Rating: 
Summary: Effective and entertaining
Review: `Critical Chain' by Eli Goldratt is now a classic. It is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn about critical chain project management (CCPM) or simply wants to open their eyes to a different project management approach. The Socratic approach followed by Goldratt in explaining the CCPM concepts is effective and entertaining. He finds the right balance between fiction, which prevents you from putting the book down, the theory behind CCPM, and the application of CCPM to development projects (with fictitious yet relevant examples). This book is a great starting point for those who embark on the CCPM journey.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow, it works in the novel...
Review: As with the Goal, the concepts that Goldratt uses to proselytize are a subtle mix of concepts that are on the border of being completely natural to the reader. Anyone who has managed projects, worked with EVM or other common methods will find a lot of the material that he presents to be just a slight twist on what they are used to seeing. In doing so, he manages to introduce a number of concepts that are new to the audience, but are not totally alien to their knowledge of how projects ought to work.Unfortunately, he goes one step further (as in The Goal) and uses the form of fiction to tie the whole thing together. When I was done with the book, I set it down and said "those were some interesting concepts, and they sure helped the folks in the book". It was a few moments later that I realized that the characters, plot and workability of the concepts in the book was complete fiction. Everything worked so well when the characters used his methods, and didn't work at all when they didn't. That has a disturbing tone to it, since I know plenty of projects that have gone the other way in both cases. This is not to say that the concepts that Goldratt brings forth aren't interesting, valid or usefull (especially when effectively tied to other management concepts), but it is to say that you won't get anything useful out of this book, aside from a desire to attend one of his seminars.
Rating:
Summary: You'll like how it makes you think!
Review: The "business novel" writing style is a good way to learn new concepts and enjoy a good story at the same time. As a project manager, I found the theory of constraints to be a new and provocative idea to this profession.
Rating:
Summary: Should have quit while he was ahead
Review: This book is as painful to read as The Goal is delightful. As the old saying goes, "If you've got a good thing, you might as well beat it into the ground." Can we consider a critical path in a project similar to a bottleneck? Sure; now let's move on to bigger and better things. The writing is third rate and the application isn't enough of an extension of The Goal to lead the reader through the number of pages offered. Between thumbing his nose at academics, big business and anyone else he's been slighted by, Goldratt forgets that his primary mission is to let the reader in on his secrets of project management. If you can't check it out from your public library, then you're better off not bothering with it.
Rating:
Summary: Critical Chain Review - Rochester, NY
Review: This book was absolutely phenomenal. The storybook style of Goldratt made this a superbly easy read, much UNLIKE typical tech manuals. The ideas can be implemented in any business & I loved the examples of various project types that crossed numerous boundaries too!
Rating: 
Summary: Good idea, bad book
Review: Surpisingly, few of the reviews here touch on the quality of the writing in Critical Chain. In The Goal, Goldratt had the help of Jeff Cox to write a book that was not only instructive, but a pleasure to read as well. Apparently Goldratt decided to write this book on his own, and overall it suffers for it. It reads like a first draft in need of a significant rewrite, and Goldratt's editor did not do a very good job of editing. The point of view shifts frequently, the sentences are overly wordy, and he commits the cardinal sin of writing -- he doesn't show, he tell's. The book accomplishes its goal of applying the Theory of Constraints to Project Management, it's just very sloppy in the execution of that goal. Perhaps its saving grace is that it is a very quick read.
Rating:
Summary: Good but too wrapped up in fable
Review: The points this book makes are great - once you wade through the "fable" part. The rambling discussions of the characters often makes it hard to focus on the concept being discussed. The key points could have been covered within a chapter if all the fluff was cut. That said, the concepts are useful - as is the concise summation of "The Goal" offered by one of the characters.
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