Book Title: Project Management for Mere Mortals
Authors:  Claudia M. Baca
Publisher: Addison/Wesley
List Price:  US$44.99
Publication Date:  2007
ISBN:   0-321-42345-3
Reviewer:  Boley T. Thomas, MBA, PMP
Review Date:  March 2008

Introduction to the Book

Project Management for Mere Mortals is a meat and potatoes digest of tried and true project management principles and techniques that will greatly aid the new or developing project manager—especially if project management is not the main focus of the reader’s job.

Claudia M. Baca is a recognized authority on project management and the Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3).  Calling on twenty-four years of experience in the project management industry, Baca has presented and written extensively within the PMI culture on such topics as OPM3, PMP exam preparation, change management, and other general project management topics.  Ms. Baca earned a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from Denver University and obtained the PMP certification in 1995.  She currently lectures for the Denver Chapter of PMI and teaches at Colorado State University and Denver’s Front Range Community College.

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About the Reviewer Boley Thomas Boley Thomas is a PMP certified project manager with twelve years experience managing technology projects for major telecom and semiconductor companies in North Texas.  Boley majored in English and minored in philosophy at Brigham Young University where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1993; he earned his PMP certification in 2000; and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in 2005.  Boley’s most successful and rewarding project to date has been his 24-year marriage to his wife Louise and the rearing of five fabulous children.

 

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Book Title:Right-Brain Project Management –
A Complementary Approach
Author:  B. Michael Aucoin
Publisher: Management Concepts
List Price:  US$40.00
Publication Date: 2007
ISBN:  978-1-56726-206-3
Reviewer:  Michael A. Sozio
Review Date:  February 2007

 

Introduction to the Book

The title of this book, “Right-Brain Project Management – A Complementary Approach”, caught my attention immediately for two reasons:  1.) The number of books that are being written about the importance of creativity in gaining an advantage in business and 2.) the fact that this book looks at these right-brain techniques as a complement, not a replacement for established Project Management practices.

B. Michael Aucoin, the author, presents his case for using right-brain techniques in the first chapter where he discusses what is right with Project Management and more importantly, what is not working in projects and some of the reasons why.  Mr. Aucoin takes a quote from authors Lauri Koskela and Gregory Howell, The Theory of Project Management, which succinctly summarizes the current situation:  “It is no exaggeration to claim that Project Management as a discipline is in crisis…”.

Why is Project Management in crisis?  The author uses this question to delve deeper into the topic and present his evidence why many of today’s complex, cutting edge projects are in trouble and prescribes a set of right-brain techniques that can be used with traditional Project Management practices to help solve this dilemma.

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About the Reviewer Michael Sozio Michael Sozio, PMP, is a Senior Project Manager at the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, Information Technology Directorate, Dallas, Texas and an Adjunct Professor, Management and Management Information Systems, Northwood University, Texas-Ft. Worth Program Center.  He has a BA in Psychology from St. John Fisher College, Rochester, New York; a BS in Information Systems from University of Maryland; a graduate of the US Army Command and General Staff College; and an MS in Management and Administrative Sciences from the University of Texas at Dallas.  Michael retired from the US Army Reserves in 2001 as a Lieutenant Colonel and lives in Dallas, with his wife Marquita and their two dogs and a cat.

 

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