Best Project Management Textbooks

Project Management has become a sophisticated and mature area of business expertise. Over the last decade or two, the tactics, methodologies, and designs of project management have been tweaked and put to the test.

Project Management requires the acquisition of numerous skills and the ability to adapt to various individuals and circumstances. You are managing a project whether your team is handling finances, creating software, doing marketing, or managing data. Learning does not end for a project manager who relies on a combination of hard and soft skills to get the most out of a project.

Project managers can enhance their capacities by reading books on planning, product design, marketing, and growth. The difficult aspect is determining which Project Management books to study in order to stay updated with current developments and advances.

So, how do you choose where to begin? It's best to choose texts that are appropriate for your level of project management expertise and experience.

Best Book for Beginners

Used at New York University, University of Southern California, Brandeis, Stanford, and Harvard, A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge is one of the most important and authoritative publications in the industry (often abbreviated as PMBOK). The book was first released in 1996. This book is particularly useful if you intend to take the PMI (Project Management Institute) certification test.

This book is mostly concerned with project management procedures. Along with the test, PMI certification demands an extensive verification of your project management expertise all the time.  This book sets forth project management best practices that are relevant to the majority of projects.  It’s a must-read for anybody interested in pursuing a career in project management.

Best project management book for advanced project managers.

Advanced learners may benefit from "Project Management Leadership: Building Creative Teams," by Rory Burke. Even the most seasoned project managers will find something useful in this easy-to-read text. The writers have a combined 40 years of experience and discuss their most difficult lessons learned.

This text offers guidance and examples based on real-life situations. If you lead a team of project managers, this is an excellent book to hand out. But save one for yourself, since you'll benefit from this book as well. Some of the high level concepts discussed in this book may be challenging to beginners who do not have the fundamentals of Project Management. Top universities such as New York University and Boston University are now using this book.