Managing With Microsoft Project 98

Rating:
Summary: Lots about MS Project, but little about project management
Review: I bought this book based on Amazon's review, which opined that "Author Lisa A. Bucki helps managers keep their focus on their projects and away from the details of their software."

My opinion is just the reverse: I found that the book focuses exclusively on the software details, and ignores the larger details of how the software fits into the overall scheme of project management.

The software coverage is quite good. Almost every feature is documented thoroughly, and there are lots of screen shots. If this book had been billed as the "operating manual for Project98" I'd be thoroughly satisfied.

I am not satisfied, though, because this book has not made me any better of a project manager. I had hoped for lots of practical examples of how Project98's features helped in real-world project management, but was startled to find absolutely no applied examples. If the author has ever used this program to successfully manage a project, she's chosen to ke! ep her experience to herself.

The bottom line: if you already know how to use project management software and find it useful, this book will give you all the details specific to Project98. If you don't already know how a computer can help you to manage a project, this book won't tell you.

Anybody want to buy a copy of Project98? I'm back to notebooks and stickypads...

Rating:
Summary: Lots about MS Project, but little about project management
Review: I bought this book based on Amazon's review, which opined that "Author Lisa A. Bucki helps managers keep their focus on their projects and away from the details of their software."

My opinion is just the reverse: I found that the book focuses exclusively on the software details, and ignores the larger details of how the software fits into the overall scheme of project management.

The software coverage is quite good. Almost every feature is documented thoroughly, and there are lots of screen shots. If this book had been billed as the "operating manual for Project98" I'd be thoroughly satisfied.

I am not satisfied, though, because this book has not made me any better of a project manager. I had hoped for lots of practical examples of how Project98's features helped in real-world project management, but was startled to find absolutely no applied examples. If the author has ever used this program to successfully manage a project, she's chosen to ke! ep her experience to herself.

The bottom line: if you already know how to use project management software and find it useful, this book will give you all the details specific to Project98. If you don't already know how a computer can help you to manage a project, this book won't tell you.

Anybody want to buy a copy of Project98? I'm back to notebooks and stickypads...

Rating:
Summary: Excels in one area particularly...
Review: I understand Mr. Klein's feelings, but the concentration on the software avoided a major trap of many software books and courses, examples that often don't match a reader's actual environment. I went nuts in several mainframe courses when the teacher gave examples that had nothing to do with my work situations.

I would encourage Mr. Klein and anyone who is looking to project management software to view it as a powerful tool that allows us to imagine doing things we would never even think of doing with Word, Excel or a legal tablet.

Also, this kind of software, if it is flexible enough, encourages us to explore new ways of thinking about the management process. The older, or cheaper, forms of this software were too limiting and difficult to work with. Project 98 and Lisa Bucki's book opened my eyes to ways of doing things I had never thought of before.

Project 98 is a tool. The real issue is what do we want to do with it? Lisa's book help us to make better decisions in this area, if we will take the time to read and think about it.

Rating:
Summary: Best nuts and bolts book on this software by far
Review: I understand Mr. Klein's feelings, but the concentration on the software avoided a major trap of many software books and courses, examples that often don't match a reader's actual environment. I went nuts in several mainframe courses when the teacher gave examples that had nothing to do with my work situations.

I would encourage Mr. Klein and anyone who is looking to project management software to view it as a powerful tool that allows us to imagine doing things we would never even think of doing with Word, Excel or a legal tablet.

Also, this kind of software, if it is flexible enough, encourages us to explore new ways of thinking about the management process. The older, or cheaper, forms of this software were too limiting and difficult to work with. Project 98 and Lisa Bucki's book opened my eyes to ways of doing things I had never thought of before.

Project 98 is a tool. The real issue is what do we want to do with it? Lisa's book help us to make better decisions in this area, if we will take the time to read and think about it.

Rating:
Summary: Excels in one area particularly...
Review: Unlike the Que book and the Special edition, the section devoted to taking Project online contains numerous screen shots and a step by step narrative on how to use and modify TeamAssign, TeamStatus and TeamUpdate. Worth the price for that alone.