At The Helm

Customer Reviews

• Must have for all research lab heads  Feb 21, 2002 (32 of 32 found this helpful)

  This is a fantastic book. The author interviewed about a hundred new and seasoned lab leaders, and not only summarizes their advice clearly and succinctly, but also includes lots of anonymous quotations presenting a spectrum of opinions on any particular issue. And the book covers _many_ issues of interest to those setting up a lab, and those who wish to improve the way they run their lab. It focuses mostly on academic labs, but also presents some issues peculiar to industry. It really goes into every detail about people-managing issues.
  Each chapter has tens of references to other useful books and articles. Kathy really did her homework. I can say nothing bad about the book. Get it.

• Invaluable tool for becoming productive and efficient in your research lab  Aug 3, 2005 (19 of 19 found this helpful)

  This is the book all grad students should read because this book discusses the things that you typically don't learn in grad school. The book is meant for new faculty, but anyone interested in learning practical lab management issues is encouraged to read this book. There is something useful in this book for both green rookies and experienced veterans.
  
  There is nothing in the book that is earth-scattering information; most of it is common sense. But nowhere else have I seen such a variety of practical information on lab management compressed into one book. There are even a variety of quotes from other professors about specific situations that are quite enlightening.
  
  The author includes many topics such as conflict resolution, time and management, recruitment skills, and general management skills. Of course none of these topics are covered in dramatic detail (and likely don't need to be) but each one is broken down into very manageable, independent sections. I found myself applying immediately the things I had learned, realizing ways I can supervise my students better than I had before.
  
  The text is also geared more towards academic life sciences, but even as a physicist I found this book invaluable. Highly recommended to anyone working in a lab, and in particular to anyone charged with management responsibilities in a laboratory setting. The author is to be congratulated!
  
  

• An outstanding primer to managing a laboratory  Jun 11, 2002 (23 of 24 found this helpful)

  Scientific faculty are chosen for their ability to do science; not to manage it. Indeed, many young scientists fail precisely because they are unable to shift from the bench to the office. Kathy Barker's book provides a wealth of information for new investigators. The advice, gleaned from interviews with a great many scientists, from Nobel laureates to those that have failed miserably, provides an outstanding road map for those embarking on this critical new phase of their career. No postdoc will leave my lab without receiving a copy as a parting gift.

• Fantastic for the new professor  Dec 31, 2003 (21 of 22 found this helpful)

  I love this book and only wish it was published when I was first starting a faculty position. Definitely a biologist's perspective (and a lab-oriented one at that), but it covers many of the trials and tribulations of starting a new faculty position: setting up a lab, assessing priorities, making hires, managing committees, managing colleagues, etc.

  The worst part of the job is often maintaining harmony in the lab (which, of course, we're never taught in graduate school), and Barker has great advice on building or rebuilding lab morale, dealing with lab member disputes, and the dreaded firing process. I recommend this book wholeheartedly!

• I returned it  May 17, 2007 (1 of 6 found this helpful)

  It is just a vaguely defined compillation of subjective advices about a host of completely different topics, written in the style of a pop magazine.