Feature Book Review & Citations

Working with undecided students can be one of the most daunting tasks an academic advisor faces. However, Gordon and Steele's (2015) updated text, The Undecided College Student: An Academic and Career Advising Challenge (4th ed.), is a useful resource that empowers advisors to dispel any myths and work with undecided students with confidence. The authors discuss knowledge, skills, and resources that advisors will find relevant to their work with undecided students, particularly academic advisors without a broad knowledge of career development. Gordon and Steele shine when sharing essential theories and strategies for connecting the values, skills, interests, and identities of students with potential academic paths. While the theories are not generally discussed in-depth, the overviews provided offer a starting point for advisors to explore their own theoretical orientations and consider the career development paradigms to use with undecided students. For example, Gordon and Steele (2015) cover social cognitive career theory, which links self-efficacy, expectations, and goal setting to help students overcome negative self-concept (pp. 84-87). Throughout the text, the authors emphasize that individualized advising is essential for success and advisors should be trained as generalists, skilled in working with a variety of theories for a variety of students.

In this edition, Gordon and Steele updated the book to include recent studies through 2015. Advisors looking for research to support the implementation of new programs, training initiatives, or academic courses will benefit from The Undecided College Student. In particular, the first chapter, written in the style of a literature review, offers an extensive discussion of literature related to undecided students from which advisors can draw for empirical support. Graduate students will also find this section useful as a repository of articles and chapters to explore for a thesis or dissertation. The research-intensive sections may challenge readers who wish to select relevant portions to read based on the particular characteristics of their students. Advisors will likely find the chapter on program development immediately useful because it offers checklists of content and methods for creating new programs or services for undecided students; these suggestions are appropriate for quick application in a personalized program.

Advisors with a modicum of experience will not find the content regarding advising delivery models particularly novel, and therefore, this section could be omitted without affecting the value of the book. In contrast, advisors may have benefited from more coverage on ways to utilize the career counseling and development theories. For this purpose, I recommend a more comprehensive career development text as a worthwhile supplement, such as Sharf's (2013) Applying Career Development Theory to Counseling. Although Sharf's work is oriented toward the counseling profession, the theory-in-practice section easily applies to academic advising .

Despite minor shortcomings, The Undecided College Student proves a useful reference for any advisor working with undecided students. Gordon and Steele present the research summaries, frameworks, and resources that will inspire advisors to pull it off the shelf and refer to again and again.

Reference

Sharf, R. S. (2013). Applying career development theory to counseling (6th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Book reviews are featured on the NACADA Journal web site: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Resources/Journal/Current-Past-Book-Reviews/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/4220/Book-Review-Index-for-Issue-361.aspx

Autobiography of a Face. (1994). Book by Lucy Grealy. Review by Jessica A. Hansen. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 236 pp., $14.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-06-056966-2.

Backpack to Briefcase: Steps to a Successful Career. (2014). Book by Terry Arndt and Kirrin Coleman. Review by Jennifer Centner. Bainbridge Island, WA: College Transition. 122 pp., $29.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-9748332-4-5.

Basketball Junkie: A Memoir. (2011). Book by Chris Herren and Bill Reynolds. Review by Andrew Murray. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin. 275 pp., $14.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-250-00689-9.

Career Theory and Practice: Learning Through Case Studies. (2015). Book by Jane L. Swanson and Nadya A. Fouad. Review by Deborah Renner Hull. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. 408 pp., $75.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-4522-5669-6.

The College Success Diet: The Insider's Guide to Educational and Career Success. (2015). Book by Lana W. Jackman and Philip S. Jackman. Review by Kyle Bures. Cambridge, MA: Melange Information Services. 95 pp., $8.99 (e-book). ISBN 978-0-9749050-0-6.

Critical Perspectives on Global Competition in Higher Education. (2014). Book by Lauren M. Portnoi and Sylvia S. Bagley (Eds.). Review by Anthony Fucci. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 106 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-119-01749-3.

Diversity's Promise for Higher Education: Making It Work (2nd ed.). (2015). Book by Daryl G. Smith. Review by Kiana Shiroma. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press. 358 pp., Price $32.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-4214-1734-9.

Double Take: A Memoir. (2009). Book by Kevin Michael Connolly. Review by Tracy Nowak. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 227 pp., $14.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-06-179152-9.

Dreamers: An Immigrant Generation's Fight for Their American Dream. (2015). Book by Eileen Traux. Review by Ohanna Turcios-Ramirez. Boston, MA: Beacon. 220 pp., $15.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-8070-3033-2.

Enhancing and Expanding Undergraduate Research: A Systems Approach. (2015). Book by Mitchell Malachowski, Jeffrey M. Osborn, Kerry K. Karukstis, and Elizabeth L. Ambos (Eds.). Review by Elicia Kimble. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 120 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-119-06136-6.

A Faculty Guide to Advising and Supervising Graduate Students. (2015). Book by Darla J. Twale. Review by Tiffany N. Labon. New York, NY: Routledge. 156 pp., $35.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-138-80269-1.

A Freshman Survival Guide for College Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Stuff Nobody Tells You About. (2014). Book by Haley Moss. Review by Jean C. Fulton. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley. 160 pp., $19.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-84905-984-8.

Gaining Ground: A Story of Farmers' Markets, Local Food and the Family Farm. (2013). Book by Forrest Pritchard. Review by Hal Fulmer. Bend, OR: Books in Common. 320 pp., $18.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-7627-8727-8725-8.

The Good Lord Bird. (2013). Book by James McBride. Review by Jessamy Hoffmann. New York, NY: Penguin. 417 pp., $27.95. ISBN 978-1-59448-634-0.

Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men. (2008). Book by Michael Kimmel. Review by Linda Bradbury. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 332 pp., $14.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-06-083135-6.

Hidden Roads: Nonnative English-Speaking International Professors in the Classroom (New Directions for Teaching and Learning, No. 138). (2014). Book by Katherine Grace Hendrix and Aparna Hebbani (Eds.). Review by Ragh Singh. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 104 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-118-92309-2.

I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What it Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How To Get It. (1994). Book by Barbara Sher and Barbara Smith. Review by Stefanie Janes. New York, NY: Delacorte. 322 pp., $19.95. ISBN 978-0440505006.

Innovative Learning for Leadership Development (New Directions for Student Leadership, No. 145). (2015). Book by Julie E. Owen (Ed.). Review by Joshua L. Brittingham. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 111 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-119-06729-0.

Irritable Hearts: A PTSD Love Story. (2015). Book by Mac McClellard. Review by Christina Moussa. New York, NY: FlatIron. 308 pp., $27.99. ISBN 978-1-250-05289-6.

Learning Communities From Start to Finish (New Directions for Student Services, No. 149). (2015). Book by Mimi Benjamin (Ed.). Review by Ana Fernandez. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 105 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-1190-6511-1.

Locus of Authority: The Evolution of Faculty Roles in the Governance of Higher Education. (2015). Book by William G. Bowen and Eugene M. Tobin. Review by Jennifer Steele. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 380 pp., $29.95. ISBN 978-0691-16642-1.

Looking and Learning: Visual Literacy Across the Disciplines. (2015). Book by Deandra Little, Peter Felten, and Chad Berry. Review by Kasey Swanke. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 99 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-119-06338-4.

Mentoring as Transformative Practice: Supporting Student and Faculty Diversity (New Directions for Higher Education, No. 171). (2015). Book by Caroline S. Turner (Ed.). Review by Yury Riascos. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 112 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-119-16106-6.

No Turning Back. (2011). Book by Bryan Anderson with David Mack. Review by Walter F. Benefield. New York, NY: Penguin. 252 pp., $15.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-425-25319-9.

Not Impossible. (2015). Book by Mick Ebeling. Review by Valerie McClinton. New York, NY: Simon and Shuster. 256 pp., $25.00. ISBN 978-1-1467-8280-5.

Online Teaching in Education, Health, and Human Services: Helping Faculty Transition to Online Instruction and Providing Tools for Attaining Instructional Excellence. (2015). Book by Magy Martin and Don Martin. Review by Lindsay Gigous. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas. 190 pp., $29.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-398-08130-0.

Positive: A Memoir (2014). Book by Paige Rawl with Ali Benjamin. Review by Shalece Nuttall. New York, NY: Harper Collins. 272 pp., $18.99 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-06-234251-5.

The Promise of a Pencil: How an Ordinary Person Can Create Extraordinary Change. (2014). Book by Adam Braun. Review by Kathie Sindt. New York, NY: Scribner. 272 pp., $16.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-4767-3062-2.

Proposals That Work: A Guide for Planning Dissertations and Grant Proposals. (2013). Book by Lawrence F. Locke, Waneen Wyric Spirduso, and Stephen J. Silverman. Review by Emily Liverman. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. 408 pp., $65.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-452-21685-0.

Research-Driven Practice in Student Affairs: Implications from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education. (2014). Book by Georgianna L. Martin and Michael S. Hevel (Eds.). Review by Marianne Joyce. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. 112 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-118-97955-6.

Resilience. (2015). Book by Eric Greitens. Review by Vicki D. Fisher. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 301 pp., $26.00. ISBN 978-0-544-32398-8.

Risk Management in Student Affairs: Foundations for Safety and Success. (2014). Book by Thomas E. Miller and Roger W. Sorochty. Review by Jacqueline E. Fischer. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 272 pp., $55.00. ISBN 978-1-118-10091-2.

The Social Media Job Search Workbook: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Work in the Age of Social Media. (2014). Book by Joshua Waldman. Review by Jason C. Wiegand. Bainbridge Island, WA: College Transition. 170 pp., $39.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-1482677676.

Strategic Directions for Career Services Within the University Setting. (2014). Book by Kelli K. Smith (Ed.). Review by Fanie Zis. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 107 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-119-02384-5.

Thank You for Your Service. (2013). Book by David Finkel. Review by Jennifer Carlsson. New York, NY: Picador. 256 pp., $16.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-25-05602-3.

The Undecided College Student: An Academic and Career Advising Challenge. (2015). Book by Virginia N. Gordon and George E. Steele. Review by Chris Venable. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas. 308 pp., $44.95 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-398-09067-8.

Understanding and Addressing Commuter Student Needs (New Directions for Student Services, No. 150). (2015). Book by J. Patrick Biddix (Ed.). Review by Melissa Irvin. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 114 pp., $29.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-1-1191-1519-9.

What Will I Learn In College? (2008). Book by Robert Shoenberg. Review by Lucinda Blue. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities. 29 pp., $12.00 (paperback). ISBN 978-0-9796181-5-4.