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Johanna’s Year In Books

Johanna’s 2025 Year in Books

Take a look at Johanna’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Johanna Rothman’s Followers (109)

Johanna’s Bookshelves

to-read (15)
currently-reading (233)
read (1178)
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Johanna’s Friends (282)

Janet

593 books | 42 friends

Donna Foster

2,475 books | 5,000 friends

Jennifer

3,691 books | 91 friends

Rob

309 books | 92 friends

Mario Lucero

606 books | 236 friends

Benesh Marie

3,044 books | 108 friends

Ellen Bard

1,530 books | 211 friends

Kurt

301 books | 268 friends

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Johanna Rothman

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.jrothman.com

Twitter

johannarothman

Genre

Nonfiction, Project Management, Mystery, Thriller

Member Since

October 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/johanna_rothman

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People know me as the “Pragmatic Manager.” I offer frank, practical advice for your challenging product development problems.

I help leaders and teams see their current reality. Because one size never fits all, we explore options for what and how to change. The results? Leaders and teams learn to collaborate and focus on outcomes that matter.

My clients and readers appreciate both my trademark practicality and humor. I've written 21 books, hundreds of articles, and thousands of blog posts. See all my writing and monthly newsletters at www.jrothman.com and www.createadaptablelife.com.

I write in all genres except for horror because I need my sleep, and horror gives me nightmares. My short fiction has appeared in Pulphouse Magazine, Fiction Riv ...more

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Combine Editions
Johanna Rothman’s books

Average rating: 3.93 · 1,962 ratings · 207 reviews · 46 distinct works • Similar authors

	Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management by Johanna Rothman (Goodreads Author), Esther Derby (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 1,028 ratings — published 2005 — 12 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Manage It!: Your Guide to Modern, Pragmatic Project Management 3.86 avg rating — 213 ratings — published 2007 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects 3.72 avg rating — 200 ratings — published 2008 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Agile and Lean Program Management 3.68 avg rating — 87 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Predicting the Unpredictable 3.68 avg rating — 82 ratings — published 2014 — 7 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hiring Geeks That Fit 3.91 avg rating — 53 ratings — published 2012 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	From Chaos to Successful Distributed Agile Teams: Collaborate to Deliver by Johanna Rothman (Goodreads Author), Mark Kilby 3.98 avg rating — 43 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Hiring The Best Knowledge Workers, Techies & Nerds: The Secrets & Science Of Hiring Technical People by Johanna Rothman (Goodreads Author), Gerald M. Weinberg 3.53 avg rating — 43 ratings — published 2004 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Practical Ways to Manage Yourself: Modern Management Made Easy, Book 1 4.34 avg rating — 32 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Create Your Successful Agile Project: Collaborate, Measure, Estimate, Deliver 4.16 avg rating — 31 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Johanna Rothman's Blog

How to Use One of the Most Valuable Management Tools: Active Listening

This is Johanna Rothman’s April 2026 Pragmatic Manager Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter.

During a recent conference, I was on a panel with some really smart colleagues. One of the first audience questions was, “What's your most valuable management tool?”

Some of the other panelists mentioned how they use their LLMs to validate product ideas. That's a good one

Johanna is Currently Reading

Johanna Rothman is currently reading

InstiGATOR (Strike Force #3)

by Fiona Quinn (Goodreads Author)

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Apr 19, 2026 04:15PM

Johanna Rothman is currently reading

The Diamond Eye

by Kate Quinn (Goodreads Author)

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Mar 30, 2026 08:32PM

Johanna Rothman is currently reading

Roping Your Heart (Riding Tall, #2)

by Cheyenne McCray (Goodreads Author)

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Nov 14, 2025 08:09PM

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Johanna’s Recent Updates

Johanna Rothman wrote a new blog post How to Use One of the Most Valuable Management Tools: Active Listening This is Johanna Rothman’s April 2026 Pragmatic Manager Newsletter. The Unsubscribe link is at the bottom of this newsletter. During a recent conferenc Read more of this blog post »
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Johanna Rothman is currently reading InstiGATOR (Strike Force #3) by Fiona Quinn (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 19, 2026 04:15PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of InstiGATOR by Fiona Quinn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — InstiGATOR by Fiona Quinn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing The Muse of Maiden Lane (Belles of London, #4) by Mimi Matthews (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 19, 2026 04:15PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman did not finish Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart (Lords of Hazard #1) by Sabrina Jeffries (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 19, 2026 02:23PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman is currently reading The Muse of Maiden Lane (Belles of London, #4) by Mimi Matthews (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 16, 2026 10:01AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 16, 2026 10:00AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman is currently reading Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart (Lords of Hazard #1) by Sabrina Jeffries (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 12, 2026 08:27PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hazardous to a Duke’s Heart by Sabrina Jeffries <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing Hold the West Line: a military romantic suspense (Night Stalkers Reload Book 2) by M. L. Buchman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 12, 2026 07:37PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hold the West Line by M. L. Buchman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hold the West Line by M. L. Buchman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing Cancer Curated: My Public Face-Off with Multiple Myeloma by Tracy Cooper-Posey (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Not just about cancer. Much more than that. About life and how to live.
Apr 12, 2026 07:35PM · like · see review
Johanna Rothman is currently reading Hold the West Line: a military romantic suspense (Night Stalkers Reload Book 2) by M. L. Buchman	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 09, 2026 12:32PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hold the West Line by M. L. Buchman. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hold the West Line by M. L. Buchman <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Johanna Rothman (?)

“Budgets may count Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs), but great teams count on people.”
― Johanna Rothman, Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management

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“The problem is you are working on projects. Service-level response times interfere with project work and cause multitasking. Maybe someone has to do that work, but maybe not you. Or, if you do have to do it, someone else can rank-order the work, and you can work in short timeboxes so you have a chance of completing the necessary-to-the-organization work without multitasking.”
― Johanna Rothman, Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects

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“Don’t worry about selling the company. If you ask great questions, your interviews will do that for you.”
― Johanna Rothman, Hiring Geeks That Fit

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