What is the best software project management book?

Question

I started to read the "Head First Software Development". I like this series, especially for their design patterns book. But I would like to switch to something fundamental and serious after this one. So what is your recommendation?

Answer 1

Peopleware is good, as is The Mythical Man-Month, which is slightly more my cup of tea. Both well worth reading.

Answer 2

Manage IT, rocks, won Jolt 2008 award. But I must say that "Head first software development" is almost perfect, if you manage to apply every practice in it, you'll be better than 99% of the people in this industry. It's may look not serious, but it is!

Answer 3

I'm going to add the choice of Managing Humans by Michael Lopp (aka Rands) whose writings I enjoy enormously. Although not as academic and perhaps useful as books like Peopleware, it's hitting the nail in the head, and calling things by their real names. Entertaining first, educative second. But still a recommended read.

Answer 4

Death March By Edward Yourdon, because you'll be in one sooner or later.

Answer 5

The Mythical Man-month

Answer 6

I like Steve McConnell's books:

• Software Estimation: Demystifying the Black Art.
• Software Project Survival Guide.
• Rapid Development.

Answer 7

I can't say best, but i liked the Under pressure and on time

Answer 8

Scott Berkun's Making Things Happen, without a doubt. I've only read the first edition, which was called 'The Art of Project Management', but it is superb. Don't get by swayed the general title - it is heavily biased towards software development, although there are lessons in there for all project managers. Don't read it if you want the usual project management Gantt chart stuff. For practical advice from a seasoned veteran, though, it's excellent.

There's a sample from the book (the first edition) on Slashdot.

Answer 9

I've read most of the books here, I like a lot of them but my personal favourite is Joel on Software.

Answer 10

Rather than giving you a single best book, I would recommend:

Radical Project Management - Rob Thomsett - managing projects in an extreme way

The Cathedral and the Bazaar - Eric Raymond - how open source development works

The Mythical Man Month - Fred Brooks - a classic which coined the term "no silver bullets"

Slack - Tom Demarco - essentially an updated version of Peopleware

Answer 11

37Signals' Getting Real is a great book covering both starting a project to seeing the project through. Doesn't deal too much with the people side of software, instead focusing on making the project the best possible project.

Answer 12

Nobody has mentioned yet a book that has been very useful for me:

---

Controlling Software Projects: Management, Measurement and Estimation

Tom DeMarco, Yourdon Press, January 1983

ISBN-10: 0917072324

Answer 13

ive read about 50% of the books mentioned here, which is good. makes me feel like im taking my knowledge on PM'ing serious if so many other switched on people here are also reading these.

rather then recommend any more books (its been done already), i would say listen to some of mike and marks podcasts from the Manager Tools series:

http://www.manager-tools.com/complete-index

these guys are consummate professionals. they cover so many topics (e.g. giving staff feedback, how to run meetings more efficiently, etc).

whats more, they are pretty cool down-to-earth guys who are really easy to listen to.

Answer 14

Besides "Peopleware" and "The Mythical Man-Month", I would also recommend "Critical Chain Project Management" by Lawrence P. Leach. It is definitely great!

Answer 15

Two timeless classic that are widely read even today are:

• The Mythical Man-Month, by Fred Brooks
• Peopleware, by Tom DeMarcy & Timothy Lister

Two emerging classics that are often recommended, and with good reason, are:

• Making things happen, by Scott Berkun (the 1st ed was called The art of Project Management; see the site for the book)
• Managing Humans, by Michael Lopp (see the site for the book)

There are others, but these 4 books keep coming up again and again. They are all excellent. I recommend them routinely. More importantly, everyone I recommend them to comes back and comments on how useful they were.