Information Development: Managing Documentation Projects, Portfolio, and People

by JoAnn T. Hackos

Book Overview

A revolutionary new resource that brings documentation product management ideas up to date The 1994 bestselling classic Managing Your Documentation Projects set the industry standard for technical documentation. However, since then, much has changed in the world of information development. With this new title, JoAnn Hackos looks beyond the structured project of the 1980s and 1990s. Instead, she focuses on the rapidly changing projects of the 21st...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471777110
• ISBN13: 9780471777113
• Release Date: December 2006
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
• Length: 624 Pages
• Weight: 2.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 7.4" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Admit that you are a wasteaholic

Any organization, large or small, that wants to get serious about growth should read this book, breathe it and master it. The first step is to admit you have a problem. "Hello, my name is Bob. I'm a wasteaholic."; "Hi Bob". I used to HATE process. HATE HATE HATE. I didn't want to be constrained; I rationalized saying "well it is a waste of time to invest time in process, it is just needless bureacracy". I was a creative person, still am. Then 10 years later I realized I was wasting a lot of time because things weren't organized, there wasn't accountability, the projects were driving me, instead of me being on top of things. Are you a wasteaholic? Answer this question: Do you feel on top of things? If answer = yes, close browser window. If answer = no, order book. Book is dead on. Several years ago I interviewed for a staff position at Cornell University, in a dept. run by a guy who had spent a number of years in industry; I wanted to impress him, so I asked, "are there any books you'd recommend, out of all you've come across, about project management and content?" And he said "Managing Documentation Projects" -- which is the precursor to this book. It rocks.

A truly recommendable read

In this book, JoAnn T. Hackos has compiled a great amount of useful information, "decorated" with many illustrating sample cases. Well-structured, intelligible and applicable, "Information Development" is a welcome asset, although with 600 pages, it is nothing you read - least of all SHOULD read - overnight. :)

New book -- not 2nd edition

Please note that none of the reviews below are written about the 2006 new book on Information Development. The book is not a 2nd edition; it's an entirely new book with new content. The focus is on strategically managing a publications organization and effectively managing projects. The project management part of the book focuses on agile methods and managing topic-based writing activities.