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The book presents a framework that not a methodology for project management and runs at a high level of abstraction very forced to resort to other books to understand the importance of its proposal. Furthermore, in the era of Internet, web 2.0 and social media is a flat and boring book unmotivated to many project managers who want to get the PMP certification.

Fortunately the latest edition published this year improves some of the reviewed shortcomings, but still a long way. The hollow cover a few more complete and educational books that become essential for the preparation of the above-mentioned certification. There should certainly be gap for these companies, but this does not remove the PMI will make a little more to his book reference rather than a framework and approaches to those who live with passion this profession with a little more than color, joy and passion.

Although the PMI Institute has officially published the fourth edition and it has become the main study guide for the PMP certificate since 01.07.2009, the third edition is still significant to understand how the project management methodologies and concepts evolve comparing these two versions.

This is the Bible for Project Managers. One should live by it. At first when I started reading it, it was a challenge to get to the next chapter and sometimes to the next page .. Why? cause the material is very dry. However as you start reading it and absorbing the wealth of knowledge the PMBOK delivers, it gets interesting and makes your think "ummm!! that makes sense". So on my journey of Project Management, PMBOK became extremely interesting the third time I read it and now I can swoop through the book in hours as compared to months the first time around.

If you are here, which implies you are somewhat interested in Project Management at the very least; get this book and read it one page at a time.

Faisal Y Patel

That book has long history. First versions was issued in 1983 and 1987. But there were many questions about quality of the book, clarification of terms and integration of materials. Many things became clearer when process form of systematization was implemented. A new version of the book was developed in 1996 - A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Now we have 44 process of project management, collected in 9 knowledge areas and 5 groups in 3rd edition of that version.
And must be mentioned that:
- At December 2008 new 4th edition will be introduced.
- Even official translations have errors and raise a lot of questions.
- 400 pages of this book cover only introductions – there are many additional “Practical Standards” and “Extensions”.
- That is only one view on project management - “planning school”.

Sure, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge is a tough read. But it is our bible if you will excuse the expression. It is the basis of our best practices and we all need to know it.