Today, Professor Mark Reed publishes his latest book, The Productive Researcher. It's a good book: he has interviewed many successful researchers, reflected on his own experience, and drawn together many different strands of thought to create a guide, or tool-kit for academic researchers, who are under increasing pressure to be more 'productive.'
The first half of the book is focussed on fundamental principles, and the second on practical applications. I mention it here because Chapter Three draws extensively on my work on the ManyStory approach, and applies it in this context, with examples from Mark's own and other researchers' experience.
It is fascinating to read how someone has taken the material presented in Shifting Stories and applied and interpreted it in a specific context. Mark's presentation takes the work further, too, looking at how stories and identity intertwine, and further develops thoughts about the importance of personal values in this context. He also introduces some useful practical exercises.
This is the first time I have been aware of my work being explored in another book, which is both flattering and gratifying, of course. However, I should also add that it is only one component of the toolkit that Mark has compiled: the rest of the book is well worth reading, too; and the lessons apply far more broadly than just to the world of research.