Book review: Work with young people: theory and policy for practice

As someone who has spent his whole career ‘working with young people’ I think that this book is a welcome addition to the literature on young people and the social condition of youth. I should state at the beginning that I enjoyed reading this book which is both thought provoking and challenging. This work will have an obvious attraction to students who are studying subjects which require an understanding of young people and their place within contemporary society and will be of particular interest to youth and community work students. Having said this, the book could make a valuable contribution to the learning of students from a wider range of subjects including social policy, social work, education, criminology and policing. In addition to an academic audience, the book has real relevance for practitioners and it is good to see a book that is well structured in terms of its ability to engage those who are already working with young people. With the convincing evidence that good practitioners are reflective practitioners, Work with young people has much to offer in this regard.