[Beginner-Friendly] 8 Must-Read Project Management Books
- Leia Emeera
- Aug 14, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 17
Navigating the world of project management can feel challenging at times, especially without the right tools and guidance. Whether you're just starting out or have years of experience, there’s always room to grow and discover new ways to sharpen your managing skills.
Moreover, project management holds an important role in the success of a business or organization, as emphasized in many leading project management books. As a result, the demand for project managers has been rising in recent years.
In addition to training or courses, reading specialised books on project management can be a great way for beginners to build their knowledge and skills. Read on to learn about project management book recommendations.
Jump to:
What is Project Management?
Project management is the implementation of a carefully thought-out project plan, that typically involves the supervision of funds, time, and resources. Whether it be a creative project or a technical one, poor project management may lead to:
Missed deadlines
Going over budget
Wasted resources
Unclear communication
Poor quality of execution
To avoid these potential issues, it’s important to start learning and utilising the principles of project management for your current and next endeavours—but where exactly should you start?
Other than signing up for full-length project management courses or learning directly from a mentor, you can start small now by reading books for project managers. What are you waiting for? Let's grab these 8 project management books from your nearby bookstore or library.
8 Best Books on Project Management for Beginners
Project Management JumpStart by Kim Heldman
With the latest edition published in 2018, this book can help you “JumpStart” your project management practices. This book is meant for beginners, easing its readers into the complicated concept—but it doesn’t shy away from details or efficacy.
This PM book for beginners treats its experience like a newbie’s project management course, including real-world examples and the project lifecycle. To break up heavy pieces of text, Heldman incorporates comprehensive illustrations and practical questions—so don’t fret if you aren’t the biggest reader.
About the Author:
With over 25 years of experience, Kim Heldman is a Project Management Professional (PMP), who has written an extensive catalogue on all things project management. From beginner courses to study guides, Heldman has authored it all.
Project Management: Absolute Beginner’s Guide by Greg Horine
This Beginner’s Guide makes the bold promise of success as a project manager, even if you have never run a project before. Alongside covering the basics, this book about project management process pulls examples from both accomplished and failed projects.
This provides readers with the opportunity to understand what they should and shouldn’t do within the proper context. Written in an engaging style, this project management book is a solid option for individuals who are seeking valuable insight into the world of project management. A good project management book option for you, project managers!
About the Author:
Greg Horine is another PMP-certified author, with about 30 years of experience under his belt. He’s recognised for his people management prowess and problem-solving skills, and the five project management books released throughout the years.
The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management by Tom DeMarco
DeMarco is really aware that information dumping is a certain way to scare away budding project managers. His novel keeps project management concise, without glossing over critical ideas.
Uniquely, this project management book is written as if it were fictional prose and not a serious, educational piece. It introduces concepts of project management through a main character named Tompkins, who is met with a distressed and disorderly team. Besides detailing key factors, this novel emphasizes soft skills like communication and empathy, among others. So, this can be a go-to project management book for beginners.
About the Author:
Tom DeMarco is a seasoned author, engineer and consultant—with over sixteen books that fall under genres of both fact and fiction, DeMarco surely has a way with words. Including The Deadline, his literature has earned him awards.
The Lazy Project Manager By Peter Taylor
Refreshingly honest, this book for project managers doesn’t sugarcoat work and project management. It acknowledges that there should be a balance between grind and relaxation, and that laziness isn’t always negative.
He pushes the notions of working smarter and not harder—ultimately teeing up to strategic project management. Taylor emphasizes that planning should be at the forefront because there will be fewer mistakes to pick up after if a project is well thought out. If you’re a beginner, seeking a project management method that is less traditional and rigid, this may be the book on PM that’s perfect for you.
About the Author:
Peter Taylor doubles as a keynote speaker and an author. Having spoken in over 26 countries, and written 31 published books, Taylor has amassed plenty of experience and testimonies on his professional reliability.
The Plugged-In Manager by Terri L. Griffith
Griffith offers her readers three main dimensions of project management—people, technology, and organisation. By providing a clear-cut angle and a memorable figure of speech, she makes the concept of project management all the more digestible.
This project management book teaches you how to balance these three while staying adaptable to our modern-day, ever-changing industries. Through case studies and anecdotes from field leaders, this book on project management can come in handy to a curious beginner.
About the Author:
Operating within the realms of academia, this professor/author/keynote speaker strives to share the knowledge she has gained to the masses—a pursuit that does not seem to be slowing, seeing as how Griffith is currently putting research into work strategies.
Just Enough Project Management by Curtis R. Cook
In today's project-driven world, top managers excel at delivering projects on time, under budget, and within specifications. Curtis R. Cook's "Just Enough Project Management" is a concise project management guidebook offering practical insights for project managers across various environments.
This project management book's standout feature is its customisable templates to help project managers reinvent techniques for each project. Particularly effective for today's focused, streamlined initiatives, it helps project managers optimise workflows efficiently, reduce redundant efforts, and adapt quickly to changing business landscapes.
About the Author:
A luminary in the field of project management, Curtis R. Cook, Ph.D., previously helmed Novations Project Management as its president and CEO, establishing himself as a globally respected authority in the discipline.
Project Management Lite, by Juana Clark Craig, PMP
Navigating the world of project management doesn't require a Master's degree. In "Project Management Lite," Juana Clark Craig distils her experience into a refreshingly straightforward guide that cuts through the complexity, offering beginners a clear, action-oriented roadmap to successful project execution and completion. It also allows you to understand your role and responsibilities as project manager and other key people such as Scrum master.
Craig's approach eliminates traditional, process-heavy methodologies by offering simple worksheets and practical checklists. This project management book for beginners is a perfect start for you who are just beginning, are struggling, or feel overwhelmed with handling projects progresses. This empowers readers who are seeking a more agile strategy, to confidently and clearly manage their projects.
About the Author:
Drawing from her extensive quarter-century of experience navigating project landscapes within Fortune 500 enterprises, Juana Clark Craig, PMP, distils project management into its most essential elements.
Agile Product Management with Scrum: Creating Products that Customers Love by Roman Pichler
In "Agile Product Management with Scrum," Roman Pichler, a leading Scrum consultant, presents a comprehensive guide to navigating product management through the Scrum framework. Drawing from real-world examples, Pichler illuminates critical practices such as agile product discovery, embracing emergent requirements, crafting minimal marketable products, and fostering close collaboration with development teams while leveraging early customer feedback.
Leveraging his extensive industry experience, Pichler distinguishes Scrum product ownership from traditional product management approaches. This project management book emerges as an essential resource for current and aspiring product managers, as well as executives and coaches seeking to establish robust, agile product management strategies.
About the Author:
With his extensive expertise in product management, Roman Pichler is a renowned thought leader specialising in product strategy, leadership, and agility. Roman has pioneered agile product management practices, and he has developed a range of models, methods, and tools that enable organizations to navigate the complex landscape of product creation.
Conclusion
In our current day and age, information and knowledge are abundant. To learn something, all you have to do is take that first step—there is nothing stopping you from gaining new skills and perspectives, the world is your oyster!
Besides books, if you are a creative, who is ready to start practicing project management, here's a couple of guidelines we have curated for your industry.
You can also utilise project management software such as TESSR to give you an extra hand as a project manager. TESSR is a project management tool, designed for the creative industry to drive success through collaboration and people-centric mindset. Try out TESSR today and make your project management more manageable!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What books offer advanced insights for experienced project managers?
Worry not, here’s some book recommendations for you:
The Art of Project Management by Scott Berkun
If you are looking for a how-to guide on project management, this is a good book for you. Not only a how-to guide, the author also explores a brief history of the subject and why it is important. Divided into three different sections (planning, skills, and management), this book also covers other topics, such as problem-solving, leadership, and creativity. You won’t get bored while reading, thanks to the helpful illustrations throughout the book that make it easier to visualise key concepts.
Strategic Project Management Made Simple by Terry Schmidt
Did you know that 70% of all strategies fail? According to Fortune Magazine, around 70% of all strategies fail because they can’t be executed effectively. This PM book focuses on that topic, where any projects fail due to ad-hoc tasks and outdated processes. This book provides an interactive step-by-step approach to designing well-executed, successful projects. This good book for project managers can help build a solid foundation by answering four different questions that help clarify goals and see the bigger picture.
Are there any project management books written in a narrative or novel format?
The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford
Looking for a fun way to understand project management? A novel could be the perfect fit! This business novel is written in a fast-paced and entertaining style. It tells the story of a fictional company, Parts Unlimited, that was facing a crisis and almost collapsed. This book not only covers project management but also core concepts and approaches to effective business strategies: leadership, problem-solving, and team collaboration.
The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
This best-selling business novel- with over 4 million copies sold- is one of the gems to learn more about project management with a fresh perspective. This novel introduces the Theory of Constraints, shared in a compelling, fast-paced storyline about overcoming the barriers to profitability. For project managers, this book offers actionable insights on how to make continuous improvements by identifying key tasks, allocating resources wisely, and adjusting priorities for greater efficiency.
How can I choose the right project management book for my specific needs?
To choose the right book for your needs, consider these factors:
Your current experience level in the sproject management field
Find the type of project management methodologies that interest you the most, such as Agile frameworks or Waterfall type
After you know those, you can focus on the specific skills you want to develop more, e.g. leadership skills, or risk management
Other than that, you can also seek book recommendations from your peers, mentors, or communities.
Author Bio
From Malaysia, Leia Emeera is a writer at TESSR and a published author. She has been putting pen to paper ever since she learned how to, and has an anthology to her name, titled 'Ten'. Leia loves music, games and her beloved Labrador retriever, George. She aims to further her studies in English Literature and Creative Writing the moment her gap year ends. 'Till then, you will find her sitting behind a desk, writing with TESSR.
Connect with her on LinkedIn: Leia Emeera
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