This month, Gower have published several new books of interest to those engaged in organisational learning and development, as well as staff training. Here are a selection which caught my attention, together with a webpage for further information on each:

Facilitating Learning Organizations
Making Learning Count
By Victoria J Marsick and Karen E Watkins
http://www.gowerpub.com/cgi-bin/book98.cgi?cmd=show&isbn=0566080397

The authors give guidance and advice on how to build learning into the system so that it actually starts to make a difference. They highlight the need for business leaders and development professionals to collaborate if there is to be embedded acceptance of learning and knowledge sharing. Examples from companies like Johnsonville Foods, Sulzer Orthopedics, and Public Service Electric & Gas make this a uniquely applied book. And the authors' deep understanding of the theory and their new thinking gives the reader a practical framework with which they can move towards their goal of making learning count.

Creating a Thinking Organization
Groundrules for Success
By Rikki Hunt with Tony Buzan
http://www.gowerpub.com/cgi-bin/book98.cgi?cmd=show&isbn=0566082306

Imagine a company where staff have been taught to use their brainpower to the full - and are encouraged to do so whatever work they perform. In Creating a Thinking Organization, successful entrepreneur Rikki Hunt joins forces with renowned Mind expert Tony Buzan to provide a blueprint for individual and corporate transformation. Together they demonstrate how you can unlock your own and your employees' potential; turbocharge your management and leadership practices, and motivate a diverse group of people. Part I of the book explains how to apply Rikki Hunt‚s unique Œgroundrules‚ to create a culture in which thinking will flourish. Part II looks at the nature of the human brain and describes a number of techniques to improve the thinking process. Part III, using Rikki's distinctive Œpowerbase‚ and 'circles of knowledge' models, deals with leadership and examines the implications of the authors‚ approach both for the individual and the organization. Finally, Part IV contains practical guidance on implementation and summarizes the benefits. The text is enriched throughout by examples, stories, action point summaries, case studies and anecdotes from Rikki Hunt‚s own colourful life. In addition there are reviews of the material by Tony Buzan and a step-by-step development programme. For business leaders seeking a way to harness the power of the brain, Creating a Thinking Organization will be an inspiration.

Gower Handbook of Training and Development
Third Edition
Edited by Anthony Landale
http://www.gowerpub.com/cgi-bin/book98.cgi?cmd=show&isbn=0566081229

It is now crystal clear that, in today's ever-changing world, an organization's very survival depends upon how it supports its people to learn and keep on learning. This new edition of the Gower Handbook of Training and Development is an invaluable aid for today's training professional as they face up to the organizational challenges presented to them. All 38 chapters in this edition are new and many of the contributors, whilst being best-selling authors or established industry figures, are appearing for the first time in this Handbook. Edited by Anthony Landale, this Handbook builds on the foundations that previous editions have laid down whilst, at the same time, highlighting many of the very latest advances in the industry.