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The History of Project Management [book]
[9781554890965]

$59.95

Displaying 1 to 3 (of 3 reviews)

Result Pages: 1

by Michael S. Dobson, PMP

Date Added: Friday 17 June, 2011

I was already a fan of Mark Kozak-Holland long before I got this book. His project management evaluation of the Great Escape and his IT lessons from the Titanic had already marked him as an author to watch, and that's before I read his insights into the management style and practices of Winston Churchill. Now comes THE HISTORY OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT, and I'm overpowered by the strength and intelligence of this mammoth enterprise.

THE HISTORY OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT's title is slightly misleading: it's less of a history of project management as a discipline (although that's certainly covered), and more of a history of the management of projects, with emphasis on the projects. Kozak-Holland shows how PMBOK®-centric concepts like the nine knowledge areas of project management have been implemented through the years in actual work. From the Great Pyramid at Giza to the Parthenon, from the Hagia Sophia to Angkor Wat, Kozak-Holland moves seamlessly between West and East, covering important projects in virtually every civilization and time period. We see Christopher Columbus as project manager rather than in the more common light of explorer. We see project manager vs. owner and customer in the building of Versailles. As the Industrial Revolution takes hold, we see the birth of modern management practices in the Eiffel Tower and the Transcontinental Railroad.

The book stops with the first half of the 20th Century, but that's okay. We know what project management looks like from the invention of PERT and CPM forward. What we seldom think about as project management practitioners is how much came before us, and how much we owe to the knowledge and techniques of those pioneers of project management. This is a book I expect to read more than once, and it's a book everyone interested in project management ought to own.

- Michael S. Dobson, PMP, is the author of seven books on project management, including CREATIVE PROJECT MANAGEMENT (McGraw-Hill) and the best-selling PRACTICAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT (SkillPath).

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Linda F. Desmond, PMP, Trainer, Consultant

Date Added: Friday 17 June, 2011

I first met Mark several years ago when I attended a presentation on "Avoiding Project Disaster: Titanic Lessons", followed by a session a few years later on the "Project Lessons from the Great Escape". Impressed at that time by his attention to detail and captivating writing and speaking style, I was honored to be asked to be a reviewer his newest endeavor, "The History of project Management."

In examining the TOC I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of this undertaking, and then reading the content, it is very clear that once again Mark quickly captures his audience and leads them on an incredible journey through history.

The project management role is made apparent from the very beginning, as shown in the mapping of each project to the 9 knowledge areas, and then discussed in relation to the 5 process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing.)

The importance of lessons learned and historical information, confirms that project managers have existed for thousands of years and have learned from their predecessors (and their own) mistakes and successes. How could the Great Wall of China or the Egyptian pyramids be built without a plan to be executed?

Like me, you certainly will be captivated by this book and the style in which it is written.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]

by Ron Taylor, PMP

Date Added: Monday 13 June, 2011

“A book on the History of Project Management is long overdue especially one that looks at the history from a modern Project Management perspective.”

Ron Taylor PMP, Principal of the Ron Taylor Group and author of "Leadership: Stories, Lessons and Uncommon Sense," and Past President of the Washington D.C. Chapter of the Project Management Institute.

Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]