Project Management Pocketbook

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View books by Keith Posner, Mike Applegarth.

This pocketbook was my lifesaver - Rated
I have just largely finished lead managing a nine month project with many different facets and strands (not least the changing facts and environment as implementation progressed). I have never lead managed a project of such compexity or duration before and of all the books I bought to help me this was the lifesaver.

The reasons for this are:

1. It is a small pocketbook which you can easily carry around in your pocket or briefcase and refer to when travelling etc in revisiting tips and techniques at the different stages of progress in a project.

2. Its conciseness is its key virtue - you are getting in a few quickly assimilated pages all the known wisdom and experience on a specific area.

3. It is not just a "do it this way" book but a road map of "have you thought about this" signposts.

4. It proved most helpful on the "softer" areas especially culture change and team dynamics where I am sure most projects fail however well budgeted and resourced.

One of the best investments I ever made - I cannot recommend it highly enough as a starting point for project leaders, even those who think they have seen it all.

Cannot see who would find this useful. - Rated
This book does describe the basics, but it doesn't go into enough detail to really add any value to a novice project manager. It provides descriptions such as what a Gantt Chart is used for. This sort of information is wasted on a more experienced project manager. It also lacks any useful information which could be used as a source of reference by a semi-experienced project manager.
My advice is don't waste your money on this and buy a more in-depth book on the topic.

Good "at a glance" reference - Rated
This book is a great source of reference when you need quick answers on small scale projects, or a simple sense check.
It is also good for those who are new to projects and at a loss as to where to start.
Anybody with project experience, or indeed anybody with a degree of forethought will find this book to be too limited in focus.
Nevertheless a bargain buy for those times when you "just need to check"

short - pragmatic - useful - Rated
if you know nothing about project management, you will be completely lost when you read it. But if you have a practical feeling or some knowledge, this book is perfect to help you checking if you did all the steps and which one is the next one.

A pocketbook that's worth keeping in your pocket! - Rated
A succinct overview of Project Management: full of memorable acronyms (SWOT, SMART, SQID, 5C, 5W, POURS etc): bluff your way through meetings or get a new job. Not cheap, but worth it's weight in gold. I've since bought several more of the series- all as good.