Gaye Luna and Deborah Cullen draw on rich backgrounds in the fields of higher, adult, and professional education to carefully examine the role of mentoring. They strongly encourage recognition of faculty talents and skills which may be focused toward providing professional development. Empowering faculty through mentoring to contribute to the design and implementation of quality instruction allows directed growth for the organizational culture of the institution as well as for the individuals. In fact, the authors borrow the statement, ãby not mentoring, we are wasting talent. We educate, and train, but donât nurtureä (Wright and Wright 1987, p. 207). The bookâs seven chapters discuss the character of mentoring, its empowering features, and application to various audiences including women and minorities. Woven into the text are basic learning and developmental theories that support the mentoring concept. Each chapter begins with an advanced organizer of the content. Tables, figures and references are scattered throughout the book to clarify concepts and provide additional information in understandable formats. Conclusions about and recommendations for implementing mentoring are found at the end of the text. The main concepts by chapter are as follows: á Mentoring is a process that develops relationships which benefit both the individuals and the academic community as a whole. á Mentoring in public and private sectors alike is ãthe best method of passing along the norms, values, assumptions and myths that are central to an organizationâs success.ä Corporate use of mentoring in different environments benefits the workplace. á Mentoring frameworks are built on the concepts described by Erikson, Levinson, and Kram. The developmental stages from protŽgŽ to mentor can be likened to the continuum of life stages as defined by the theorists. The mentor does not create a dependency but rather a progression from a supportive to a collegial relationship in which he passes on his knowledge and skills in an attempt to strengthen the protŽgŽâs sense of self. á Mentoring can guide professional development in higher education; however, the essential ingredient is trust. Administration must support the value of mentoring by allocating time and resources for faculty to develop the necessary trust base. á Mentoring women in academe provides support not only for new faculty but for ãfatigued female senior faculty members.ä Greater job success and higher job satisfaction for women can be attributed to having a mentor. á Mentoring minorities contributes to changes that break down barriers, build respect for diversity, and encourage quality contributions to the institution. á Mentoring application is contingent on the institutionâs skill and support in planning and communication. Recognizing the myths and virtues of the mentoring process allows for developing faculty models that meet specific needs. One concern I have about the text is the lack of color. Interest could be provided through metaphor, illustrations, and stories from the institutions that are currently implementing the mentoring process. Though the presented information is valuable, there is little to keep one from falling asleep during reading. Overall, Empowering the Faculty: Mentoring Redirected and Renewed is a valuable resource for introducing the mentoring concept as a means of empowering faculty to take charge of professional development. An extensive bibliography serves the reader as a source for gleaning further information. Wright, C.A., and S. D. Wright. 1987. "Young Professionals." Family Relations 36(2): 204-8. Cheryl Knight, Curriculum and Instruction, ASU Empowering the Faculty: Mentoring Redirected and Renewed
by Gaye Luna and Deborah L. Cullen Washington, DC: George Washington University, 1995ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 4, 1995