Press Release
May 3, 2005
"The Art of Project Management": Leading Teams and Projects--Hard-Learned Lessons For Everyday Situations
Sebastopol, CA--There may be something dryer than the phrase "project
management," but usually it's shaken and served with an olive. And while
the latter is often greeted with some sense of anticipation, this is seldom
the case with the former. In fact, the mention of project management all
too often evokes a sense of weariness, unremitting work, frustration, even
failure--feelings that are completely inconsistent with the fact that all
successful projects depend on effective project management. But it
doesn't need to be this way, according to Scott Berkun, veteran manager
of software and web development. In his new book, The Art of
Project Management (O'Reilly, US $39.95), Berkun shares a lively, inspiring,
and pragmatic approach to managing projects that draws on hard lessons
learned from more than a decade of work in the industry.
"People work on projects all the time, and many of them fail, often
spectacularly," reflects Berkun. "The ones that don't fail are often
frustrating experiences for everyone involved. It doesn't have to be this
way. Any business, especially software development organizations, can lead
projects without making people miserable. In fact if they follow the
advice in the book, it might even be fun."
In The Art of Project Management, readers learn how to plan, manage, and
lead projects. But Berkun goes much further. His book is about creativity,
situational problem solving, and leadership. "I wanted to capture
everything I'd learned in a decade of leading teams of people at
Microsoft, and do it in a way that would be fun to read, easy to follow,
and useful for people in many different roles and industries," says
Berkun. "I thought there were many smart ways of getting work done that
I'd learned in my years in the software industry, and I wanted to share
them with as many people as possible."
As Berkun points out, the examples in his book are from software
development, but the concepts apply easily to other kinds of work. "I'm
convinced that the challenges of organizing, leading, designing, and
delivering work have much in common, regardless of the domain," he
explains. "The processes involved in making toaster ovens, skyscrapers,
automobiles, web sites, and software products share many of the same
challenges, and this book is about overcoming those challenges."
Berkun adds, "Every time you use a product that's poorly built, hear about
budget over-runs on public work, or learn of a schedule slip for something
you were waiting for, you are witnessing project management challenges.
How teams of people are led and managed has an impact on everything around
us. The book covers decision making, dealing with stress, planning,
creative thinking, and politics--issues that affect people anywhere that
work is being done."
The Art of Project Management offers lessons of great value to people in
the general business world, drawing on references and techniques from well
outside the domains of engineering and management. The book is designed
to be useful in several ways: as a collection of individual topic-focused
essays, as a single extended narrative, and as a reference for common
situations. Each chapter in the book focuses on a different high-level
task, provides a basic framework, and offers strategies and tactics for
successfully completing the task. Berkun covers topics such as:
How to make things happen
Making good decisions
Ideas and what to do with them
Specifications and requirements
How not to annoy people
Leadership and trust
The truth about making dates
What to do when things go wrong
Practical, motivating, and compelling, The Art of Project Management
distills complex concepts and challenges into nuggets of advice that
anyone involved in leading a project--or a phase of a project--can put to
good use.
Early praise for The Art of Project Management:
"The Art of Project Management covers it all--from practical methods for
making sure work gets done right and on time, to the mindset that can make
you a great leader motivating your team to do its best. Reading this was
like reading the blueprint for how the best projects are managed at
Microsoft...I wish we always put these lessons into action! Berkun made me
chuckle, made me think, and best of all, after just a few hours of
reading, I found myself thinking of many ways I could make my team more
effective and my products better."
--Joe Belfiore, General Manager, e-home division, Microsoft Corporation
"Berkun has written a fast-paced, jargon-free, and witty guide. It's a
great introduction to the discipline and seasoned managers will benefit
from Berkun's perspectives."
--Joe Mirza, Director, CNET Networks (Cnet.com)
"How I managed so long without this book baffles the mind."
--Richard Stoakley, Group Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation
"Its strengths are its basis in experience; the inclusion of many
illustrative stories; and the thoughtful sections on specs, making good
decisions, and politics...an excellent resource for someone trying to make
sense of project management."
--Kent Beck, Author of "Embrace Change: Extreme Programming Explained"
Further reviews of The Art of Project Management can be found here.
Additional Resources:
The Art of Project Management
Scott Berkun
ISBN: 0-596-00786-8, 488 pages, $39.95 US, $55.95 CA
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000
About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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