Description
Michael F. Shaughnessy, PhD – Professor of Psychology, Eastern New Mexico University, Portales, New Mexico, USASeries: Education in a Competitive and Globalizing WorldBISAC: EDU043000This is a robust review of the current state of the art of the age old practice of mentoring. In today’s difficult, stressful world, the younger generation, as well as the older generation, needs help, assistance, support, nurturance, validation, someone to care, and to assist and help others. In fact, almost everyone, in almost every profession can benefit from an older, wiser, more experienced, perhaps insightful person to assist others in a wide variety of realms.The book covers a range of topics from mentoring graduate students, to mentoring those in post graduate medical education. Often, it is not just the protégé that benefits, but often the mentor who also learns about caring and sharing as well as the therapeutic elements of mentoring. The difference between counseling and mentoring (there is sometimes a fine line) is also reviewed and discussed. Some chapters directly address racial, ethnical and cultural issues as well as complex adaptive mentoring programs. Some of the subtle nuances of mentoring are also explored, including the phases of mentoring, the structuring or lack of structure in a mentor relationship and the benefits and risk of mentoring in cross-cultural supervision.Mentoring in the realm of pre-service teacher education is also examined as well as the differences between mentoring, coaching and supervision. Tangential concerns such as “mindful mentoring” in healthcare and medicine, and the importance of data gathering and empirical research as well as data interpretation are also addressed. The book contains experts literally from around the world including England, Germany, Australia and Italy, and also from clinical sites as well as medical sites. This text is recommended for those who are involved with people, whether supervising them, assisting them, nurturing them as well as guiding them. In this age of the Internet and Web where we are only connected by text and e-mails, this book serves as a welcome reminder that “It is all about people and relationships.” This book addresses one of the most needed areas of concern: that of people mentoring others, caring for others and helping to support others in various fields of endeavor from kindergarten to medical school, and beyond. (Imprint: Nova)
