Book recommendations!
Sorry I've not been around this week, I've been unwell and haven't been able to string a sentence together!
This is a bit of a mish mash of books as a lot of these aren't ones you'd find on reading lists as I've found for subjects such as law and sociology lectures have their own favourite text which, in our case, was linked with our handouts. I also feel I should point out that I have a rather costly obsession with books and I am by no means saying that you should go and buy all these books, I'm aware I have an obsession with books (love to read!) and am lazy when it comes to accessing the library regularly but these are a few (eek) of the books I've found useful and value for money - i.e. I keep coming back to them.
Critical Thinking Skills - Stella Cottrell. I've found this book really useful at not only teaching me what analytical skills are but it gives exercises to work through and pages which you can photocopy and use to work through journal's, articles, books, arguments etc. I wish I'd have known about this prior to starting the course as I was so motivated and desperate to start reading that I'd have worked through it prior to the course!
Contemporary British Society - Abercrombie. This was recommended by a lecture, although it's a sociology book it's not a text book but I've found it useful for virtually every essay. At the end of each chapter it recaps on key points and is easy to dip in and out of or I'm sure you could work through it cover to cover.
English Grammar - Usborne Better English. Now this may be controversial with some of the more classic members of care space but at school I wasn't taught grammar, so when one of my first essays was returned talking of clauses belonging to the first sentence completed in the second I was a little flummoxed! A lecturer recommended this book, it's cheap and like the Cottrell book has exercises to work through and can be done quite quickly - it really made me think about not only writing a plan for entire essay but to look at planning paragraphs and sentences. Brilliant book!
Radical Social Work - there's the original theory, a book dating back to movement in the 70's. A brilliant book detailing a collection of essays looking at social issues on a larger scale. Radical social work really appeals to me as it looks at the bigger picture, the structural issues and causes of the problems we will face on a day to day basis. There's an up to date book called Radical Social Work in Practice - Ferguson due out in May (you can preorder it from Amazon) which brings the movement up to date and personally I think it's a must.
Not a book recommendation but on the subject of radical social work - a fantastic site offering commentary on current social issues - Barefoot Social Worker.
Ethics and Values in Social Work - Sarah Banks. Really useful book and gets used for most essays. I've found locating myself and my values an incredibly important part of my journey on the course, it hasn't been easy and at times quite harrowing to find out about myself but your ethics and your values are the most important part of direct work. My learning style led me to buy another ethics book as I like small chunks with exercises to work through to apply the knowledge - this led me to buy Value Base of Social Work and Social Care - an active learning handbook.
Modern Social Work Theory - Malcolm Payne. Really useful book when pulling together all the theories, I found it incredibly useful on placement. Easily dipped in and out of and great for essays.
Anti Disciminatory Practice - Neil Thompson. I bought this to work through Thompson's PCS model of oppression and have found it really useful in essays, had to dip into it and apply it to essays to work through it, I couldn't have sat and read it cover to cover.