Professional development

In 1998, Americans spent $2.2 billion on such learning materials as videos, computer courseware, and, yes, books. So many books, which ones to buy? Salopek, the book review editor for Training & Development, has devised a practical Five-R system as a guide for making your next business book purchase or for evaluating a book you've just read. The five Rs: raison d'etre, (Does the book have a reason for being?) readability (Is the book readable?) reality (Does the book's premise address a real-world problem?) resources (Does the author provide plenty of resources?) recyclability (Is the book useful after one read?). Salopek expands on those criteria with more specific questions-for example, whether a book has exercises or refers to other resources such as a Website--that you can use as a road map, giving weight where you choose according to your needs. The article also lists the 1999 bestsellers of ASTD Press, which are still available. Salopek also previews major HRD and business books to be released in 2000-listed by such topics as best practices, career development, change management, coaching, conflict resolution, creativity, customer service, emotional intelligence, teams, and technology-assisted learning. The article includes practitioners' recommendations and mini reviews of their favorite business books.