BOOK REVIEW:

Book Title:  Improving your Project Management Skills, 2nd Edition
Author:  Larry Richman, PMP
Publisher:  AMACOM
List Price:   $15.00 USD
Format:  soft cover; 224 pages
Publication Date:   July 2011
ISBN: 9780814408759
Reviewer: Paul Thomason
Review Date: December

Introduction to the Book

Mr. Richman’s book represents a handy refresher course for project managers looking to review their more formal project management training, in an easy to read and surprisingly comprehensive format.  For newly aspiring project managers, the straightforward and concise approach works well as a gentle introduction to the core responsibilities and techniques of the project manager. The book is packed full of practical assertions, geared towards both the experienced and aspiring project manager.

Overview of Book’s Structure

With the addition of an introduction covering the foundations of project management, the book is organized directly in accordance with the PMI PMBOK five phases of project initiating, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and finally, project closure.  The book flows nicely through all processes a Project Manager generally works through on each and every project, and succinctly touches on the variety of tools applicable for working through the processes under discussion.  The last part of the book provides some good recommended reading to expand on the material presented, and the glossary covers all the key terminology for which a Project Manager is expected to know and understand.

Highlights: What I liked!

I liked the lifecycle approach to this book, whereby the reader is taken through a projects evolution, including the techniques and tools available to use along the way in planning and mitigating a project through to completion.  There is a considerable amount dedicated to process flow and evolution, and the author has made sound use of examples to illustrate different approaches – such as for constructing a Work Breakdown Structure, for example. 

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About the Reviewer: Paul Thomason   Paul Thomason has been practicing technical project and program management for the last decade, became PMP certified in 2006, ITIL v3 certified in 2011, and now works as a consulting manager for Sogeti USA, LLC.  He holds two baccalaureate degrees, International Relations (BA) and Computer Science (BS) respectively, an MBA in Project Management, and is currently undertaking doctoral studies with the ISM in Paris.   Paul lives in Austin, Texas, USA with his wife Susy and two daughters, where they run a small consulting firm - www.creagicedge.com - that provides creative strategies for education.  Paul can be contacted at toolkit25@yahoo.com