BOOKS
Mapping a Professional Career Reviewed by Man L. McClelland
"Challenging" and "frustrating" are the words that keep coming to mind after reading "The Salaried Professional: How to Make the Most of Your Career" by Joseph A. Raelin. The book is challenging because it deals with an important topic and contains many valuable elements; it is frustrating in the same sense as unjelled jelly or a fallen cake—many good ingredients went into the book but the final product doesn't do what it is expected to do. In all fairness, however, part of the blame must be laid to unreasonable expectations. As far as I know, no one to date has been able to write on career guidance with the clear-cut personal applicability that we all wish we could find. The personal ramifications for professional workers of being employed in organizations (that is, being "salaried") deserve careful attention, both by the professionals themselves and by the managers of the organizations. Too often, the term "professional" is assumed to be synonymous with "self-employed"—the private physician being subconsciously taken as the model. Since organization (the integration of the skills and efforts of many people) is one of the hallmarks of civilization, the fact that most professionals, the most highly skilled people in our society, work in organizations is understandable. One of the frustrating aspects of Raelin's book shows up in his first chapter: his very narrow definition of a professional. Perhaps because he is an academic (an associate professor in the departments of administrative sciences and organizational behavior in Boston College's school of management), he comes very close to defining a professional as a Ph.D., with the casual inclusion of M.D.s and lawyers. For example, he refers to engineers as "quasi-professionals." Comparing them to scientists, he finds that they 24
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definition of a professional, I believe, is a basic assumption that also runs throughout the book—a belief that the professional is inherently in conflict with management and the organization. Examples of this viewpoint: "Most professionals can now be found working in organizations which, by their nature, threaten professional autonomy and ethical standards . . ."; "Management is often found to have little patience with "The Salaried Professional: How to elegant procedures practiced by the Make the Most of Your Career" by professional". . ."; and "[An] impedJoseph A. Raelin, Praeger Publishers, iment [is] placed on professional 521 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. conduct by the bureaucracy." The 10175, 1984, 287 pages, $35.95 in reader obviously should recognize the author's bias. hardback and $15.95 in paperback Chapters titled "Self-Assessment," Alan L. McClelland, assistant to the di"Career Stages," "Job Analysis," rector of Du Font's central R&D de"Organizational Diagnosis," and partment, joined Du Pont as a research "Balance-Imbalance Analysis and chemist in 1954 and in I960 began Plan for Change" provide much ivorking as a campus recruiter for the useful guidance on the factors that employee relations department. From need to be considered in evaluating 1969 to 1983, he was personnel admincareer opportunities. A quite helpful istrator in the research division of Du feature is the inclusion of many Font's central R&D department questionnaires, lists, worksheets, and other material intended for use by readers in planning their own cado not have "as rigorous an educa- reers. Thus, the book is truly a tional background" and "do not workbook of considerable value. maintain an identification with their Although these exercises in anaprofession . . . to the same extent." lyzing oneself, one's job, and one's Moreover, he says that "scientists are organization can be very thought seen as interested in pursuing a ca- provoking and provide insight into reer in their field, whereas engineers personal situations, the challenge is think in terms of a career in their to relate them to the real-life situacompany." However, he notes that tions in which people find themPh.D. engineers are much more like selves. Inevitably, the exercises and "scientists." What he is really dealing the supporting text must be quite with, apparently without recogniz- general. This is not really a shorting it, is the average differences in coming of the book; it stems from the point of view between people with impossibility of personalizing any bachelor's degrees and people with such study. But it does mean that the doctor's degrees. reader must put a very substantial This narrowness of view, which is amount of thoughtful effort into implicit throughout the book, greatly translating the generalities into limits its usefulness for many po- conclusions specific enough to have tential readers. Any reader who ac- any significant effect on planning his cepts this narrow viewpoint will se- or her own career. Still, what more riously inhibit his or her consider- important goal for such an effort? ation of many interesting and In his latest book (his previous one important career options. was called "Building a Career"), Directly related to this restricted Raelin has provided a workbook
Planning for a career in a profession is a very personal undertaking, but a new book offers some general guidance
Books with considerable personal useful ness. He also has produced a schol arly work that can be of value to managers and personnel adminis trators involved in developing the careers of others. The book cites much other litera ture; its bibliography includes more than 250 references. Thus, it can provide useful leads to a wide range of literature helpful in developing materials specifically tailored to an individual organization. "The Salaried Professional" is a serious attempt to provide a useful guide to a complex and important subject. It can be valuable to the in dividual who is willing to make a substantial effort to translate it into a personally useful form. It probably should be required reading for ev eryone seriously involved in man aging career development—not be cause it will provide all the answers but because it could well serve as a starting point for the development of materials, such as workbooks or dis cussion outlines, that are more di rectly applicable to a particular or ganization. D Acceptable Risk. Baruch Fischhoff et al. xv + 185 pages. Cambridge University Press, 32 East Fifth St., New York, N.Y. 10022. 1984. $21.95 hardbound; $8.95 paperback. Aerosols —an Industrial and Environmental Science. George M. Hidy. xx + 774 pages. Ac ademic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1984. $89. Analytical Profiles of Drug Substances. Vol. 12. Klaus Florey, editor, ix + 735 pages. Aca demic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1983. $47. Annual Review of Nutrition. Vol. 4. William J. Darby, Harry P. Broquist, Robert E. Olson, editors, χ + 610 pages. Annual Review, 4139 El Camino Way, Palo Alto, Calif. 94306. 1984. $27. Applied Industrial Catalysis. Vol. 1. Bruce E. Leach, editor, xi + 304 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1983. $43.
Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $45. The Biochemistry of the Carotenoids. Vol. 2. 2nd Ed. T. W. Goodwin, xvi + 224 pages. Chapman & Hall, 733 Third Ave., New York, N.Y.10017. 1984. $50. Calcium and Its Role in Biology. Vol. 17. Helmut Sigel, editor, xxiii + 532 pages. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1984. $85. Calculator Programs for Chemical Engineers. Vol. 2. David J. Deutsch et al. 258 pages. McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1221 Ave. of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020. 1984. $37.50. Cationic Polymerization and Related Pro cesses. E. J. Goethals, editor, ix + 431 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1984. $35. The Central Science: Essays on the Uses of Chemistry. George B. Kauffman, H. Harry Szmant, editors, xiii + 181 pages. Texas Christian University Press, Box 30783, Fort Worth, Tex. 76129. 1984. $15. Chemical Reactor Design and Operation. K. R. Westerterp, W. P. M. Van Swaaij, A. A. C. M. Beenackers. xxxii + 767 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $100. The Chemistry of Ruthenium. Elaine A. Seddon, Kenneth R. Seddon. xxxix + 1373 pages. Elsevier Science Publishing Co., 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1984. $250. Cogeneration: Engineering, Design, Fi nancing, and Regulatory Compliance. Charles H. Butler, ix + 442 pages. McGrawHill Book Co., 1221 Ave. of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020. 1984. $39.50. Compact Heat Exchangers. 3rd Ed. W. M. Kays. A. L. London, xv + 335 pages. McGrawHill Book Co., 1221 Ave. of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020. 1984. $39.50. Computer Aided Engineering for Injection Molding. Ernest C. Bernhardt, editor, xvi + 439 pages. Scientific and Technical Books, Macmillan Publishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10022. 1984. $39.50.
Aspartame: Physiology and Biochemistry. Lewis D. Stegink, L. J. Filer Jr., editors, xiii + 670 pages. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $79.75.
Computers in Flavor and Fragrance Research. ACS Symposium Series 261. Craig B. Warren, John P. Walradt, editors, ix + 163 pages. American Chemical Society, 1155—16th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036. 1984. $29.95.
BASIC Programs for Chemical Engineering Design. James H. Weber, viii + 184 pages.
Contemporary Biomaterials. John W. Boretos, Murray Eden, editors, xxvi + 673 pages. Noyes
Fill a Staff Position on Caoitol Hill Two ACS Congressional Fellowships Available To Begin Fall 1985 The objectives of the fellowship program are: • To provide an opportunity for scientists to gain firsthand knowledge of the op erations of the legislative branch of the) federal government, • To make available to the government an increasing amount of scientific and technical expertise, and • To broaden the perspective of both the scientific and governmental com munities regarding the value of such scientific-governmental interaction.
Applications should be submit ted by January 31, 1985 to: Dr. Annette T. Rosenblum Department of Public Affairs American Chemical Society 1155—16th St., N.W. Washington, D.C. 20036
Applications consist of a letter of intent, resume, and two letters of reference. The letter of intent should include a description of the applicant's experience in publicoriented projects in which scientific or technical knowledge was used as a basis for interaction and a statement that tells why they have applied for the Fellowship and what they hope to accomplish as an ACS Congressional Fellow. The resume should describe the candidate's educa tion and professional experience and in clude other pertinent personal informa tion. Letters of reference should be so licited from people who can discuss not only the candidate's competence but also the applicant's experience in publicoriented projects. Arrangements should be made to send the letters of reference directly to ACS. For further information call (202) 872-4384.
October 15, 1984 C&EN
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Last Session This Year!
Chemical Engineering and Process Fundamentals for Chemists An Intensive Short Course presented by the American Chemical Society Wednesday-Friday, November 28-30, 1984 Los Angeles, California So important, 8 sessions were scheduled this year—this is the last one for 1984! This popular course not only focuses on the interaction of chemical engineering with chemical phenomena and processes but also shows how to put this knowledge to work. This is an industry-oriented, problemsolving approach that covers: • reactor design and scale-up • fluid flow, heat and mass transfer • chemical kinetics • economic evaluations of overall processes, equipment, time value, and marketing • much more Faculty: Dr. Richard G. Griskey, Dean, School of Engineering, University of Alabama—Huntsville. For free descriptive brochure, write, mail coupon, or call collect (202)872-4508. American Chemical Society Education Division 1155 16th St., N.W. Washington, DC 20036 Please send me a free brochure on the ACS Short Course "Chemical Engineering and Process Fundamentals for Chemists" to be held Nov. 28-30, 1984, in Los Angeles, CA. Name Title Organization Address City, State, ZIP
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October 15, 1984 C&EN
Books Publications, Mill Rd. at Grand Ave., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. 1984. $84.
The Chemistry of Excitation at Interfaces
Creative Financing for Energy Conservation and Cogeneration. F. William Payne, xi + 277 pages. Fairmont Press, P.O. Box 14227, Atlanta, Ga. 30324. 1984. $36. Database Management in Science and Tech nology. John R. Rumble Jr., Viktor E. Hampel, editors, xiv + 263 pages. Elsevier Science Publishing Co., 52 Vanderbilt Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1984. $45. Deactivation of Catalysts. R. Hughes, xviii + 265 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1984. $42. D e c o n v o l u t i o n - w i t h Applications in Spectroscopy. Peter A. Jansson, editor, xv + 342 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1984. $69. The Design and Application of Process An alyzer Systems. Paul E. Mix. xiii + 312 pages. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $55. Designing Machines and Dies for Polymer Processing with Computer Programs: FOR TRAN and BASIC. Natti S. Rao. 207 pages. Scientific Technical Books, Macmillan Pub lishing Co., 866 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10022. 1981. $31. The Determination of Ionization Constants. 3rd Ed. Adrien Albert, E. P. Serjeant, χ + 218 pages. Chapman & Hall, 733 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10017. 1984. $33. Electrical Phenomena at Interfaces. Ayao Kitahara, Akira Watanabe, editors, xi + 463 pages. Marcel Dekker Inc., 270 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $79.50. Equations of Membrane Biophysics. N. Lakshminarayanaiah. χ + 426 pages. Academic Press, 111 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y. 10003. 1984. $69. The Experience of Science: An Interdisci plinary Approach. Martin Goldstein, Inge Goldstein, xxiv + 400 pages. Plenum Press, 233 Spring St., New York, N.Y. 10013. 1984. $22.50. Heat Conduction. Ulrich Grigull, Heinrich Sandner. xx -I- 187 pages. Hemisphere Pub lishing Co., 79 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $34. Heterogeneous Reactions: Analysis, Exam ples, and Reactor Design. Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. L. K. Doraiswamy, M. M. Sharma. xxxi + 538, xxiv + 374 pages, respectively. John Wiley & Sons Inc., 605 Third Ave., New York, N.Y. 10016. 1984. $66.95, $59.95, respectively.
He*"· by J. Kerry Thomas University of Notre Dame Describes the unique features of photochemical and radiolytic reactions in colloidal sys tems. Looks at pros and cons of both photo- and radiation chemistry. Assesses the re cent developments in and the influence of organized assem blies on radiation induced re actions, either photochemical or radiolytic in origin. Includes brief descriptions of basic con cepts and techniques of pho tochemistry, radiation chemis try, and colloid chemistry. CONTENTS Introduction · Basic Principles of Ex citation Processes · Chemistry of In termediates · Experimental Tech niques · Colloidal Systems · Micellar Systems · Reactions in Micellar Systems · Reversed Micelles • Microemulsions and Liquid Crys tals · Bilayer and Monolayer Sys tems · Specialized Systems · Biosystems of Interest ACS Monograph 181 336 pages (1984) Clothbound LC 84-9365 ISBN 0-8412-0816-6 US & Canada $64.95 Export $77.95 Order from: American Chemical Society Distribution Office Dept. 08 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington, DC 20036 or CALL TOLL FREE 800-424-6747 and use your VISA, MasterCard, or American Express credit card.
