Review of "Teach to Work: How a Mentor, a Mentee, and a Project Can Close the Skills Gap in America," by Patty Alper

Review of

Teach to Work: How a Mentor, a Mentee, and a Project Can Close the Skills Gap in America, by Patty Alper ISBN 9781629561622

Five out of five stars

This book is definitely the old made new again, a concept just as valuable now as it was at the dawn of humanity and the cooperative hunt. The theme is directed education based on the mentor/mentee relationship that was known for millennia (and in Star Wars) as the master/apprentice. A person with expertise in a field develops a relationship with a student where they teach them their skills, give them projects to work on, then coach them through the production process.

 The content of the book is based on what is the “new” term “Project Based Mentoring.” The mentor accepts a small number of apprentices, challenges them to develop their own projects of interest, then

“You would meet with students one on one and provide skill-based coaching, strategic oversight, logistical suggestions, and guidance when it comes time to give a formal project presentation.”

 Most of the book is a recitation of examples of successful mentoring relationships, how they were done and the dramatic consequences in the lives of the mentees. The stories are uplifting and unlike the tales that you read about in some books, completely believable. It all started with master hunters teaching the young how to engage in a cooperative hunt for dangerous and larger game, in the modern world the skill sets are sharper and no less essential for survival. This is an engaging, fun book to read and the content is timeless.