The YAF would like to thank John Wiley & Sons, Inc., for their generous donation of this book for review by a young architect. Other publications in the Architects' Essentials series are planned for review early next year. Carolyn Jones is the YAF AdCom Communications Advisor.

Architect's Essentials of Professional Development is best summed up by the author in the first chapter: "The purpose of this book is to help design firms and individual professionals to improve their competitive position in the marketplace by planning and implementing their own proprietary professional development programs." Throughout the book some excellent suggestions address individual professional development, but it should be noted that the book is primarily focused on the creation of professional development programs within firms.

When I first started the book, I struggled with finding how this topic might be relevant to an audience of young architects. However, the more I read, the more I felt that involvement with a firm's continuing education or learning program-whether helping to start a program or getting involved with the ongoing development of an existing program-is a great way for younger architects to make a big impact in their firms. With its inspirational information (particularly in the early sections of the book where the importance of our careers as life-long learning endeavors is discussed), this book would make an interesting read for any architect interested in pushing the envelope of professional development programs.

As an employee of a very large architecture firm, and a new member of our in-house "university" committee, I found this book very intriguing and full of many good ideas. Even though my firm has a well-established professional development program already in place, it is evident from this book that we still have a long way to go in continuing and increasing the success of the curriculum. Most inspiring to me were the first two chapters of the book, which address why professional development is so critical both for firms and individuals. These chapters contain strategies about how to set a plan for a development program that ties into a firm's culture, goals, and business plan. Knowledge is the key buzz-word Ms. Valence uses throughout the book, emphasizing that "one of the most daunting, yet critical, challenges for firms is capturing and transferring individual experience and tacit knowledge from one generation to the next." It should be noted that the book focuses on long-term knowledge sharing within a firm as a means to provide learning for staff at all levels. The book is not primarily concerned with providing basic training or IDP-related experiences within a firm, which focus on a much more narrow audience.

Ms. Valence organizes the book around the five elements that are critical for the creation of a successful professional development program: Strategy, assessment, planning and design, implementation, and evaluation & improvement. Although those interested in starting a new program would ideally follow these elements in their logical order, her focus on each of the areas provides excellent insights and information for those involved with programs that may benefit from re-visiting some of these issues. For each element, there are multiple examples and case studies of programs at a variety of firms. These examples are definitely a highlight of the book, as they share valuable, tangible insights on how to take various steps to create a professional development program.

Additional bonuses are the "Insider" sections throughout the book. These insightful, personal touches relating to the content of each chapter provide firsthand feedback and thoughts from a variety of professionals, including many members of the AIA College of Fellows. The combination of these commentaries and the examples cited above make this book a powerful companion to actual practice and implementation. The creation of a successful professional development program is not unlike a complex architecture project, and this book truly shares the knowledge of other firms and individuals in a collaborative and instructive way.

For those with an interest in starting or improving a professional development program in any size firm, the Architect's Essentials of Professional Development is a must read. Although this book should be mandatory reading for those involved with professional development in any large firm, I would also highly recommend it for small and medium-size firms that may feel they lack the resources or ability to set up a firmwide education program. The guidelines, examples, and step-by-step process that Ms. Valence walks the reader through help demystify the process of setting up a successful program.

As for those interested in more individual needs, at the end of each chapter is a section called "Mavericks & Sole Proprietors." These parts of the book help translate the primary content of each chapter for those not in a firm with a structured learning program. Professional development is just as important, if not more so, for those outside the traditional firm environment. Although I definitely recommend the book for great advice and inspiration on charting your own professional development, an individual focused solely on personal needs will probably find the majority of the book of limited interest.

If you would like to purchase this book or another part of the AIA/Wiley Architects' Essentials series, visit the AIA Bookstore. AIA members receive a special member discount from 10% to 30%.