Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management

Berkun’s definitive guide to project management, drawing on his nine years as a program manager at Microsoft where he worked on Internet Explorer and Windows. Rather than prescribing a single methodology, the book focuses on the thinking and judgment that makes any approach work: defining problems clearly, making realistic schedules, handling crises, and leading teams without losing your mind.

Why This One

Making Things Happen is the project management book that treats the discipline as a human challenge rather than a process challenge. Berkun covers everything from writing specifications to managing political dynamics, all grounded in specific stories from his experience. The chapter on “How Not to Annoy People” alone is worth the price of admission.

What to Expect

A thorough book at 408 pages, structured so each chapter stands alone. The writing has Berkun’s trademark honesty and humor. This is not a book of templates and checklists, though it has practical advice on every page. It is a book about developing the judgment to know what to do when the templates fail. Originally published as The Art of Project Management, then revised and retitled.