Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Johanna Rothman's books

1051 ratings | 49 reviews | avg rating:4.81

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.

Go to Johanna’s 2025 Year in Books

Johanna Rothman’s Followers (111)

Johanna’s Bookshelves

to-read (15)
currently-reading (240)
read (1209)
did-not-finish (8)
not-going-to-finish (118)

Johanna’s Friends (282)

Donna Foster

7,957 books | 5,001 friends

Michelle Abramson

931 books | 76 friends

Jason

915 books | 127 friends

Stephen

1,954 books | 155 friends

Rob

265 books | 92 friends

Danie

1,011 books | 58 friends

Jack Vinson

1,998 books | 190 friends

Ellen Bard

1,606 books | 211 friends

More friends…

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

edit data

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

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Johanna Rothman questions, please sign up.

Combine Editions
Johanna Rothman’s books

Average rating: 3.93 · 1,971 ratings · 210 reviews · 49 distinct works • Similar authors

	Behind Closed Doors: Secrets of Great Management by Johanna Rothman (Goodreads Author), Esther Derby (Goodreads Author) 3.98 avg rating — 1,031 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 — 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
	Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects 3.72 avg rating — 201 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 3.66 avg rating — 88 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 3.67 avg rating — 83 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 — 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
	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 — 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

More books by Johanna Rothman…

1199 posts
Johanna Rothman's Blog

A Management Minute: How Delayed Decisions Create Many Kinds of Debt

If you have to make a decision, how fast can you make it?

There is certainly a range of decision times. Some decisions require almost immediate decisions. Others can take a while. But no decision can take what seems like forever. In effect, waiting to make a decision is no decision. No decision is still a decision, except very few people realize it is.

That’s why management decision time matters and

Johanna is Currently Reading

Johanna Rothman is currently reading

Resilient Optimism: The Science of Sustaining a Positive Mindset in Tough Times

by Michelle Gielan

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Oct 02, 2026 08:21PM

Johanna Rothman is currently reading

Galactic Thunder (Iron Hammer, #1)

by Cameron Cooper

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Oct 02, 2026 08:20PM

Johanna Rothman is currently reading

Hammer and Crucible (Imperial Hammer, #1)

by Cameron Cooper (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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

Oct 01, 2026 05:35PM

rss
Johanna’s Recent Updates

Johanna Rothman is currently reading Resilient Optimism: The Science of Sustaining a Positive Mindset in Tough Times by Michelle Gielan	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
Oct 02, 2026 08:21PM · 1 like · like
Johanna Rothman is currently reading Galactic Thunder (Iron Hammer, #1) by Cameron Cooper	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
Oct 02, 2026 08:20PM · like
Johanna Rothman is currently reading Hammer and Crucible (Imperial Hammer, #1) by Cameron Cooper (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
Oct 01, 2026 05:35PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Hammer and Crucible by Cameron Cooper. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Hammer and Crucible by Cameron Cooper <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing Second Nature (Celebrity Magazine #1) by Nora Roberts (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
Oct 01, 2026 05:32PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Second Nature by Nora Roberts. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Second Nature by Nora Roberts <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman is currently reading Signals & Levers: Systems Thinking Tools to Unblock Software Delivery by Elisabeth Hendrickson (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
Sep 25, 2026 09:20PM · like
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing Thankless in Death (In Death, #37) by J.D. Robb (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
Sep 25, 2026 05:08PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing Not Without Risk (Undercover Cops, #1) by Suzanne Brockmann (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
Sep 25, 2026 05:08PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Not Without Risk by Suzanne Brockmann. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Not Without Risk by Suzanne Brockmann <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman is currently reading Thankless in Death (In Death, #37) by J.D. Robb (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
Sep 19, 2026 08:38PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Thankless in Death by J.D. Robb <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman is currently reading Second Nature (Celebrity Magazine #1) by Nora Roberts (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
Sep 17, 2026 08:06PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Second Nature by Nora Roberts. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Second Nature by Nora Roberts <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Johanna Rothman rated a book it was amazing The Shop on Hidden Lane (Psychic Dogs Book 1) by Jayne Ann Krentz (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
Sep 17, 2026 04:51PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Shop on Hidden Lane by Jayne Ann Krentz <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

More of Johanna's books…

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

1 likes

“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

0 likes

“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

0 likes

See all Johanna Rothman's quotes »