The author, Samuel Malone has served as a training consultant, training manager and a lecturer. His graduate education is from the University of Sheffield and he resides in Dublin, Ireland. Among his seven completed books are several that are directly related to the same topic addressed in this book. They are “Mind Skills for Managers”, “Success Skills for Managers”, and “Learning about Learning”.

This book is filled with information useful to managers of all stripes. It is written to be a textbook, which means it has parts that require dense reading. It distills the very forefront of theories that address issues of adult learning, the learning organization, accelerated learning, brain research, multiple intelligence, emotional intelligence, creativity, and workplace learning. The author then extends the learning by bringing these theories into the practical strategies for good performance and profitability at the corporate level. In pursuing these theories further Malone then goes into the tools, techniques, and resources needed by training managers and the others involved with training. An important segment, especially for the busy reader, is the highly useful summary provided at the end of each chapter,

Malone begins this work with a chapter on “How Adults Learn”, and explains how adults’ learning differs from children’s. The two types of learning are deep and surface. He then stresses the four stages of learning: unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, and then each of these at the conscious level.

In the following chapter, which addresses the subject of “Brain-based Learning”, Malone points out is that the brain expands with use. In other words, it is a case of “using or losing it”. The principles of brain-based learning include the knowledge that the brain is holistic; emotions do affect learning, and the brain works in patterns. An interesting diagram of these relationships is provided.

“Workplace Learning” is especially interesting for those involved with human resources management. Malone points out that on-the-job skills, for the most part, are picked up through observation, demonstration, and practice. The use of teams has been found to be a most effective way to learn new skills and techniques. Chief among the needed competencies of workers are interpersonal relationship skills, teamwork, and computer literacy. He points out that seventy percent of learning is informal and a chief way workers acquire new knowledge and skills is through their fellow colleagues at work.

Included is a chapter on “Mentoring”, which many think is a vital ingredient of learning in the workplace. The role of the mentor is to advise, guide, counsel, coach, and provide other support to learners as they aspire to advance in their careers. It has become a widely accepted method of improving workers. Ideally, there should be an attempt to match the personalities of the mentees and mentors, as well as similarities in background, experience, and learning styles. Because of the difficulty in achieving such a match in many cases, an induction training to prepare both mentors and mentees can make the difference.

Chapter 14, the final one, is “Creativity in the Workplace”. Malone points out that the basic notion of creativity is about generating new ideas or discovering novel solutions to workplace problems. Malone examines two types of thinking, creative thinking and logical thinking, and explains why each is important. Creative thinking is imaginative, unpredictable and intuitive; whereas, logical thinking is predictable, linear, and convergent. The stages of creativity are preparation, effort, incubation, insight, and evaluation. Coming up with new products and processes is innovative creativity. Improving them is the result of adaptive creativity. As in many of the chapters, this is followed by an informative diagram.

The Index is useful for readers who wish to go back to particular sub topic or issue. In summary, the book is well written but needs to be carefully read in order to capture the many ideas presented.

This book review was contributed by Lynne M. Gilli, Program Manager of Career and Technology Education in the Maryland State Department of Education in Baltimore, Maryland, and Angelo C. Gilli, retired.