Rating: 
Summary: Great overview of product management as a profession
Review: As a new product manager, I found this book quite useful as an overview of what is to be expected of a product manager. The book covers the roles, skills, and expectations of the product manager, covers the different organizational structures that cover product management, and uses detailed examples to show how those functions work in practice.My only criticism is that it is a broad overview, and as such some of the areas (branding, for example) are covered very briefly. This book probably won't teach anything to the experienced product manager, but it might be useful as a reference to how other companies approach product management.
Rating:
Summary: Great reference book...but perhaps start at Chapter 5
Review: For product managers and, in fact, *anyone* who contributes the to the making, marketing or selling of products, this is a great reference book to have on your shelves. Linda Gorchels does a masterful job synthesizing all of the issues a product manager must be capable of tackling. She accomplishes this task with clean, well-structured text and examples. The heart of the book is really a series of extended checklists which are comprehensive, well-researched and accesible to the lay reader. My only complaint is that the book is front-loaded with some some compartively less important stuff, including a chapter entitled "Product Manager.com." I suppose this emphasis is reflective of a book written in 1999 and published in 2000. But as I cast my eye warily at that chapter I was *this close* to just chucking the whole thing. Just then...bingo. The red meat arrived at Chapter 5 when *finally* the planning skills required to be a PM were introduced. The book from this point (p. 69 in hardcover) on is cram-packed with tremendous information that you'll use again and again. So, my word of advice when you get this book is either (a) don't give up on it early, or (b) proceed directly to Chapter 5.
Rating:
Summary: Great reference book...but perhaps start at Chapter 5
Review: For product managers and, in fact, *anyone* who contributes the to the making, marketing or selling of products, this is a great reference book to have on your shelves. Linda Gorchels does a masterful job synthesizing all of the issues a product manager must be capable of tackling. She accomplishes this task with clean, well-structured text and examples. The heart of the book is really a series of extended checklists which are comprehensive, well-researched and accesible to the lay reader. My only complaint is that the book is front-loaded with some some compartively less important stuff, including a chapter entitled "Product Manager.com." I suppose this emphasis is reflective of a book written in 1999 and published in 2000. But as I cast my eye warily at that chapter I was *this close* to just chucking the whole thing. Just then...bingo. The red meat arrived at Chapter 5 when *finally* the planning skills required to be a PM were introduced. The book from this point (p. 69 in hardcover) on is cram-packed with tremendous information that you'll use again and again. So, my word of advice when you get this book is either (a) don't give up on it early, or (b) proceed directly to Chapter 5.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book, highly recommended for new PM's
Review: I read this book in 2000 when I started my first job as a PM. Since then, I have re-read it a few times. Each re-read is such a pleasure as I am able to tie in my experience to more and more facets of the book that were previously unclear. The book is an industry independent, general review of the roles and responsibilities of a product manager. It lays a nice foundation for those who are new to the position by outlining business processes, internal and external interactions and organizational roles a PM can expect to have. The book does not delve into the mechanical details of marketing: such as conducting research, performing surveys, managing channels or evaluating effectiveness. However, it does talk about which kind of product managers would benefit from certain types of marketing initiatives. If you are new to Product Management or would like to learn more about the processes involved in managing a product's lifecycle, this book is an excellent introduction.
Rating:
Summary: Great Overview for Role Definition and General Planning
Review: I wish I had bought this book a year ago when I began building our PM Department! I live in Germany and the role of the product manager is poorly understood by many people I come into contact with. So it helps to have written examples which indicate that I am moving in the right direction. Even today, I find the book to be quite useful and the scenarios described in the book certainly apply to much of what I had to learn the hard way. It is a bit general for an experienced product manager but its small form-factor makes it easy to have with you at all times. It is an invaluable resource for those who are new to product management and is full of great ideas to help you move your product forward.
Rating:
Summary: Great Overview for Role Definition and General Planning
Review: I wish I had bought this book a year ago when I began building our PM Department! I live in Germany and the role of the product manager is poorly understood by many people I come into contact with. So it helps to have written examples which indicate that I am moving in the right direction. Even today, I find the book to be quite useful and the scenarios described in the book certainly apply to much of what I had to learn the hard way. It is a bit general for an experienced product manager but its small form-factor makes it easy to have with you at all times. It is an invaluable resource for those who are new to product management and is full of great ideas to help you move your product forward.
Rating:
Summary: Best in the lot.
Review: I wouldnt say that this is an exceptional title but compared to other books in the market , this is the best. Be aware that this covers 'Product Management' in a very generic fashion. It doesnt talk about the role played by a PM in Software Development Process.
Rating:
Summary: The best guide for Product Managers
Review: If you want to follow some steps in your decision making processes as product manager, you should have this book. Easy to understand, and to apply , this handbook brings you ideas and simple models on how to implement market analyses, marketing programs, etc.
Rating:
Summary: Product Manager's Handbook
Review: Information was helpful however it was very general. As a new product manager I was able to gather enough general information to formulate some idea of how product management is received in organizations. Based on other books I have read this is probably the best one to provide you with that general information. Again, this book is not for the advanced Product Manager.
Rating:
Summary: Lower the transition cost from pre-sale to PM
Review: It's a must read if you are new to PM position. It defines what you shall focus to keep your life easy and simple, especially PM faces complex situations as usual. From my experience, it will take you at least 1 year to be familiar with PM position after reading this. If it's not your original industry, then it may cost you more time. While the skillsets required by PM and pre-sale are quite different, this book provides a general roadmap to indicate where you are. You can keep track how solid your capability is before you make the decision to change your career. I was a I/T pre-sale three years ago. And now, I'm PM in notebook business and is finishing our company first widescreen notebook project which gained the support from nVIDIA to be their NV36 beta site. This book and the books derived from it really help me a lot. And to play your game well, I suggest to read Michael Porter's books and game theory to complement.
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