed in the initial Theory of Constraints, but it's a great point. There's a lot more about that as the book moves along, but it's a great first point.

CHAPTER ONE - Context is vital when identifying organizational constraints. If someone goes into a meeting and points out that something is constraining the organization, even if they may be right, the other people in the room may have a different context and dismiss the newly identified constraint. Chapter one also goes into good depth about seeing that no two projects or teams are the same, and that there are specific, quantifiable risks in how you compare them.

CHAPTER TWO - Here is one of two chapters where Anderson does a great job of stepping outside of the work environment to explain that the notion of kanban, which literally means signal cards to indicate when it's OK to proceed with work, applies to lots of situations in the outside world, and his example of the cards they hand out to entrants to a park in Japan, and then collect when they leave, as a very simple and low cost way of managing the attendance capacity of the park. With such a clear example, the core idea of kanban, Anderson ensures that the reader understands one of the most basic ideas of the book.

CHAPTER THREE - This is where the book starts to get really quantitative about measuring and optimizing the throughput of work, and here's where Anderson gets into one of the other core ideas of the book which is to limit and manage the amount of work in progress (WIP). As he points out (graphically) there is a linear relationship between WIP and average lead time, which he explains very clearly. The other big point he makes in this chapter is that there is a non-linear relationship between defects and the quantity of WIP, which means the more WIP, the higher the defect rate.

CHAPTER 11 - After several chapters about continuous improvement, how you go about limiting WIP, and more software development related cycles (which broadly still apply to non-tech people as well in terms of managing efficiency), Anderson then gets into a subject that I think is vital, which is identifying the Class-of-Service definitions for objects of work, which include Expedite, Fixed Delivery Date, Standard Class, and Intangible (which he admits is probably not the best word for it), and in my experience it is so important to have those sorts of definitions attached to blocks of work, I am confident that I will use them as he defines them. While he does talk about process definition and how you need to make processes strict and policy based, I happen to think those belong more in the realm of business architecture because business capabilities as artifacts are so much more durable than processes (as defined in the classic Hammer & Champy model).

There's a lot more in this book, but it's so clear and so well written I think a lot of business people, as well as technology people can learn a lot from this book and start applying it to their work immediately.

The Authoritative guide to Kanban, April 24, 2010
David provides a comprehensive guide to implementing Kanban in a software development/maintenance environment.
Covering the mechanics, dynamics, principles and rationale behind why Kanban is a so promising framework for managing the work of a variety of teams and groups and being an evolutionary-based change management driver.

Kanban is the practical approach to implement Lean Software Development, and this book is the practical guide for how to start using Kanban, and how to adapt the system for advanced needs.

The book is clear and flowing, even though it covers some quite technical material. I would recommend it to Development managers, Project/Program managers, Agile Coaches/Consultants. It addresses concerns/needs of Novice as well as those already familiar with Kanban and looking for advanced answers.

Even if you don't intend to implement a kanban system, there are a lot of techniques and ideas that are easily applicable to any product development/maintenance environment, agile or not.

Bottom line, highly recommended.

kanban implementation manual, July 1, 2010
The next review represents my own views and reflections after reading this book.

From my experience I found that there are people who manage with authority and people who manage with little or no authority. The later are the project managers and process improvement specialists, I call this the grey zone. These people are normally the fastest to let go by managers who have authority and who like to keep technical people as they really do something.

If you are one of those in the grey zone, this book can be particularly helpful. This book provides a guide to implement activities for lean based management of software delivery.

The book covers the whole breadth of Kanban as evolutionary system for software delivery that involves high degree of variation. It leaves the specifics to those who implement the system as they depend on the context.

Though Kanban was originated from manufacturing, which can make this subject less appealing to software developers, the book is focused on Complex Adaptive System and Knowledge Work.

There is case-study for Kanban process improvement for an off-shore company that resonated with me. I wish this book was available when I was in-charge of an off-shore software development centre in 2001.

For me the book was not easy-read, and I guess this should be the case with manuals and field books. It requires study and reflections, however, I would benefit from keeping it on my desk for hands-on guidance.

The book describes changes initiated by the team rather than dictated by management. The point is changes made by the team is an Agile principle which can result in sustained improvements.

The book covers the how-to's for establishing the various components of a Kanban system, for example Input Cadence, WIP limit, SLA, Metrics and others.

Every chapter represents a component in Kanban implementation. Therefore, it is better to read the whole book in-order to get the puzzles fit together.

The book describes six steps in logical sequence that help the manager to start her improvement journey. The earlier steps address activities which are within the control of the manager.

This book is pragmatic and acts as field book for those in grey zone in-order to produce value which cannot be delivered by technical people or authority.

This book rocks as much as Kanban does!, May 12, 2010
It is very rare to find a good technical book that is also a good management book and addresses both aspects in a balanced way. But what really makes one's chin drop is finding a book that goes beyond the methodological, the mechanical, and the administrative aspects to address the ever so important--but way too often ignored--human aspects required to make a project successful. David's is such a book.

Kanban is a relatively new lean-agile method that allows teams and the projects they work on to be built in a true continuous flow manner in which improvements over the product being built and over the process itself occur. I indicted it is relatively new because its origins started back in 2004 as David writes on chapter 4. David is the person behind the creation and evolution of Kanban as a mechanism for software development. Although Kanban started in manufacturing, it has evolved to become rather unique in many aspects so don't expect a 1:1 mapping. Meaning, you should read this book cover-to-cover to get full benefits.

Part One describes David's journey of revelation to develop the Kanban model and explains why Kanban is a very effective method. In many ways it is due to its ease of acceptance, adoption, and the highly collaborative and communicative nature that allows people to bring change and evolution to processes what makes it successful.

Part Two explains the basics of Kanban as a mechanism. From work-in-progress to lead time, figuring the right cadence to maximize productivity, and prioritization; all of them paramount factors to mature enterprises. Using the case of an IT division from Microsoft, David explains how Kanban made the best out of the worst department at a division of Microsoft's IT division. Kanban brought high visibvility to the issues that affected the department and through waste elimination, limitation of work-in-progress, adequate policies, and cadence the department became amazingly successful. The last chapter treats in detail the importance of generating a culture of continuous improvement within an organization.

Part Three is the core of the book and explains how to implement Kanban. It introduces Value Stream Maps from a kanban perspective and goes into full detail on how to create a kanban board, the anatomy of the cards, and how to treat aspects such as concurrency and unordered activities, which are hard to deal with under other methodologies. How to use the board as a control and pull system as well as an scalable mechanism for daily standups is treated on Chapter 7. True sustainable pace is explained on chapters 8 and 9. Chapter 10 provides some strategies to limit the work-in-progress. One key factor in the communication within and outside the team are the service level agreements and are explained on chapter 11. Kanban metrics are particularly useful and fun to use, as shown on chapter 12. A problem with most methodologies is that they do not scale well. Kanban is better suited for such situations and chapter 13 gives insights on how to do that. The last two chapters focus on operational and strategy issues to increase its effectiveness and adoption.

Par Four is the next-step. That is, once you have a functional kanban mechanism in place at your organization here's how to make it evolutionary to create significant impact at the organization. Consider eliminating or at least reducing bottlenecks, waste and variability; better usage of resources; identifying wasteful activities; understanding and treating variability; and the importance of properly treating blocked work.

I introduced Kanban to a financial institution recently and even use it as an administrative tool for ma work and personal activities. The results have been no less than awesome.

Oh to have read this ten years ago!, October 31, 2010
Since buying and reading this, I've already bought a second copy, and have recommended it in person to at least a dozen co-workers. The ideas in this are shifting an entire IT department's way of thinking about it's work. We have some very old-school, conservative thinkers, and a desperate need to change (huge waste, huge risk that we're not auditable).

Using the ideas here, we're making progress towards a smoothly working, efficient, complete, and reproducible workflow without having to fight with the old-school.

Kanban fits neatly over our existing process, and is revealing the problems with it so clearly that the people who's work is the location of the problem are seeing that for themselves and able to volunteer solutions or ask for help. Much better than pushing them, which produces resistance, denial, and resentment. People hate change when it's imposed on them, but they love to be the heroes who create improvements. For us, adopting Kanban following this book is giving them that opportunity.

Buy this book.

Transformational period, June 20, 2010
David J Anderson's book on Kanban is the kind of text that promises to fundamentally change the way managers and practitioners alike think about the way they run IT projects.

The range of topics, from pull based work management, to proactively managing demand using service classes, to using the right measures to actually encourage knowledge workers to improve, combine to provide the reader with a practical, pragmatic framework for continuous improvement.

The book promises to provide guidance around "continued, evolutionary success for you technology business", and it does just that. David's willingness to tackle some of the agile dogma by other established leaders in the agile community means that the contents of this book are useful to a very wide range of IT leaders. This book is applicable to waterfall, package, legacy, and a whole host of other technology shops who want to up their game.

Bottom line, if improving the output of your software delivery teams is important to you, than read this book,

Kanban as a continuous improvement framenwork, May 12, 2010
Kanban is applied on top of what teams / companies do, not in place of.
As a catalyst, Kanban accelerates high maturity achievement by making highly visible bottlenecks in the value stream delivery flow. As changes in the environment are applied, improvement - or lack of thereof - can be measured. The shift from a best effort, commitment, or opinion based management, to a quantitative approach leads to a deeply rooted organization transformation.
Anderson's book is the first on the topic that clearly describes the foundation for integrating a Kanban approach to a software development process.
His experience as a former practitioner coupled with being a frequent conference speaker makes this book a simple read, rich in real life examples, yet supported by a strong theory.
This book is recommended for anyone looking to bring their team to the next level; this ranges from the non agile teams that have been afraid of the changes required by scrum, to the experienced agile teams that need new perspectives.
A definite must read.

Great software development book, May 9, 2010
Great book: I am not surprised as I have been a big fan of David Anderson's work for years. He again has done an excellent job making clear how to improve the performance of delivering software. The book illustrates how to use kanban in the software development process. His experience with and understanding of related topics such as Deming's management ideas, agile software development and theory of constraints provide an excellent base from which to explain the material. And his first hand experience adopting these ideas as a manager give him the ability to explain the strengths and weaknesses of various options.

The book presents a reasoned explanation of what has worked in his experience. The book provides specific and useful guidance to those attempting to adopt kanban management in software development (as I am). The books is very well written and presents the material in a very easy to digest way, which I appreciate a great deal. It is so packed with information it is very difficult to mine even a significant portion of the value in one read. The organization allows for easy reference as you need to focus on any specific topic to find that topic and get an excellent review in minutes.

The book is an excellent resource that is presented in a manner that will allow a leader to use it as a resource over the years. I highly recommend this book and believe it will take a place next to the Leader's Handbook, Improvement Guide, Peopleware, New Economics and a few other books I refer to often as I work.

His previous book was also excellent. Agile Management for Software Engineering: Applying the Theory of Constraints for Business Results.

This book will change my agile coaching style, April 27, 2010
Anyone who is serious about coaching Kanban as a method for organizational change should read this book. It will allow you to avoid some likely pitfalls and it will guide you to asking, yourself and your clients, the right questions. Though many people focus on the visualization techniques in Kanban the true value only emerges when you, as a kanban system manager, are apt at noticing the anti-patterns that occur on the kanban board and are able to take appropriate actions. David generously shares his vast experience in this field, with plenty real case scenarios, to the benefit of the reader. After reading this book I toyed with the idea: Would I've changed my approach to coaching my previous clients, in their adoption of agile values and practices, had I read this at the time? Well, I certainly would have, for all of them, and I'm sure it would have meant a smoother change process for the agilely challenged organizations. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The First Guide to Scrum-Based Agile Product Management

In Agile Product Management with Scrum, leading Scrum consultant Roman Pichler uses real-world examples to demonstrate how product owners can create successful products with Scrum. He describes a broad range of agile product management practices, including making agile product discovery work, taking advantage of emergent requirements, creating the minimal marketable product, leveraging early customer feedback, and working closely with the development team.

Benefitting from Pichler’s extensive experience, you’ll learn how Scrum product ownership differs from traditional product management and how to avoid and overcome the common challenges that Scrum product owners face.

Coverage includes

• Understanding the product owner’s role: what product owners do, how they do it, and the surprising implications
• Envisioning the product: creating a compelling product vision to galvanize and guide the team and stakeholders
• Grooming the product backlog: managing the product backlog effectively even for the most complex products
• Planning the release: bringing clarity to scheduling, budgeting, and functionality decisions
• Collaborating in sprint meetings: understanding the product owner’s role in sprint meetings, including the dos and don’ts
• Transitioning into product ownership: succeeding as a product owner and establishing the role in the enterprise

This book is an indispensable resource for anyone who works as a product owner, or expects to do so, as well as executives and coaches interested in establishing agile product management.

Reviews

Brillant reference publication on Agile Product Management, April 17, 2010
Although there are not many books out there on the market on product management from an agile perspective and it would be quite tempting to come up with an uncomprehensive, thick, large, theoretical book (and publishers like thick books), Roman Pichler withstood that temptation. Instead he came up with a very concise, thin, digestable and very well understandable practical guide for the complicated role of a product owner in an agile environment.

Although the book is quite thin with a mere 130 pages, I couldn't yet find a situation in the typical product owners live which is not covered in the book in some form with some practical advice. Rather than being abstract and counting down all possible solutions, Roman Pichler concentrates on a few solutions which it makes it easy to choose and apply them. This is his recipe for making the book applicable to everyday life rather than being encyclopedic.

I really think every PO beginner (and there are quite a few out there with the current rate of Scrum adoption) should have a copy of this book as well as the experienced one's as i is really worthwhile to take the few hours and sit back to rethink your role.

I am happy that this book is now published in contrast to the multitude of Scrum Master oriented literature.

Concise coverage of just what product owners need to know, June 3, 2010
As a project management framework, Scrum introduces many changes. One of the biggest is the role of the product owner who represents the users or customers of a product or system. The product owner is responsible for making sure the right product is being built and in the right order. This forces the product owner to think iteratively and incrementally about the product--rather than a small set of large decisions made at the outset of a project, the Scrum product owner makes many more but smaller decisions throughout the course of a typical development project.

This excellent book provides new and experienced product owners with the guidance they will need to work in this new way. The book focuses on precisely what you need to know in order to be a great product owner. Author Roman Pichler assumes that the reader is either an experienced traditional product manager learning Scrum or will pick up an additional book on traditional product management. This allows him to focus specifically on the unique product management challenges of using Scrum. He covers how to create a shared vision of the product, which is more difficult on Scrum as its iterative nature avoids a prolonged upfront specification phase. Pichler covers thorough coverage of creating a product backlog, planning a release, and collaborating with the team during the sprints ("iterations") of the project. He also provides advice on how to transition into the new role of product owner.

There is a shortage of fantastic product owners in the world. This book will help fix that problem.

A major gap has been filled, June 4, 2010
As a Scrum trainer, I work with many teams implementing Scrum or trying to refine its use. For many of these teams, the role of project management must change significantly. A majority of Scrum books address PROJECT management very well, but none have sufficiently addressed the role of PRODUCT management. The reason, I believe, is because less is known about how to do product management well. Less is known about deciding "what" to make than "how" to make it. It seems we are really good at making the wrong products efficiently. This can be a challenge for Scrum teams as well; having a product owner who does not know how to manage a product (instead of a project) is quite common.

This is where Roman Pichler book "Agile Product Management with Scrum" comes in. I found myself glued to the book and annotating every page. The book is a perfect blend of the philosophy of managing the emergence of great products and how this is done as a product owner in Scrum.

The book is divided into six chapters that speak to the product owner as well as those that work with him. I found it especially valuable that Roman interspersed lists of "Common Mistakes" seen in the execution of the product owner role. I can honestly say, as I read through them, that I had seen them all.

This book is now in the "list of six" that I recommend to all of my students. I have this feeling that a last major missing piece of reference for Scrum has now been put in place.

Invaluable Help For Product Owners, April 21, 2010
I am really pleased that this book is now available as it is long overdue. I have read Roman's online posts and this book continues his history of giving sound advice by providing some very clear and understandable advice for the Product Owner role. The advice isn't necessarily easy to implement and I take some kind of comfort in that as the Product Owner role is not an easy role. I also like the size and shape of the book which makes it very easy to read and carry around.

That's "Product" Management!, April 6, 2010
Note carefully the title of this new book -- it's about "product" management, not "project" management. After all, isn't that what it's all about? That is, could there be a well-managed project that didn't produce the right product? We all know the answer to that question is, "Yes!" So, I'm really glad that Roman has decided to focus on the reason for the project -- and what makes me especially happy is that he knows his history. So many articles and books about agile development would have us believe that this exciting approach to development is startlingly new, when most or all of the elements have been around a long time. Thanks to Roman for pulling this all together for us!

Brilliant introduction and a useful reference guide, December 20, 2010
This is a brilliant book that explains everything in a simple and easy to understand manner. A great book for new product managers who want to understand agile and how it can be used to create products that work and are used by customers. The books explains in detail the product owner's role throughout the scrum process and the issues and difficulties you may face as well as ideas and processes on how to avoid or solve these issues.

It's also a great resource to return to when you need some help such as when products are over budget or your struggling to get buy in from senior management and because of this it is definitely a book to buy and have on the shelve. 100% recommend.

A long overdue reference for agilists, November 7, 2010
What a relief to finally find a concise, coherent, cogent book on the Product Owner role! I sit here tonight working on a wiki page to help introduce scrum to a state government agency which is sorely in need of agile adoption. We've ordered two copies for the IT library, my personal copy is heavily marked up, and our current proxy PO and ScrumMaster both have it in their hands.

This book is the perfect length and depth for a new PO coming in from the customer side of the house. The length is right for an executive to read and the content is sufficient to get a new PO up on their legs and interacting effectively with a newly certified Scrum Master and team who are chomping at the bit to engage with a real customer.

You can read it less than a weekend; you can read it in a long afternoon. If you're a CSM yourself: read it. CSM training often doesn't say enough about the PO perspective.

I look forward to seeing an enhanced edition. But if the author is too busy consulting to update this for a while, we can only thank him for what he's done in giving us this very valuable little volume.

New product owners should read this, November 4, 2010
It makes a pleasant change to read a book on Agile you don't need a crane to lift. I really enjoyed this book and as a coach I am now going to use it as homework for every new Product Owner I work with. The sections covering envisioning, planning and delivering a product are clear, easy to understand and unambiguous, making it very easy for new product owners to get a good understanding of the job. The more powerful sections of the book are the first and last. Understanding the role and transitioning too it, I think they are just great and really set the tone for what a product owner is really about. I also think they are great sections for any organisation that is trying to decide who to put in place should read these chapters.

Great book Roman I hope it inspires many more.

THE Guidebook for Product Owners, November 2, 2010
The Product Owner role is key to effective Scrum and before Roman's book perhaps the most underserved in terms of available information describing the characteristics, responsibilities, and techniques for fulfilling those responsibilities.

Agile Product Management with Scrum: Creating Products that Customers Love epitomizes the agile approach. The book is short and concise while still providing comprehensive coverage of the both the role and responsibilities of the Product Owner as well as practical advice on performing effectively as a Product Owner.

The second chapter Envisioning the Product is by itself worth the price of the book. Roman has distilled the essence of this most critical activity, which unfortunately is all to often missed in the product development cycle, and provided some specific suggestions about how to envision a new product including a brief discussion on how the envisioning process itself can be achieved using Scrum.

The other chapters are equally valuable and provide concise, useful information that Product Owners (and ScrumMasters and Scrum team members) can quickly reference and benefit from.

Many books get read once and then put aside. I confident that won't be the case with Agile Product Management with Scrum: Creating Products that Customers Love. This book is easy to read from front to back, and I'm positive my copy will become well worn as a reference I will continue referring back to as a just-in-time reference well into the future.

Whether your a Product Owner, ScrumMaster, Scrum team member, or just someone who's serious about creating better products, get this book!

The book to read for Product Managers, August 13, 2010
One of the very best books for product management. It's a must-read-book for all Agile Product Managers. It is also very usable for developing product management even outside the scrum arena. A book straight to the point and easily accessable. ... Read more