Is project management (as a profession) popular around the world? We can find the clear answer, studying statistics. For example, in the USA, the average project manager salary nationwide is about $81,000 (as of March 15, 2018). Does this number affect the popularity of the profession among young professionals, how do you think? I guess so.

Planning and managing project objectives require different skills and knowledge. Whatever be the PM’s education, his/her core competency is still required to be the experience.

Your own experience is the most valuable practice for sure. However, it’s essential to learn from the experiences of other people and find effective and interesting sources to accelerate the PM level.

A book is one of the most simple and available sources. What was the last project management book you’ve read?

“A book is a gift you can open again and again”

Garrison Keillor

Indeed, PM books are written to make project managers stronger, more competitive, and successful. In this article, we list the most interesting set of project management books written by talented authors from all over the world.

Naturally, our list cannot be full. Each project manager has his/her own favorite author and the best book or can easily list the top-5 most solicited books in the industry. This is about subjectivity. So, let’s take our books’ set as the Hygger’s team choice.

So many books, so little time

Let’s hope, the book industry will never die, as it gives us millions of sources to get better.

There is the forecast, saying that the revenue from the global book publishing market will increase in the coming years, growing from around 113 billion dollars in 2015 to about 123 billion dollars by 2020.

Here are some more interesting facts from the research:

73% of U.S. book readers said they read books in any format.
The average American aged 18 to 49 reads 12 books per year
23% of people in a survey (for 2017) stated that they read print books and e-books equally
20% prefer e-books

So which books deserve the attention of a modern project manager?

Best Project Management Books

Brilliant Project Management

by Stephen Barker

Managing a project can be a daunting process. You may face perils, unfinished and unsuccessful projects are everywhere. Missed deadlines or growing costs and are just part of everyday life for many PMs.

The author of this book proposes the project management basics and delivers a concise and accessible overview of different practices that work for those completely new to project management. The book can be also useful for experienced managers wanting to brush up on their fundamentals.

Alpha Project Managers

by Andy Crowe

The book gives a clear understanding of what makes a successful project manager.

Andy Crowe describes people who perform at a level far above the rest in every field from entertainment to science, as well as in project management. Here you’ll find insights into what makes the top project managers stand out from the rest team members and how we can close the gap between them.

The book provides multiple perspectives on the character makeup of the world’s most successful project managers.

best books for PMs

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

by David Allen

This piece of masterpiece will be useful not only for project managers but for team leaders, business analysts, product managers, business owners and everyone who cares about their productivity and decreasing stress.

Here you’ll find not only workplace strategies but also an entire lifestyle philosophy because stressing out is definitely not productive.

Project Management for Non-Project Managers

by Jack Ferraro

The Jack Ferraro’s work is for every manager who is scared by the complex terminology and processes of the project management area.

This book describes the critical project management skills even as it lists out step-by-step guidelines for project management process.

Interesting case studies, step-by-step guidelines, and illustrations for mastering these skills provide easy-to-read explanations of all project management basics that managers need to achieve project success.

Peopleware: Productive Projects and Teams

by Tom DeMarco and Tim Lister

The authors teach how to build strong teams and how to be a good manager. Here you’ll find lots of interesting topics, including popular methodologies, the role of product quality, productivity, freedom, trust and office planning.

With humor and wisdom, DeMarco and Lister show that the major issues of software development are human, not technical — and that managers ignore them at their peril.

Peopleware is really helpful for cultivating teams that are healthy and productive.

Cultivate: The Power of Winning Relationships

by Morag Barrett

This book is a great source to develop strong relationships that yield results. The author demonstrates how to create and evaluate the relationships we have with teams and colleagues.

Morag Barrett brings years of global success and practical insight to transform the working environment. Whether you are a strong leader or a new one in the workplace, you’ll see the world of work in a whole new way. Reading this book you’ll discover practical tools to navigate every relationship in your career.

On the Edge: Leadership Lessons from Mount Everest and Other Extreme Environments

by Alison Levine

This engaging leadership manual provides relevant insights garnered from various extreme environments ranging from Everest to the South Pole.

The author describes how the leadership principles that apply in extreme adventure sport also apply in today’s extreme business environments.

If you want to learn a lot from examples outside our field, this book is right for you.

The Project Manager Who Smiled: The Value of Fun in Project Management

by Peter Taylor

This book is an excellent read for project managers in a highly stressful environment. It is about having fun and being productive. The author brings evidence of linkages between fun, good mood and healthy atmosphere and, ultimately, productivity. Peter Taylor puts a smile on the reader’s face and makes sure it stays there till the end.

Here you’ll get useful tips, quotes, tricks, anecdotes, and jokes to make workers happier and more productive.

Social Media for Project Managers

Elizabeth Harrin

Today we can not live without social media and this is the truth. This book written by Elizabeth Harrin is a practical guide for project managers who want to be involved in social communication and networking.

It is full of useful examples. The author invites you to build your social presence and brand online and shares her own experience in this field.

Social Media for Project Managers goes beyond Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to explore a whole range of collaboration tools available online like wikis, microblogs and document management tools.

With this book, you’ll also learn the basics of modern project management software.

Lead Inside the Box

by Victor Prince and Mike Figliuolo

The full title of the book is “Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide Their Teams to Exceptional Results”

The book shows project managers and team leaders a way to get the best out of their teams by focusing their energy where it will make the biggest difference.

Every employee is different, but unfortunately, many leaders use a one-size-fits-all approach to leading.

The authors outline how managers can actually save time and effort by getting to know their team members as individuals.

Good Strategy vs Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters

by Richard Rumelt

If you pay enough attention to developing your product strategy then this book will definitely learn you how to strategize successfully.

Everyone hopes that their plan will work. However, the truth is that most of them won’t. Often project managers don’t spend enough time learning what makes a good strategy. That’s where this book comes in.

Essential Scrum: A Practical Guide to the Most Popular Agile Process

by Kenneth S. Rubin

Essential Scrum includes everything you need to know about Scrum. The book contains a practical set of resources and examples to keep you coming back whenever you have a problem or need a new idea.

Thanks to Kenneth S. Rubin, project managers may easily learn and deepen their understanding of Scrum.

You may also dive in our guide about how to run Scrum with Hygger Software.

The New Rules of Management: How to Revolutionise Productivity, Innovation, and Engagement by Implementing Projects The Matter

by Peter Cook

This is a management guide for building engagement and innovation in any company.

It’s time to stop managing and start implementing. This book is about creating and implementing projects that truly matter. Even the best ideas, projects and objectives mean nothing until they are executed.

Peter Cook, as the master business coach, mentor, entrepreneur, and popular public speaker, proposes his brilliant work for business leaders and project managers who want to take their teams and companies into the twenty-first century.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

by Charles Duhigg

The book will be useful if you want to change habits to become more efficient and productive in the workplace.

Charles Duhigg explores the science behind habit creation and reformation.

The problem with habits is that we keep doing them, even if they’ve been proven again and again to be problematic. The book will demonstrate you how to analyze your habits and change them for the better.

Project Management for You

by Cesar Abeid

“Project Management for You: How to Turn Your Ideas Into Reality, Deliver On Your Promises and Get Things Done” is one more well-written book that is good for applying project management principles to unexpected situations.

Using powerful and colorful stories, the author will take you step-by-step through the stages of bringing an idea to reality. This book will empower you to dream big and have the confidence to turn those dreams into something tangible you can enjoy.