The Mentoring Manual.
By Mike Whittaker and Anna Cartwright.
Gower, 2000. Hardback, 202 pages, £55.
ISBN 0 566 08147 4
What title!! To me ‘Manual’ suggests a technical, logical, boring, list instructions on how to operate a machine or desk procedure. This book could not be further from that image – to me the title could more realistically read ‘Everything You Wanted/Needed to Know about Mentoring — and then some! It is written in a very friendly, very readable, interesting, valuable and practical way. There have been a number of books about Mentoring published in recent years — for me this is the one I would choose.
Enough eulogising!!
The book is divided into six chapters covering virtually every aspect of Mentoring: – An introduction to the subject and the book, covering its applications, benefits and learning; Mentoring in operation – describing programmes in which the authors have been involved. The third, very substantial chapter, describes and comments on in detail all the practical considerations in three sections — the 11 key areas; setting up; implementing and reviewing the mentoring process; and developing the mentoring relationships. The remaining chapters are concerned with taking action; developing mentoring skills; and personal reflections. The chapters are studded with forms, questions, exercises and OHP masters (on a reduced scale as the book is only A5 size).
The book is principally aimed at people who are starting up a new scheme or wish to review an existing one, but I feel that in whichever role or stage you may be involved or are going to be involved in any form of mentoring, this is the book for you.
Leslie Rae
February 2000
