Preview:

The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox describes a process by which an unprofitable manufacturing operation can be made profitable. It conveys proven factory turnaround principles through a fictional story…

In today's time-crunched, cost-conscious global business environment, tight project deadlines and stringent expectations are the norm. Now with 25 percent new and updated content, Project Management For Dummies introduces you to the principles of successful project management and shows you how to motivate any team to gain maximum productivity.

You'll learn how to organize, estimate, and schedule projects efficiently and effectively. You'll also discover how to manage deliverables, issue changes, assess risks, maintain communications, and live up to expectations by making the most of the latest technology and software—and by avoiding common problems that can trip up even the best project managers.

Project Management For Dummies gives professionals like you everything you need to be successful project managers.

(PMI, CAPM, PMP, and Project Management Professional are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

The authors share their insights on how to lead a team effectively, navigate an organization, and build a healthy relationship with the users of your software. This is valuable information from two respected software engineers whose popular series of talks—including "Working with Poisonous People"—has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers.

Meanwhile, the boys have big problems of their own, and the outcome of their project could mean life or death! OK, maybe not actual death, but they could end up cold, wet and hungry, and with no electronics…for a whole weekend!

Join the Project Kids in their third big adventure as they come together to unravel the mysteries of Mice, Men…and Marshmallows.

Parent/Teacher Note:

In this next adventure, the skills the Project Kids learned on their first two big projects are reinforced and expanded as the girls and boys separate to work on distinctly different projects. The book will also cover practical steps and strategies to plan, research, run experiments and report on findings for a Science Fair project.

All of this changes when a surprise announcement brings the Project Kids back together in a two-school competition to build the best Halloween display. Armed with Vampires, Goblins, Zombies, Ghosts and the lessons they learned on their previous adventure, it seems like there is no way they can lose! 

This book builds on the Project Management concepts learned in The Ultimate Tree House Project, with a few more key lessons to help them handle more complex projects. Forced to handle constant changes, near-disasters and an immovable deadline, it is going to take their very best to get their project completed on time. Join the Project Kids as they embark on their bravest adventure yet – to build the Scariest Haunted House – Ever. The kids get started on the project and soon learn that it is not just Haunted Houses that can be scary!

She cautiously poked at it again with the end of her pencil, like it was a bomb about to go off. She flicked at the crumpled edge of the paper, those terrible words hidden just out of sight but taunting her nonetheless.

Finally, she could take it no more. She put down the pencil and grasped the paper with shaking hands. Why did I agree to run this thing? What do I know about this stuff, anyway?

With agonizing slowness, Amanda opened up the paper to once again read those terrible words, the words that she had committed to. The thing she had promised to do.

Yes, no problem, Ms Moldiva. Sure! It’ll be fun!

In large, bold letters at the top of the crinkled sheet of paper were the words:

Wanted: Organizer for Valentine’s Day School Dance.

Amanda’s shuddered. It’s going to be a disaster!

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Join the Project Kids in their fourth big adventure as they come together to organize the Valentine’s Day dance at A. J. Wilkins Intermediate School. Along with the challenges of tackling their biggest project yet, an age-old question will test them to their limits. Will cupid strike the Project Kids - or even worse - pass them by?

Parent/Teacher Note:

The fourth project is their biggest one yet, and the most varied and complex. In addition to planning the dance as a project, they will need to learn how to develop relationships and improve their communication skills as they engage with the whole school. They will learn how to positively influence others, and some tips on how to face up to bullies along the way.