Critical Chain

It is not so often that one comes across a book on a topic so intense, but delivered as lightly as this one. The entire book has one underlying intent - that is to make the readers understand the principles of Theory of Constraints (ToC) and demonstrate via the help of examples its implementation and implications of day-to-day business issues (in this case related to project management).
The book is written like a novel, with a plot and a protagonist which makes it easier to read. The protagonist, Richard Silver, is an Exec-MBA professor who takes his students through a socratic approach towards teaching. Students bring in their own real-life problems and Rick facilitates sessions in which students debate and brainstorm the answers to show more their own questions.
While the book is not the exhaustive text on Critical Chain Project Management (perhaps a duller, yet straight to the point book - "Critical Chain Project Management" by Lawrence Leach might serve that purpose), this book does give some definitive insights on what CCPM and ToC is about.
If you still don't have time to read approximately 100 odd pages, I'd recommend "Projects in Less Time" by Mark Woepell.) show less

As it says on the front cover, this book is a "Business Novel" i.e. an engaging story set in the business/academic world which teaches the reader important concepts through the character interactions and events that take place within the story. Unfortunately the title does little to tell you that this book is about applying the Theory of Constraints to the area of project management. That said however, the book is a very easy and informative read and follows in the steps of The Goal and It's Not Luck (both by the same author). Indeed a large portion of Critical Chain is dedicated to summarising the material (TOC and Evaporation Clouds) covered in The Goal and It's Not Luck. I found the information presented in Critical Chain easily show more accessible and understandable but the format of the book (a business novel) tends to make it easy to forget as well and I think the author would have done well to include a "what we learned" section at the end of each chapter or an index at the very least. Having done a fair amount of project management myself I found myself nodding in recognition with many of the scenarious that are detailed in the book and found the solutions presented to be most useful and eye opening.

From the back cover: Critical Chain, a gripping fast-paced business novel, does for Project Management what Eli Goldratt's other novels have done for Production and Marketing. Dr. Goldratt's books have transformed the thinking and actions of management throughout the world.

If you have read The Goal and It's Not Luck you will want to read Critical Chain because you understand how Eli Goldratt's books can change how you think about business. show less

Tells why and how projects get delayed; the “Theory of constraints” has been explained beautifully and practically.

A great way to use fiction in order explain theoretical models that are critical to project success.

CRITICAL CHAIN, a gripping fast-paced business novel, does for Project Management what Eli Goldratt's other novels have done for Production and Marketing. Dr. Goldratt's books have transformed the thinking and actions of management throughout the world.
If you have read THE GOAL and IT'S NOT LUCK you will want to read CRITICAL CHAIN because you understand how Eli Goldratt's books can change how you think about business.
If you have not read THE GOAL and IT'S NOT LUCK, this book will introduce you to Dr. Goldratt's Thinking Processes, and you will understand why Fortune Magazine calls him "a guru to industry", and Businessweek describes him as a "genius".