On Becoming a Professional Geographer

This book was first published in 1989 and is now reprinted. The book is divided into 5 sections - Graduate School - Beyond Graduate School - Writing - Editorial and Grant-getting Secrets - Academic Survival When this book was published in 1989, it was immediately recognized as meeting a disciplinary need. There has been a tendency in academic geography to believe that our students attain a necessary degree of professionalism as a simple byproduct of fulfilling degree requirements. In fact this is seldom the case. On Becoming a Professional Geographer was the right tool at the right time. Kenzer's collection provides a valuable introduction to a fundamental tool set for aspiring geographers. The first section of the book addresses many of the basic challenges for surviving and even prospering in graduate school. I would recommend these readings to anyone seriously interested in graduate education in geography - at least in North America. The second section concerns getting a job, including a review of opportunities and challenges for neophytes. Section three contains the chapters that I recommend most often to my own students. These are concerned with the arts and skills associated with writing. Several of the discipline's best share their experiences and advice. The suggestions and guidelines are sound, and are produced in a style that is accessible and encouraging. This section alone makes the book worthwhile reading. The fourth section concerns survival in academia. There is little in the content of this book that will not have aged well. The reprinted book will make this resource available to another generation of geographers who stand to benefit substantially from the examples and advice provided. Any geographer will find something of value in On Becoming a Professional Geographer. For some, the book will make life a whole lot easier.