"Facilitation" by Trevor Bentley

Trevor Bentley's book on Facilitation is a wonderful source of learning. This is partly because of what the author shares of his experiences as a facilitator, and partly because of the way in which he does so. The book is structured around a case study of a facilitation skills workshop that he facilitated, which he describes with such clarity that as I read the book I felt like I was part of the workshop and that I cared about what was happening for the participants. The combination of explaining what he did and why (and what other techniques might or might not work), and the ways in which he modelled his own values through what he did, is a powerful one and made my learning seem experiential.

Throughout the book the author demonstrates that it is the other person's process that he is facilitating, that anything might happen and frequently does - and how good contact can enable individuals and groups to grow and develop. The book is a remarkable testimony to the ability of individuals to achieve things for themselves and to take control of and responsibility for their own efforts and achievements.