Top 10 Project Management Books in 2024

No matter how long you've been managing projects or if this is your first attempt at managing, you're constantly trying to improve. Although professional training in particular areas, such as how to grasp agile management, is always beneficial, you can really gain a great deal on your own with the aid of the correct materials. 

While project management training and experience are the best ways to learn, you can prevent many costly mistakes by listening to the hard-won counsel of industry professionals. But it might be challenging to determine which project management books are genuinely helpful with so many available. In this article, let's check some of the best PMP exam prep books, PMP certification books, and project management textbooks. 

Start your Project Management Certification preparation by checking out the relevant courses online and learn to lead project teams to success and increase your earning potential.

Project Management Books: Beginners

We searched the web and checked reviews to determine the top PMP books available. Let's check some of the best project management books for beginners. The following are some of the best project management books that are absolute must-reads. 

1. Alpha Project Managers: What the Top 2% Know that Everyone Else Does Not

• Author Name: Andy Crowe 
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• Year of Release: 2016 
• Good reads rating: 3.87/5 
• Publisher Info: VelociTeach 
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Overview: It is one of the top project management books accessible and is among the project management's absolute beginner's guides. It is a beginner-friendly guide to the project management body of knowledge. The essential characteristics of the best project managers, according to Andy Crowe, are broken down in detail in this book. His research disproves widespread beliefs regarding what it requires to be a successful project manager. He discovered, for instance, that the most effective project managers spend a little less time in conferences and send fewer emails each day than their less effective peers. 

Key benefits and takeaways: This analysis stands out since 4,398 customers, team members, and senior management who collaborated with all these project managers were polled as well. Because of this, the results offer a complete picture of the project manager's performance and are not influenced by the biases common in many self-reported surveys. This book offers many insightful tips if you're ambitious and looking for ways to advance professionally. 

2. The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable

• Author Name: Patrick Lencioni 
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• Year of Release: 2012 
• Good reads rating: 4.22/5 
• Publisher Info: Pfeiffer 
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Overview: It requires more than sound planning and the best project management tools to run successful projects. Additionally, people play a huge role. One of the favorite project management books among individuals, Patrick Lencioni's book, is centred on this topic. 

Key benefits and takeaways: Patrick harnesses the power of narrative in one of the greatest project management books available to identify five frequent areas where teams fall short. This book is a brief read that is jam-packed with practical advice that you can use on your team immediately. One of our top project management books, this one will be a terrific asset if you want to improve team dynamics. 

3. Strategic Project Management Made Simple

• Author Name: Terry Schmidt 
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• Year of Release: 2009 
• Good reads rating: 3.83/5 
• Publisher Info: Wiley 
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Overview: It is an important PMP study guide. This book serves as a helpful manual for formulating plans that are both logical and realistic.

Key benefits and takeaways: According to the author, in order to create a solid project plan, a project coordinator must provide solid answers to the following 4 questions: 

• Why are we trying to do this? 
• How will we assess our progress? 
• What further requirements must be met? 
• How do we travel there? 

By using this mental framework, you may make sure that before beginning a project, you have taken into account all crucial factors. Check out this book if you desire a more systematic approach to project management. 

4. 168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think

• Author Name: Laura Vanderkam 
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• Year of Release: 2010 
• Good reads rating: 3.61/5 
• Publisher Info: Portfolio 
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Overview: In the field of time management and organizing, Laura Vanderkam is a pioneer. This book is a terrific resource for all who want to review how we spend our time. She contends that as long as you begin by making time for the essentials, there will always be enough time. If you schedule your time accordingly, only the less crucial tasks are affected when things go wrong. 

Key benefits and takeaways: It is one of the top project management books. It is a terrific read if you're having trouble with time management in a new position or simply want to manage your calendar better. 

5. Scrum: The Art of Doing Twice the Work in Half the Time

• Author Name: Jeff and JJ Sutherland 
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• Year of Release: 2014 
• Good reads rating: 4.16/5 
• Publisher Info: Crown Business 
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Overview: Most likely, if you are familiar with project management, you have heard about scrum. Scrum is a structural framework enabling individuals to complete tasks using flexible methods.  

Key benefits and takeaways: In this book, you will learn about the history of scrum and how to use the framework in your day-to-day activities or manage and lead a team. You might even discover how to complete twice as much work in half the time. 

6. Rescue the Problem Project: A Complete Guide to Recognizing, Preventing, and Overcoming Project Failure

• Author Name: Todd Williams 
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• Year of Release: 2011 
• Good reads rating: 3.97/5 
• Publisher Info: AMACOM 
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Overview: It is among the important PMP prep books. This is a fantastic project management book for anyone who has ever suffered from project failure—which, let's face it, is all of us. Williams offers excellent advice on how to turn around catastrophic projects, much of it acquired from assisting leading corporations throughout the globe accomplish just that.  

Key benefits and takeaways: In this book, you'll discover how to assess project problems rather than blaming others objectively and how to pinpoint the problem's core cause. 

Some other important books are A guide to the project management body of knowledge, Project Management for Non-Project Managers, and Project Management Absolute Beginner's Guide, among others.

These books can be used as PMP exam prep books and will help understand essential topics related to project management. Check out the PMP Certification Training to develop your management skills and ace your PMP exam on the first attempt. 

Project Management Books: Advance 

1. Coaching Agile Teams: A Companion for ScrumMasters, Agile Coaches, and Project Managers

• Author Name: Lyssa Adkins 
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• Year of Release: 2010 
• Good reads rating: 4.21/5 
• Publisher Info: ADDISON- Wesley Professional 
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Overview: It is an important PMP study book and agile project management book. This book is an excellent choice for anyone looking to re-energize their team's work environment and adopt the concepts of the agile project management technique because it was created for people leading agile teams.  

Key benefits and takeaways: In this book, Adkins explains how agile coaches can better understand their team's strategy, workload, and other factors for the best results. 

2. Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager

• Author Name: Kory Kogan, Suzette Blakemore, James Wood 
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• Year of Release: 2015 
• Good reads rating: 4.09/5 
• Publisher Info: Ben Bella Books 
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Overview: No matter your official title, everyone who handles projects is regarded as a project manager, according to this book. If that's the case, then your team will gain a lot from everyone improving those little, unofficial project management responsibilities. 

Key benefits and takeaways: If you frequently find yourself helping with implementing and scheduling projects but aren't a formal project manager, this guide is for you. 

3. When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

• Author Name: Daniel K. Pink 
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• Year of Release: 2018 
• Good reads rating: 3.79/5 
• Publisher Info: River Head Books 
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Overview: The significance of timing is the main theme of this book. The majority of us think time is solely a function of chance, but Daniel Pink disagrees. Pink demonstrates how timing is essentially a science through stories and useful takeaways, and she shows readers how they may use this understanding to live better, more active lives.  

Key benefits and takeaways: This book might provide you with the fresh perspective you need to overcome a challenge if you're feeling immobile or stuck in your profession or on a specific project. 

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

• Author Name: Charles Duhigg 
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• Year of Release: 2012 
• Good reads rating: 4.13/5 
• Publisher Info: Random House 
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Overview: It's obvious that habits significantly impact our everyday lives, whether it's the cup of coffee you make for yourself as soon as you get up or the daily list to do something that includes all of your priorities. Charles Duhigg uses scientific evidence in The Power Of Habit to illustrate why routines arise and how they may be altered. This book distills enormous amounts of scientific knowledge into stories that offer a brand-new insight into human nature and potential. 

Key benefits and takeaways: According to this book, whatever you're aiming to do, whether it's a significant job promotion or tiny increases in your daily productivity, depends on your habits and awareness of how they function. 

Apart from these, some other important books are The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management Book, Making Things Happen: Mastering Project Management, and The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win, among many others.  

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Project Management Preparation Tips

• Define Project Scope

This is the first step that must be taken whenever a project is initiated. You will determine your goals within the project's scope. Establish the project's goals and draw attention to any aspects that fall outside its scope. 

• Know about your timeline

Setting a deadline for your project is quite important. When will your project be finished? What allotment of time do you plan to provide for each project? At this stage, you must provide answers to these questions. 

• Access the available Resources

Knowing the available resources will help you prepare to start the project. In order to identify any execution bottlenecks in your project, it is vital to evaluate the available human resource, investment, machinery, and equipment. 

• Create a Project Plan

To assist you in constructing your project plan, get senior management comments on the three processes mentioned above, including the project scope, the project timetable, and the resources that are available. Your project timeline, task workflow, resources, critical route, and network diagram are all included in the project plan.

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Project Management: More Ways to Learn 

Apart from reading project management books, we have more suggestions that will help you prepare for project management. 

• Enroll yourself in some contextual online courses 

These classes provide examples of actual situations from everyday life to show how applicable the topics are to the learner. 

• Play some online business simulations 

You can put yourself to the test in opposition to common project limits, pressure, dangers, and challenges on this dynamic learning playground. In addition, you may raise awareness of the value of efficient project management and well-informed decision-making to quickly replicate the whole project flow. 

• Manage your life events as personal projects 

It is especially important for project management newbies. Try to manage your life events as personal projects, which will provide you with experience if you have yet to manage a project in a business.

Conclusion

The aforementioned best project management books will help you to grasp the concept of project management according to your experience levels. From beginners to advanced books, we have listed them all.

Furthermore, if you want to learn more about project management, the KnowledgeHut Project Management Certification Preparation will help you with comprehensive support to ace project management exams like PMP, PRINCE2, and more. Enroll in the course to learn how to lead project teams successfully and advance your career.