Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management (Theory in Practice (O'Reilly)) [Paperback]

I've had a decent dive into project management theory as far as software is concerned. In all honesty, I found "Making Things Happen" to be one of the most useful books I have ever read.

These are the 5 reasons why it stands out in the crowd:

1. It's sensible
As opposed to hard-core computer science, project management inevitably confronts you with the fact that reality (unlike an if statement) is unstructured, human and has more to do with circumstances than we'd like to think. Most management books and classes that I've been to generally focus on providing you with fixed recipes - which are in fact no more than algorithms that happen to have worked a couple of times. I have always had a hard time linking those with the actual situations that I found myself in. While reading this book, I had the feeling of "these are the principles, these are the mechanisms that drive them - now go adapt this to whatever you have in your back yard." And that's what really makes it useful after you put it down and go to work.

2. It teaches you to judge for yourself
Along the same lines of "all around down to earth stuff" I like the fact that the book considers alternatives when tackling some of the major topics - such as how to do your planning. Sure, the advice is to the point and decisive, but at no time does it leave the impression that the author holds the absolute truth or even that there is an absolute truth. It leaves room for "customization" depending on the situation that the reader finds himself in, the size of the project, the level of the team etc. And that's a really strong point.

3. It's very well documented
A distinctive thing about this book is the you can clearly see the crazy amounts of research and documentation that went into it. The fabulous thing is that all the quotes and references open up a whole palette of opportunities for any reader to further expand his knowledge.

4. It shows you the overall picture
One of the reasons why I hold this book and not another one in high esteem is because it looks at processes, teams and skills from a bird's eye perspective. The point is not just to know how to write a good spec. The point is to also understand why you are writing it and how the poor thing fits into the overall picture - what happens before the spec and after the spec is just as important for a project's success.

5. It's backed by experience
Last but not least, the most valuable thing that a skilled project manager can share is... his experience. That being said, I loved the war stories - they are the juiciest part of the book. They simply say "I've been there with you, guys. I know what you're feeling right now - I'm not just preaching for the sake of the art". At the end of the day, I found that these were the bits that made me set aside my ego and openly consider my mistakes and challenges.

On top of all that, it's seductively witty and easy to read, thus making it the first book I recommend to anybody that needs to "make things happen" in the software business.

This is a brilliant Project Management guide.I do Project Management for a living. I am always interested in learning from others so I can do a better job.
This book is very practical - it has so much sound practical advice - and it is readable!
Recommend for anyone involved in management as well as projects.
Here is just one of hundreds of points chosen at random: (about a Project Manager) "his value is determined by how well he can apply his brilliance to the project through other people" and Scott goes on to discuss and suggest how. Another suggestion for a PM to ask " "What can I do to help you do your best work?" "
Inspirational!

Great Book, for insight and reference.A PM bible that gives real insight into the other side of all the process & procedure driven aspects of PM, the relationships with people and the dynamics within the project team.

I strongly reccomend this book to all aspiring PM's, as planning, co ordinating, recording, monitoring and controlling is only half the story. Dynamic Leadership & Management style will make all the difference in sucessful outcomes.