Maximum Return: The Ultimate On-Time, On-Budget, Results-Driven Project Planning Guide. (Bookshelf).

Maximum Return: The Ultimate On-Time, On-Budget, Results-Driven Project Planning Guide. Stone-haven Group Press, 249 pages. $45.

The hyperbole in the title aside, Maximum Return does have a good deal going for it. It's relativly quick reading, thanks to what the publicists call an "easy-to-read, lighter style" that features a lot of illustrations, boxes and diagrams. Chapters are short--some only a few pages--and offer sample worksheets that managers could use to build the case for their projects.

Author Patrick J. Gregory covers a lot of territory, looking at topics like: getting the most out of your invested capital; realizing projected productivity gains; reducing stress and frustration for project leaders and senior management; improving employee communication and goodwill; and, perhaps most importantly, "avoiding the poor projects that will drain your time and corporate resources." The informal, user-friendly language constantly refers to the reader as "you."

It's worth noting that the author is a consultant and president of the Stonehaven Group, publisher of this soft-cover book, and that the final pages are devoted to order forms for this book and other Stonehaven products. Commercialism aside, this is a well-organized and thought-out guide to help managers evaluate projects, get them approved and guide them towards success.