A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge

This book is required reading for the project management course I am currently taking, and while it is by no means entertaining (and probably not meant to be!), I did find it very useful.

The writing style is very dry and matter-of-fact, so I'd recommend it more as a reference book than a real textbook. It gives a complete overview of all the PMI processes with lots of detail on Inputs, Tools & Techniques, and Outputs for each process. Like one of my professors said: "If you have a question as to where you are in the pprocess, use PAGE 61 for an overview." She is right! It's easy to get lost in the details, so page 61 comes in extremely handy. They should make it into a poster and sell it with the book!

Also, if you do not have project show more management experience, this is not the book to use for understanding the theory behind it or how to do it in practice. It's good for background and as a refresher more than anything else. Am, of course. required reading for anyone attempting the CAPM or PMP exam!

Now I can look forward to working my way through the 6th edition which is going to be published around September, I think. show less

I use this as a reference when writing proposals. It is definitely not something you want to read--but for this type of stuff, the writing is clear and not unnecessarily complicated. Some complain about the print on gray pages with watermarks being hard to read, but I don't have any problems with it. The various diagrams are printed in boxes with a white background.

If you're looking to pass the PMP exam this book is a must read. Understanding all the processes and concepts in this book is critical. The writing is overly complicated and not geared to someone new to the profession. For folks new to project management I think you'd be better off reading "project management for the real world" type books instead while you gain some experience before attempting the PMBOK.

This is a must read if you plan on taking the PMP test, but it is long and dry. By "long and dry" I mean they go on and on and it sounds like it was written by a paranoid lawyer. By "PMP test" I mean the one given by the PMI people for program mgmt. By "must read" I mean you must read it. (This has been an example of the redundancy of this book. Bring caffeine and asprin.)

Although not an effective learning tool, this book does contain the vast majority of information required for the PMP certification exam.

Being a standard for Project Mangement best practices by PMI this book is a must-have in any Project Manager's library. I used it when I was preparing for the PMP certification exam. Although the book is one of the main references for a PMP preparation, it is structred by PM Knowledge Areas rather than Process Groups. The PMP exam follows the latter structure. This makes this book a good reference to pass the exam but should not be used alone for study.

This book is a great resource for anyone desiring to understand project management. It is absolutely essential for a project manager. It is not industry specific, so the information applies to IT projects, construction projects, accounting projects, and so on. If you have an interest in gaining PMI's PMP certification, reading and studying this book is a must.