The Software Project Manager's Handbook by Dwayne Phillips (2004, Paperback, Reprint)

This book emphasizes software project management at work. The author's unique approach concentrates on the concept that success on software projects has more to do with how people think individually and in groups than with programming. He summarizes past successful projects and why others failed. Visibility and communication are more important than SQL and C. The book discusses the technical and people aspects of software and how they relate to one another.

The first part of the text discusses four themes: (1) people, process, product, (2) visibility, (3) configuration management, and (4) IEEE Standards. These themes stress thinking, organization, using what others have built, and people. The second part describes the software management principles of process, planning, and risk management. Part three discusses software engineering principles, the technical aspects of software projects. The fourth part examines software practices giving practical meaning to the individual topics covered in the preceding chapters. The final part of this book continues these practical aspects by illustrating a sample project through seven distinctive documents.

Industry Reviews
"&#8230;clearly explains what it takes to be a good software project manager...a first-rate information source for novice project managers." (<i>IEEE Software Magazine</i>, November/December 2005)
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"...a good reference for individuals just starting off as IT project managers...For those preparing for the CSQE exam, this book can be a good reference..." (<i>Software Quality Professional</i>, June-August 2005)
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"&#8230;helps guide software project managers and their team members in working towards common goals." (<i>IEEE Computer Magazine</i>, October 2004)