If we’ve been fortunate, most of us in academia have benefited from good mentoring. Sometimes, though, we’re not fortunate enough to have a mentor, and/or we’ve got questions that we’re pretty sure are really common. In such instances, there are a number of books (broadly categorizable as “academic professional development” of “self-help for academics”) that may be helpful.
I got to thinking about these sorts of books when Billie mentioned Wendy Laura Belcher’s Writing Your Journal Article in Twelve Weeks: A Guide to Academic Publishing Success on Twitter a little over a week ago. (The book looks intriguing, and I’m planning to acquire a copy soon.) Here, I mention some other titles that I’ve found useful over the years.
With two exceptions (one of which pretty clearly dates me a bit), all of the books in the list have editions published within the last six years, so they’re relatively recent.
For a general introduction to life as a new faculty member:
- Clay Schoenfeld and Robert Magnan’s Mentor in a Manual: Climbing the Academic Ladder to Tenure. (2004)
- James Lang’s Life on the Tenure Track: Lessons from the First Year. (2005)
- Robert Boice’s Advice for New Faculty Members. (2000)
For things to think about with respect to teaching:
- James Lang’s On Course: A Week-by-Week Guide to Your First Semester of College Teaching. (2008. The book is also a good refresher for those well beyond their first semester of teaching.)
- Wilbert McKeachie and Marilla Svinicki’s Teaching Tips. (2010)
For advice on academic writing and publishing:
- Paul Silvia’s How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing. (2007)
- Joseph M. Moxley’s Writing and Publishing for Academic Authors. (1996)
Are there books that you’ve found useful for your own professional development? If so, let’s hear about them in the comments.
[The CC-licensed photo in this post is by Flickr user juhansonin.]
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