The Complete Idiots Guide to Project Management Using MS Project 2003

I just finished reading The Complete Idiots Guide to Project Management Using MS Project 2003 by Ron Black. Most books you will find on project management are oriented towards passing the certification exam. This book is primarily a step-by-step "how to" guide exercising project management "the PMI way", using Microsoft Project. Whether you are a seasoned pro, or a facilitator considering a life as a PM, this book is a great tutorial and refresher course on the subject of project management. As a bonus you can find some cool tricks to use with MS Project!

Ron has some very simple suggestions on how to brainstorm a good WBS, how to outline it in MS Project, step by step methods for doing accurate task estimates, managing managers and employees, and common sense checklists for every step of your project to make sure you are not missing anything. All this (and more) is wrapped around a tutorial on how to use MS Project that is fun and easy to read. The book is so chock full of really practical project management help you completely forget you are learning a software package. It's a great refresher, a quick read, and will put real wheels on all of the theoretical books you have been reading.

A few quotes from the book:
"When given responsibility without authority, project managers must take action." (pg 43) "To keep your career on track, identify the criteria you will be held responsible for." (pg 47) To build a good goal statement, use the SMART approach: *S*pecific, *M*easurable, *A*greed on, *R*ealistic, and *T*ime-bound." (pg 47)

You can find out more about the book as well as find some useful tools for working project managers at: http://www.thementorgroup.com/Resources.htm/