Agile Project Management with Scrum
Agile Project Management with Scrum by Ken Schwaber is a foundational Scrum book. It was first published in 2004 by Microsoft Press, and it remains one of the most cited practitioner‑level introductions to Scrum, especially for project managers transitioning from traditional methods.
What the book is about
Section titled “What the book is about”A case‑study‑driven guide showing how Scrum works in real organizations. Schwaber doesn’t present Scrum as theory — he shows how teams succeed, fail, and adapt. It’s practical, direct, and intentionally opinionated.
Core themes
Section titled “Core themes”- Scrum’s empirical process control (transparency, inspection, adaptation)
- Why traditional project‑management habits undermine Scrum
- How to manage complex, unpredictable work
- The roles: ScrumMaster, Product Owner, and Scrum Team
- How to plan, run, and report on Scrum projects
- How to scale Scrum across multiple teams
Structure
Section titled “Structure”- Backdrop: The science of Scrum
- New management responsibilities
- The ScrumMaster
- Bringing order from chaos
- The Product Owner
- Planning a Scrum project
- Project reporting
- The Team
- Scaling projects using Scrum
- Appendices: Rules, definitions, CMM, fixed‑price contracts, resources
Why it matters
Section titled “Why it matters”Schwaber is one of Scrum’s co‑creators, so this book captures Scrum as originally intended, before later adaptations and corporate interpretations. It’s especially useful if you want to understand Scrum’s philosophy, not just its mechanics.