Feature Book Review & Citations

How do students start their career development path? What steps need to be taken and when should these steps occur? In You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career, Katharine Brooks provides engaging material that helps the audience answer these questions and chart their professional development trajectory. Brooks addresses the many complicated processes involved in beginning and developing a career including choosing and enhancing an academic major, establishing professional networks, writing resumes, and interviewing for particular positions.

The book engages the reader with anecdotes, thought-provoking questions, and stories that help the reader create a mental picture of the processes that surround career development. Brooks expands the highlighted concepts and combines them with activities to help make the information personal and applicable to individual situations. She also provides information and examples for multiple audiences including, but not limited to, academic advisors, career counselors, higher educational professionals, students, and graduates.

An example of a valuable exercise, the “Possible Lives Map” (p. 118) instructs individuals to put their dreams and experiences on paper when developing a career path. Through the exercise, students see that dreams can be fulfilled and life is not a linear path. This fun, hands-on activity, like others in the book, can be shared with a variety of groups.

Each chapter begins with an engaging question or story to grab the reader and develops the idea or story throughout the chapter. One of my favorite opening questions is “Did you know that your love of learning could make you a valuable employee?” (p. 83). This question reminded me that learning does not end in class, college, or the start of employment; it is a continuous and developmental process.

To keep the reader engaged, each chapter features a strong conclusion with an excellent summary and introduction for upcoming chapters. Brooks also does a great job of connecting information in past chapters with information in present and upcoming chapters.

The strongest part of the book is the way Brooks uses a variety of examples and supplemental material to highlight points. For instance, she illustrates ways storytelling can be used to ace an interview. She explains how to create a story outline for an idea to convey and describes how this strategy can be used to showcase skills that relate to the job for which the individual is applying (p. 265).

The chapters and information flow from beginning to end through excellent transitions. Brooks begins this journey with chapters to assist students in academic degree selection and career choices and ends with “Wandering Through the Workplace” and “Wandering after Graduation.” The book provides information to guide students through career development paths during and after college.

I highly recommend this book for academic advisors, career counselors, higher educational professionals, students, and graduates. The book provides tangible exercises and information combined with theoretical career and professional development knowledge. It is versatile and works in front of large audiences, with groups, and in classrooms. It is an excellent resource for working one-on-one with students in advising or counseling sessions or as a personal career development guide for students. I consider this book a must-have on higher educational professionals' and students' bookshelves.

Reviews posted since the last Journal issue include (members may find complete reviews for referenced books on the Journal's web site at http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Journal/Book-Reviews.aspx):

2011 National Survey of Senior Capstone Experiences: Institutional-Level Data on the Culminating Experience. (2012). Book by Ryan D. Padgett and Cindy A. Kilgo. Review by Derek Furukawa. Columbia: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience. 98 pp., $20.00. ISBN 978-1-889-27186-6.

Alternative Pathways to the Baccalaureate: Do Community Colleges Offer a Viable Solution to the Nation's Knowledge Deficit? (2013). Book by Nancy Remington and Ronald Remington (Eds.). Review by Alyssa Mittleider. Sterling, VA: Stylus. 211 pp., $29.00. ISBN 978-1-57922-875-0.

The Breadth of Current Faculty Development: Practitioners' Perspectives. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 133. (2013). Book by C. William McKee, Mitzy Johnson, William Ritchie, & Mark Tew (Eds.). Review by Michelle M. White. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 112 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-1186-4154-5.

Career Development and Planning: A Comprehensive Approach (4th ed.). (2012). Book by Robert Reardon, Janet Lenz, Gary Peterson, & James Sampson. Review by Matt Eng. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt. 314 pp., $70.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-4652-0006-8.

Cheating in College: Why Students Do It and What Educators Can Do About It. (2012). Book by Donald McCabe, Kenneth Butterfield, & Linda Trevino. Review by Matt Church. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 240 pp., $39.95 (hardback). ISBN 978-1-421-40716-6.

The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude. (2008). Book by P.M. Forni. Review by Amy Burns. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillian. 160 pp., $12.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-312-36849-4.

Codes of Conduct in Academia. New Directions for Higher Education, No. 160. (2013). Book by John Braxton and Nathaniel Bray (Eds.). Review by Leah R. Kicinski. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 104 pp., $29.00. ISBN 978-1-1185-3775-6.

College Drinking: Reframing a Social Problem/Changing the Culture. (2013). Book by George W. Dowdall. Review by Courtney O. Heath. Sterling, VA: Stylus. 283 pp., $29.00. ISBN 978-1-57922-813-2.

The Complete Guide to Getting a Job for People With Asperger's Syndrome: Find the Right Career and Get Hired. (2013). Book by Barbara Bissonnette. Review by Ryan Tomasiewicz. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley. 200 pp., $22.95. ISBN 978-0-1084905-921-3.

Daring the Doctorate: The Journey at Mid-career. (2012). Book by Ada Demb. Review by Douglas A. Smith. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 196 pp., $34.95. ISBN 978-1-61048-694-1.

Developing Students' Leadership Capacity. New Directions for Student Services, No. 140. (2012). Book by Kathy Guthrie and Laura Osteen (Eds.). Review by Kathryn S. Snider. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. 109 pp., $29.00. ISBN 978-1-1185-4090-9.

Digital Media and Learner Identity: The New Curatorship. (2012). Book by John Potter. Review by Tamie Saffell. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. 220 pp., $85.00 (hardback). ISBN 978-1-137-00485-7.

Discipline-Centered Learning Communities: Creating Connections Among Students, Faculty, and Curricula. New Directions for Teaching & Learning, No. 132. (2013). Book by Kimberly Buch and Kenneth E. Barron (Eds.). Review by Terri Baker. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.136 pp., $29.00. ISBN 978-1-1185-1863-2

Dual Enrollment: Strategies, Outcomes, and Lessons for School-College Partnerships. New Directions for Higher Education, No. 158. (2012). Book by Eric Hoffman and Daniel Voloch (Eds.). Review by Laurie Roberson. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 114 pp., $29.00. ISBN 978-1-118-40523-9.

Facilitating the Moral Growth of College Students. New Directions for Student Services, No. 139. (2012). Book by Debora Liddell and Diane Cooper (Eds.). Review by Alisa Trotter. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 103 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-118-47090-9.

The First Year Seminar: Designing, Implementing, and Assessing Courses to Support Student Learning and Success: Volume 5; Assessing the First-Year Seminar. (2012). Book by Daniel Friedman. Review by Stephanie Kirylych. Columbia: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience. 112 pp., $25.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-889271-81-3.

Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Achieve Healthy Relationships, Academic Success and Interpersonal Strength. (2013). Book by Lisa Hinkelman. Review by Lisa Scheese. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. 208 pp., $29.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-4522-4121-0.

Higher Education in the Digital Age. (2013). Book by William G. Bowen. Review by Rich Lewine. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 192 pp., $26.95 (hardback). ISBN 978-0-691159-30-0.

Humanity, Diversity, & The Liberal Arts: The Foundation of a College Education. (2010). Book by Joseph Cuseo and Aaron Thompson. Review by Heidi Verticchio. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt. 122 pp., $22.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-7575-6241-9.

I am Charlotte Simmons: A Novel. (2005). Book by Tom Wolfe. Review by Jennifer M. Van De Woestyne. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. 752 pp., $15.00. ISBN 978-0-312-42444-2.

Identity Development of College Students: Advancing Frameworks for Multiple Dimensions of Identity. (2013). Book by Susan Jones and Elisa Abes. Review by Patrick E. Trujillo. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 352 pp., $45.00. ISBN 978-0-470-94719-7.

I'm Down. (2009). Book by Mishna Wolff. Review by Gavin J. Farber. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin. 272 pp., $13.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-312-37909-4.

Interpersonal Boundaries in Teaching and Learning. (2012). Book by Harriet L. Schwartz. Review by Melissa Moravec. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 128 pp., $29.00. ISBN 978-1-1184-4159-6.

Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything. (2011). Book by Joshua Foer. Review by Carol Antill. New York, NY: Penguin. 320 pp., $16.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-14-312053-7.

Multinational Colleges and Universities: Leading, Governing, and Managing International Branch Campuses. (2011). Book by Jason E. Lane and Kevin Kinser (Eds.). Review by Janice Gunes. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 124 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-1181-5925-5.

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business. (2012). Book by Charles Duhigg. Review by Ryan Scheckel. New York, NY: Random House. 400 pp., $28.00 (hardback). ISBN 978-1-4000-6928-6.

Powerful Techniques for Teaching Adults. (2013). Book by Stephen Brookfield. Review by Sandra E. Seay. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 271 pp., $40.00. ISBN 978-1-1180-1700-5.

Realizing the College Dream with Autism or Asperger Syndrome: A Parent's Guide to Student Success. (2006). Book by Ann Palmer. Review by Sybil Holloway. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley. 176 pp., $21.95. ISBN 978-1-84310-801-6.

The Senior Year: Culminating Experiences and Transitions. (2012). Book by Mary Stuart Hunter, Jennifer Keup, Jullian Kinzie, & Heather Maietta (Eds.). Review by Melissa Vosen Callens. Columbia: University of South Carolina, National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience. 230 pp., $35.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-889-271-85-9.

The Student EQ Edge: Emotional Intelligence and Your Academic and Personal Success. (2013). Book by Steven Stein, Howard Book, & Korrel Kanoy. Review by Sarah Syversen. San Francisco, CA: Wiley. 336 pp., $30.00. ISBN 978-1-1180-9459-4.

The Study Skills Handbook. (2012). Book by Stella Cottrell. Review by Eleazar Ortega. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. 376 pp., $25.00. ISBN 978-0-230-36968-9.

The Study Skills Toolkit for Students With Dyslexia. (2012). Book by Monica Gribben. Review by Tyrone Smith. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. 208 pp., $43.00. ISBN 978-0-857-02932-4.

Success and Sanity on the College Campus: A Guide for Parents. (2012). Book by Diana Trevouledes and Ingrid Grieger. Review by Janis Albright. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. 164 pp., $27.00 (hardback). ISBN 978-1-61048-101-4.

The Things They Carried. (2009). Book by Tim O'Brien. Review by Kathryn Clark. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 256 pp., $14.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-618-70641-9.

The University in the Global Age. (2004). Book by Roger King. Review by John G. Igwebuike. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan. 192 pp., $110. ISBN 978-1-4039-3467-3.

What They Didn't Teach You in Graduate School: 299 Helpful Hints for Success in Your Academic Career. (2012). Book by Paul Gray and David Drew. Review by Derrick Gunter. Sterling, VA: Stylus. 226 pp., $17.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-57922-644-2.

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. (2007). Book by James Paul Gee. Review by Emma Leigh Waldron. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. 256 pp., $18.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-4039-8453-1.

Writing the Winning Thesis or Dissertation: A Step-by-Step Guide (3rd ed.). (2013). Book by Randy L. Joyner, William A. Rouse, & Allan A. Glatthorn. Review by Kiana Shiroma. Herndon, VA: Corwin. 328 pp., $38.95. ISBN 978-1-452-25878-2.

You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career. (2010). Book by Katharine Brooks. Review by Michelle Barbour. New York, NY: Penguin. 320 pp., $16.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-4522-9600-8.