"This classic guide enables you to learn from the successes and failures of leading companies, explore new cost control and risk management techniques . . . and obtain the information needed to study for the PMI Certification exam."
—The Design-Build Institute of America

"This book is more like an encyclopedia of project management than simply a textbook . . . Once you've been through this text, it will become a well-used reference on your bookshelf. Somewhere inside, Dr. Kerzner has addressed at least a portion of whatever you're looking for."
—Dr. Don Shanfelt, PMP E-Commerce PM for WorldCom, and adjunct IT professor in Colorado Springs

Project management at its best—a banner edition of the landmark reference

This latest edition of the bestselling "bible" of project management brings outstanding coverage of the basic principles and concepts of project management right up to date with the latest developments in the field. Written by one of the best-known and respected authorities on the subject, it is essential reading for today's and tomorrow's professionals involved in project management. It covers every key aspect of the subject, from the intricate framework of organizational behavior and structure that can determine project success to the planning, scheduling, and controlling processes vital to effective project management. New features include:

• Up-to-date coverage of global project management, the project management maturity model, "six sigma", and conflict resolution modes
• Dozens of real-world case studies and hundreds of sample problems across a wide range of industries

The best way to review this monumental book on project management is to list the most common arguments for and against the book.

The book presents comprehensive knowledge of project management that you can substitute only by purchasing several books on the subject by other authors. Dr. Harold Kerzner is also one of the most respected experts on Project Management. Dr. Kerzner now has several companion books to supplement this main text book. One area that the book was considered lacking in the past was with regards to case studies. You can now buy his latest book that is dedicated to covering just case studies. The writing style is extremely easy to read and follow. Once you read his explanation on any topic, you will find that it is hard to disagree with him because his explanations are very compelling.

The reasons many people have disliked the book - the book is too boring to read, it is too long a book, it is a compilation of bullet lists, there are not enough case studies (or problems/exercises), etc. I can't say anything about the first complaint because it is actually true but if you are in the middle of a project and have a burning question, I can promise you that is isn't so boring to pull up the relevant section in the book and find a reasonable explanation to your question. The book is very long because it is an exhaustive treatment of the Project Management field. There is no reason to read it in one sitting. Regarding being a compilation of bullet lists, it does seem that way. But when you have been in project management for a while and have an appreciation for the difficulty of the field, the lists don't get in the way. The author has enough explanations surrounding the bullet lists that I never found them annoying. To address the complaints regarding case studies, problems/exercises, there is now a book dedicated to case studies and I believe there have always been workbooks that he authored which contained more problems/exercises.

A good approach to follow regarding the usage of this book is to buy it early on in your career but stop after reading just the first few chapters. As you are gaining experience and have been exposed to a majority of the project management field, it is time to refer to this book more often. I have followed the book through several editions over the years and looked up various topics as questions popped up in my mind while going through a project. I am yet to finish the whole book (this is my 7th year reading the various editions of his book) after all these years but I didn't expect to. It is a great reference book and I have been using it as one.

There are better books to read on project management if you looking for a quick overview. 'The Little Black Book of Project Management' by Michael Thomsett comes to mind along with 'Project Management - Planning and Control' by Rory Burke. If you are looking for help with the PMP preparation, I highly recommend 'PMP Exam Prep' by Rita Mulcahy. Read my review on her book for more detailed information on taking the exam.

IIL offers several Project Management classes that are taught by excellent instructors if you like what you read in this book and are looking for more of the same. A copy is given out as part of the class materials (for some of their classes). I hope you benefit from reading this book as much as I did and thanks for your patience. This is indeed a difficult book to review.

42 of 47 found the following review helpful:


Encyclopedic but dry  Sep 28, 2000 By Jagadeesh K. Venugopal
Harold Kerzner has written a tome that encompasses virtually all areas of Project Management (PM). Where he excels is in placing PM in the Organizational context. A read of this book can tell you how PM will fit into an organization, and the types of conflict that can arise when line management and project management come together.

Some aspects of the book (e.g. planning and project leadership/influence skills) are comprehensive enough to be books themselves. If you did not buy this one book, you might haveto buy many different books at higher cost to achieve the same coverage of topics. I have also found the author's coverage of issues to be thoughtful, comprehensive and meaningful. It is not fluffy.

Do not expect to start using this book the day you get nominated as a Project Manager. This is more in the nature of a study book, and less like a workbook, or a what-do-I-need-to-do-starting-tomorrow-morning guide. However your diligence in studying its contents will, I believe, be richly rewarded.

What do I not like about this book? * The author's endless fascination with bullet points. In some places the book reads like it was a transcript of his lectures. * Style of delivery is very dry. There is no change of tempo. * Poor figures. I could not understand many of the statistical figures at first glance. * Bad taste in cartoons. 'Nuff said. * The binding -- it is gummed at the spine for a very heavy book. Handle it roughly and it will come apart.

15 of 16 found the following review helpful:


NOT PMP SELF-STUDY! No Answers - Very Poor Editing  May 09, 2001 By Shirley S Sponholtz
This book may have great information for project managers, but not for PMP certification candidates. The style is extremely dry, abstruse, and boring, making it difficult to plow through. IT IS NO GOOD FOR PMP SELF-STUDY BECAUSE THERE ARE NO ANSWERS TO TESTS AND CASE STUDIES. Ditto for the workbook. Kerzner appears to be a self-important, stuffy academician who managed to turn his lecture notes into a money tree. Typos and unintelligible "sentences" abound. NOT worth $75. Spend your money elsewhere.

14 of 16 found the following review helpful:


The Source for Project Management Questions  Apr 16, 2003 By Craig L. Howe "The Pointed Pundit"
If you have questions on any aspect of Project Management, this is the book to consult. From organizational behavior and structure to planning, scheduling and controlling processes vital to the successful practice of project management. Most of the vital issues are discussed in a thorough, thoughtful way.

If the book has a weakness, it is in the area of Integration - in my mind, the most difficult section of the PMP exam. The book is not only written as an undergraduate and graduate students, but also functional and senior managers. Its structure reveals the author's apparent belief that the practice of project management is more behavioral than quantitative.

His first five chapters lay the foundation for an understanding of project management principles. Chapters 6 through 8 deal with support functions of conflict and time management; chapters 9 and 10 deal with management support. Quantitative approaches to planning, time, cost and performance are developed in Chapters 11 to 15. Chapter 16 deals discusses trade-offs. The balance of the book deals with advanced topic and future trends.

If your budget limits you to the purchase of one project management, this is the one to own.

10 of 11 found the following review helpful:


No glossary. No bold text for new terms.  Jun 12, 2002 By G. Mantell
The editors' laziness undermines the value of this 1100-page book, which includes hundreds of project management terms. This book has no glossary, and new terms are not emphasized with bold text. I cannot recall ever seeing a textbook edited like this, and do not know why John Wiley & Sons, Inc would torment users of this book by neglecting these conventions.

If the publisher corrects this egregious oversight, I would give the new edition 4 or 5 stars. The content if good if you dedicate the time to read. If you need to build your PM vocabulary or brush up on some concepts, go somewhere else.

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