Aptly described as a book "for practitioners working with young people and students on youth and community training courses", this is not so much a book for dipping into, as studying in depth the chapters relevant to a situation. New governmental policies and initiatives have made this a necessary book for keeping up-to-date with the numerous changes.

The framework of the book is divided into three sections, containing chapters by nearly three dozen contributors, whose diversification is a great strength of the book, as all types and kinds of youth work are addressed.

The first section "The Context of Practice" deals with working with various groups, such as disabled, black, lesbian, gay and rural areas. Each chapter commences with key points and ends with a conclusion, key questions, references and further reading. This structure is kept all throughout the book.

The second section "The Practice of Youth Work," "identifies the core methodologies used by practitioners in the field". It also gives some of the tools available. Topics covered include group work, mentoring, peer education and youth exchange.

The final section "Work with Young People", "deals in greater depth with the needs of young people characterised by particular experiences of exclusion." Asylum seekers, travellers, young offenders, women with children and the unemployed are some of the groups that are dealt with in this section.

This practical book, deals with a number of pertinent issues, not omitting basics but facing up to emotive situations.

Carol Purves
Carol is a music teacher, with much experience of parenting in the context of a residential community.