Book 1 - Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage Second Edition,
by Jeffrey K. Pinto, 2010
General Observations and Recommendations
This book is well written in a straightforward and understandable style, notwithstanding the occasional needlessly long paragraphs and unnecessarily long sentences.[5] The content is also nicely balanced between text, photo examples, illustrations and explanatory tables. At a very detailed level, we were delighted to see that wherever you open the book you can see at the top left which chapter you are reading.
Also the graphic at the start of each chapter is "bled to the edge" so that you can see where each chapter starts by looking at the right edge of the book. These provisions are invaluable for those doing homework or seeking references, and they illustrate the care with which this book has been assembled. Although an academically rigorous text, all of this makes for much easier learning and hence understanding, than most comprehensive texts of this nature.
Interestingly, this book opens Chapter 1 with a Project Profile Case presenting an exciting description of Walt Disney World Resort's newest thrill ride project celebrating their 50th anniversary. In this description of some 850 words, we counted just sixteen words referring to project management, or about 2%. We think that this in itself is possibly a reasonable reflection of the correct amount of project management in a project when compared to the effort and cost of executing the project's technology.
Nevertheless and in our opinion, the book provides sound and realistic advice at a reasonably in-depth level. In particular, students and established practitioners alike should enjoy reading the author's numerous project-oriented case study profiles of some of the most well known projects of recent years. Some examples of these include: Dubai - Land of Megs-Projects; Airbus 380; Ferris Wheels (including London and Beijing); and London's Millennium Dome.
As author Jeffrey Pinto observes in a section titled: Text Organization:[6]
"This book was written to help create a new generation of effective project managers. By exploring the various roles of project managers and addressing the challenges and opportunities they constantly face, we will offer a comprehensive and integrative approach to better understanding the task of project management. [That is] one that explores the full range of strategic, technical, and behavioral challenges and duties for project managers."
We whole heartily concur and recommend this book accordingly.
R. Max Wideman
Fellow, PMI
5. Ibid, p23, the paragraph beginning "Chapter 5 ..." has 22 lines
containing 16 sentences, one of which has 47 words - a far cry from www.maxwideman.com/issacons4/iac1453/sld007.htm
6. Ibid, p23
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Table of Contents
