Something crazy happened with the first edition of this book. It sold lots of copies. It made several bestseller lists, was nominated for awards, and earned enough attention to send its author around the world to talk about ideas from the book. Then something crazier happened: the book’s title needed to change.
Taking this as an opportunity, the folks at O’Reilly and I agreed we should add more value to the book if it was going to have a second life with a new name. First published as The Art of Project Management, this text has been cleaned-up, enhanced, updated, and expanded for your pleasure. You may wonder why the title was changed. Here are some possibilities:
The Department of Homeland Security discovered a terrorist threat in the old title.
Tim O’Reilly realized his media empire could achieve instant world domination if he could just get owners of the first book to buy it a second time, under the ruse of a title change.
<Insert motive from your own imagination here.>
Whatever the reason, here we are. I’ve done my best to improve this book without pulling a George Lucas Star Wars fiasco. Here’s the bird’s-eye view of what has changed:
The text is revised for clarity and concision. It’s a more confident, fluff-free book.
The addition of more than 120 thought-provoking exercises, appearing at the end of every chapter.
By popular demand, endnotes were promoted to footnotes, appearing within the chapter texts.
There is a new discussion guide to help you form groups to keep learning.
If you are new to this book in any form, the Preface will fill you in on everything you need to know.
Since the first edition was published two years ago, I’ve been busy. I wrote another book called The Myths of Innovation; created various essays, podcasts, and videos; and I continue to run a popular blog on creativity and management. It’s all up at www.scottberkun.com; I hope you’ll stop by, as your purchase of this book helps make the many free things I produce possible.
Cheers and best wishes,
Scott Berkun
Redmond, WA
March 2008
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