Book Review

Scott D. Anderson, Principal of SDA Consulting has provided the following comments on my book.

"All of us, at one time or another, have uttered (perhaps muttered) the title of Gordon J. H. Newman’s book There Has to Be a Better Way. Usually this comes as we are contemplating another project with a difficult client or getting a new team member to understand and correctly use a particularly tricky development tool or technique. Frequently, the words come to mind as our choices narrow and options become limited as to how we can envision a successful outcome to the problem at hand. It was to the latter situation which Mr. Newman and his book attempts to prepare the reader.

The book is divided into ten short, easily absorbed chapters expanding on each of the requirements of a successful system. The closing section of the book contains samples of all the Tools and Templates introduced and discussed in the text.

There Has to Be a Better Way – the Right Systems for Success provides a good reference for new project managers to turn to for basic tools and process documentation to back up otherwise solid processes. It also provides examples and discussion which will help a new PM make a positive impact. As Mr. Newman says in his introduction; his ideas are not theoretical but practical in nature and based on his 40-years of experience. As a collection of ways to do things better than personal experience and a source for learning from another, this can be a useful tool that deserves to be ready to hand and looking like it has been well used."