Project management has become important to a wide range of industries, including everything from construction to research to nonprofit endeavor. Writing for readers with little or no experience in project management, Cobb (management, Virginia Technical U.) works primarily from the practical end, opening each chapter with case studies and introducing concepts as new managers would encounter them on the job. He covers setting goals and initial specifications, breaking down work into manageable bits, scheduling, developing project teams and their environment, leadership and creating effective reports. He offers a number of helpful tools, approaches and techniques, including a completely demystified version of the critical path methods, and also helps novices through the rigors of earned value analysis. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Read Less