Best Engineering Project Management Books of 2025

The Manager's Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change by Camille Fournier is a practical guide that takes readers through the journey from engineer to technical manager. The book provides actionable advice for approaching various obstacles in the path of becoming a better manager and leader in an organization. It covers topics such as mentoring, managing individual members, managing multiple teams, and building a unifying culture. This book is ideal for new managers, mentors, or experienced leaders seeking fresh advice. Overall, The Manager's Path is a valuable resource for anyone looking to improve their leadership skills in the tech industry.

An Elegant Puzzle by Will Larson is a must-read for anyone in engineering management. Larson draws from his experience at Digg, Uber, and Stripe to provide a thoughtful approach to solving complex management challenges, including sizing teams, handling technical debt, and performing succession planning. The book balances structured principles and human-centric thinking to help any leader create more effective and rewarding organizations for engineers to thrive in. An Elegant Puzzle provides concrete strategies for modern organizations while capturing the timeless spirit of creative problem-solving that draws us to software engineering. Overall, it's a masterful study of the challenges and demands of engineering management viewed through the prism of systems thinking.

Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products by Marty Cagan and Chris Jones is a must-read for leaders in product management, design, or engineering. The book provides insights into how top tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Netflix, and Tesla consistently innovate. Unlike most companies that focus on hiring top talents, these companies create an environment where everyone's greatness can emerge. The authors reveal the best practices of these companies and provide practical steps to create an empowered product team. This book is an inspiring read for anyone looking to unleash their team's potential and transform their organization.

The "Project Management QuickStart Guide" is an essential resource for anyone looking to learn project management skills or improve their existing ones. Written by Chris Croft, a project management expert with over 30 years of experience, the book provides actionable and easy-to-digest concepts for beginners and experienced project managers alike. It includes a comprehensive online library of project management tools, making it an ideal guide for entrepreneurs, business owners, managers, job seekers, and students. With its practical advice and insights, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in achieving their goals more efficiently and effectively.

The PMP Cheat Sheets: Visual Memory Sheets for Quick PMP Exam Preparation is a 30-page guide that condenses Project Management concepts, processes, and approaches into easy-to-read cheat sheets. With high-quality designs and vivid colors, these cheat sheets are a fun way for visual learners to strengthen their memory and study all the key concepts essential to passing the PMP exam. It's a great resource for PMP candidates looking to save time and energy during preparation, as well as an introduction to different subjects and concepts covered in the exam. Overall, this cheat sheet book is an excellent tool for a quick reference guide and a must-have for PMP exam takers.

Swipe to Unlock: The Primer on Technology and Business Strategy is a comprehensive guide on the must-know concepts of technology and business strategy written by 3 Product Managers from Google, Facebook, and Microsoft. This book is a must-read for anyone pursuing product management, design, marketing, consulting, or business strategy roles in the tech industry. The authors answer real-world questions and decode tech's biggest buzzwords, giving readers a peek under the hood of the technology they use every day. The book has been updated in 2020 to cover the latest developments in the world of tech, making it the go-to source for anyone looking to gain a competitive edge in their career.

This book, titled "Become an Effective Software Engineering Manager: How to Be the Leader Your Development Team Needs," is a comprehensive guide for engineers transitioning into management. Dr. James Stanier, a computer science Ph.D. and former software engineer turned manager, shares practical techniques and tools to manage teams successfully. The book covers a wide range of topics, including how to organize information, delegate effectively, manage your own boss, hire and fire, and improve workplace diversity. It also provides insights into the psychology of managing staff, such as coaching and mentoring, handling sensitive information, and navigating workplace politics. Overall, this book is a valuable resource for engineers who want to become effective and supportive leaders.

The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management is a comprehensive guide to project management methods, tools, and techniques that is trusted by hundreds of thousands of readers. The 6th edition includes a brand-new chapter on project quality, a new chapter on managing media, entertainment, and creative projects, and the most current practices in Change Management. The book teaches readers how to manage and deliver projects on-time and on-budget by applying practical strategies and concrete solutions. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for both beginners and pros in the field of project management.

Maintenance and Reliability Best Practices is a practical guide for those working in engineering, purchasing, finance, maintenance, reliability, or production, and especially for those preparing for a professional maintenance and reliability certification. The book has been updated to reflect the latest developments in technology and thinking, including innovative material related to leadership, change management, ISO standards, maintenance optimization, and communication. The addition of self-assessment questions in each chapter makes it easier for readers to learn and study pertinent topics. Overall, the book is a great resource for developing a road map to reliability and setting up an effective maintenance program.

"Liftoff: Elon Musk and the Desperate Early Days That Launched SpaceX" by Eric Berger is a captivating account of SpaceX's tumultuous journey from a struggling start-up to a leading-edge rocket company. Berger provides an inside look at the company's first four launches of the Falcon 1 rocket, detailing the engineering challenges and financial struggles faced by SpaceX. The book is a page-turner, offering readers a glimpse into the wild early days that made SpaceX what it is today. Overall, "Liftoff" is an important book on space and an inspiring read for anyone interested in entrepreneurship and innovation."