The Berkun Blog
Management, design, and the making of good things.
Review of artofpm on slackermanager
January 10th, 2006
SlackerManager has a fresh review of art of PM:
This is a really great book and ought to have a permanent place on any manager’s (not just project managers) desk. Highly recommended for managers of all experience levels.
ArtofPM on slashdot
November 15th, 2005
Earlier today a brief review and chapter excerpt (13: How to make things happen) appeared on slashdot.org.
I’ve been reading a new book from O’Reilly which, despite my intense aversion to books of this type, outshines its class. Scott Berkun, has written The Art of Project Management. While my own review of it is tardy and still forthcoming, he & the fine folks at ORA have sent us an excerpt. Below is Chapter 13 - well worth reading, and getting the book.
Artofpm reviews: B&A and MSDN
November 2nd, 2005
Still seeing some reviews come in which I’m grateful for, 5 months after the book has been out. Most folks don’t know it but the window for books is small: if it’s not picked up in reviews soon after publication, odds are slim anyone will ever even hear about it.
My own interests aside, any time you write a blog post or amazon review for a book, it makes a huge difference to us authors. Even if sales don’t follow, it’s super validating to any author to hear the book meant something to someone. I hope to write more book reviews myself here.
MSDN Magazine had a short review of artofpm:
Scott gives you project management concepts in simple steps, using lots of examples of successes and failures from his own experiences, and he is always considering the “people” factor. With all the emphasis on tools and process that we have today, it’s refreshing to see a book on project management that spends as much time on human factors as it does on technical tools and metrics.
This book is a candid and honest piece of work written by someone who has really been there, done that, and is willing to share.
Boxes and arrows, a webzine about information architecture and UX, had this review:
This is a comprehensive, how-to book devoid of jargon and theory. The author gives direct advice from his own experience. The real value of this book, though, is that it is not about a single methodology for project management, nor is it just for project managers. Instead, Berkun is able to speak about project management at its highest-level without filtering it through a given approach. It is deep enough to keep seasoned project managers reading, but also appealing to non-project managers. I’d recommend this book to anyone looking to improve general project skills.
More reviews in for the art of PM
August 4th, 2005
Great to see that these are still coming in:
The text is light on theory and full of plain talk guidelines, tips and tricks grounded in and illustrated by Berkun’s years of experience leading product teams at Microsoft… A must-read for anyone officially or unofficially in charge of corralling folks together to meet a common goal
I often tell others that if I go to a meeting or read a book and I learn one thing or get one idea from the experience, then it is worth the money and the time spent. Knowledge is valuable and is our coin of the trade. There is a lot to learn in this book. Berkun brings intelligence, insight, thoughtful commentary and experiences learned from difficult Microsoft projects. It is like learning from and discussing the experiences of a peer or, for new project managers, learning theory and practice from a young master . - Thomas V. Kappel, Kickstart news
I would go so far as to say this. If you are in this role at a software company, and have been doing it for less than 3 years, this book should be your text book. Nothing will matter more in your career than having a good grasp and mastery of many of the skills highlighted in the book. If you are an old timer, then this book will be an interesting read to say the least, if not help you with a situation you might be facing today (or tomorrow).
If you find other reviews let me know. And of course if you’re willing to review the book for a magazine, website or busy blog, contact me. I can get you a reviewer copy of the book.
Thanks to everyone that’s helped get these reviews out there and to everyone that’s actually bought the book :)
More reviews in for the art of PM
June 23rd, 2005
More reviews coming in - it’s fun to read these - hopefully I’ll see more:
“This is one of the more practical books on project management that I’ve had the chance to cover. The writing style is also less formal and a bit more “real life” than most. You actually feel like you’re talking with the author instead of being “talked to”
- From Duffberts Musings
“This is in fact a down-to-earth book about a tough job, the management of large, complex projects, with an emphasis on high tech and software… this eminently practical book will be of use to anybody who wants advice on approaching serious project management professionally.”
From Netsurfer Digest
“The book is very broad, and I think it would be reasonably useful for people involved in any team project situation, whether they’re a manager or a player”
- From Tim Hatch
“The book is imprinted by a very pragmatic view: you will learn the difficult art of getting things done, figthing a very wide range of different obstacles. The book is focused on young IT Managers, but can be a valuable help for team leaders and senior architects too. .. Rating: 8 of 10″
- From SIforge.org
“I often ask the question: ‘Have you read McConnell’s work?’ Those interviewees who do not know who McConnell is, or cannot even name the books are removed from the shortlist. I would like to think that one year from now I will be able to ask: ‘Have you read The Art of Project Management?’ Finally, we have a book that doesn’t just teach project management, it teaches the art of project management… it is a portable book of common sense – it should be required reading for those folks on a project and anybody who has interaction with the project team, e.g. upper management, sponsors, CEOs, CIOs, information providers and even customers. Overall book rating: 5/5″
From Craig Murphy, for Scottishdevelopers.com, See his full chapter by chapter review
There are also ten more reviews up now at amazon.com
Please let me know if you’ve seen other reviews out there, or if you’ve written your own.
artofpm mentioned on furrygoat.com
May 26th, 2005
Steven Makofsky of furrygoat is just getting into the book, and hasn’t fallen asleep quite yet.
First review: 43 folders
May 23rd, 2005
Here’s the first online book review I’ve found, from 43 folders’s Merlin Mann:.
Where so many Project Management books fetishize GANTT charts, waterfalls, and abstract planning methods, most of Berkun’s book lives much further down in the trenches—where misunderstandings happen, dates slip, and bad decisions threaten to derail your project. The book is full of really practical advice on handling these challenges in the real world. And, yes, I really wish it had existed 7 or 8 years ago.
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