Microsoft Project 2007: The Missing Manual

Microsoft Project is an unmatched tool 4 managing all aspects of a project, & the power of its integration with other MS tools is awesome. But its potential is very complex & not 4 the faint of heart. Before you start blithely loading your milestones & allocating your resources, you really need 2 understand the concepts of defining your project & conceptualizing the plan. The software won't teach you that & it's the easiest thing in the world 2 wind up with a Gantt chart that looks like the head of Medusa in no time flat.

That's where this manual makes its mark. Yes, it's a good primer on the software; yes, it's a good reference manual as long as you can guess the term 4 what you want 2 do. "Unhide columns," 4 example: that's what I wanted 2 do this week, & two minutes with the index & a page reference got the job done 4 me. (Hint: it doesn't behave exactly like Excel.)

Since I tend 2 shun manuals, I had not picked up this book until now. I took a moment 2 flip, & was impressed, & wound up starting at the beginning & going all the way through, reading here & there, checking the book's organization & the points it made about project management. What a great resource! It's an introductory project management course that will get the user started on the right foot.

Despite its name, Microsoft Project 2007: The Missing Manual is much more than a manual. I recommend it 4 anyone who wants 2 brush up on the key points of project management, & especially 4 anyone using the software 4 the first time (or the first time in a while, which is my situation). It can't guarantee that your project will be a success, but it will greatly increase your understanding of what's going right & wrong. This book is going 2 make you look good!

Linda Bulger, 2008

I've always hated "How to" manuals written by people who know the application, but not the work. This book shows how 2 use MS Project from the perspective of a Project Manager.

It's alway been ironic when I've used other resources that the person who wrote the book explains all the buttons, but not when/why they are really used. "The Missing Manual" is the perfect marriage of function & purpose.

This manual is extremely helpful 4 both the novice & the veteran user. The introductory section on project management is one of the best I have seen, & worth the price of the book by itself. Entertaining yet concise style. Book is well organized & information is easily found.
Highly recommended.

Any who own Microsoft's Project 2007 needs Bonnie Bafore's MICROSOFT OFFICE PROJECT 2007: THE MISSING MANUAL guide, which should really be in the box alongside the program. It offers easy step-by-step instructions that cover both Project Standard & Project Professional, explaining how & why 2 use some features - an approach which goes far beyond the usual `how to' guide. From using Project in a variety of business applications & incorporating other programs such as Word & Outlook 2 practically guaranteeing project success, MICROSOFT PROJECT 2007: THE MISSING MANUAL should be on the shelves not only of any serious computer reference library, but any business library & any individual who owns Project 2007 & wants 2 get the most out of it.

I used 2 have the Bible book 4 Microsoft Project as my reference 4 making the most out of this software 4 managing projects, until The Missing Manual came out. This title in now-popular Missing Manual series takes you through the basics & not-so-basics 4 Project Standard & Project Professional, allowing you 2 understand the when & the why behind its features & helping you better build & refine your project plans, track progress of your projects & succeed as a project manager.

Schedules, budgets, communications, resources. Projects big & small include them all, & Microsoft Project 2007 can help you control these variables -- not be controlled by them. But Project is complex software, & learning it is, well, a project in itself. Get up 2 speed fast with Microsoft Project 2007: The Missing Manual. Written by project management expert Bonnie Biafore, this book teaches you how 2 do everything from setting budgets & tracking schedules 2 testing scenarios & recognizing trouble spots before your project breaks down. Find out what's new in Project 2007 from previous versions, & get help choosing the right edition, whether it's Project Standard, Project Professional, or Enterprise Project Management Solution. With Microsoft Project 2007: The Missing Manual, you get more than a simple software how-to. You also get a rundown on project management basics & plenty of solid advice on how 2 use Project to: Define your project & plan your approach Estimate your project, set up a budget, define tasks, & break the work into manageable chunks Create a schedule, define the sequence of work, & learn the right way 2 use date constraints & deadlines Build a project team & assign resources 2 tasks: "who does what" Refine the project 2 satisfy objectives by building reality into the schedule, & learn 2 keep project costs under control Track progress & communicate with team members via reports, information sharing, & meetings that work Close out your project & take away valuable lessons 4 the future Microsoft Project 2007 is the flagship of all project management programs, & this Missing Manual is the book that should have been in the box.No project manager should be without it.