Summary: A quick book on the importance of finding a mentor.
At different points in my life I have actively sought out a mentor. In College I asked a couple of professors to formally be a mentor, one of them said yes.
That relationship never developed into what I hoped it would. But the experience has shaped the way I have since approached mentoring.
I wish I had read Tyler Braun’s book prior to that. I think things probably would have turned out differently. I knew I needed the wisdom (and relationship) of an older Christian, but I was not really sure what I was asking for (and neither was the man I was asking.)
So we met a few times, talked, but never really connected deeply and did not continue our relationship all that long. Since then I have been resistant to formalizing mentor relationships because I assumed that they would turn out a similar way. I have several people that I count as mentors, but they are all informal relationships and not nearly as deep as I would like them to be.
Tyler Braun wrote this short (only about 30 pages) book after his realization that a mentor was not going to suddenly stop him on the street and beg to mentor him. It is a practical look at why we need mentors, how to find one and then how to set expectations and begin the relationship.
It is oriented toward 20-somethings, but is practical for most anyone. I think it is also a useful book for those (like me) that are approaching a certain age and should really start seeking out younger people to mentor.
This is a quick (and cheap book) so there is no reason to not pick it up if you have any interest in the mentoring process. And while you are at it you should pick up Braun’s other book Why Holiness Matters. Bookwi.se reviewed it last year and I highly recommend it as well.
How to Find and Thrive With a Mentor Purchase Links: Kindle Edition