Continuing Professional Development (CPD) has a bit of a bad rap. Even people who celebrate the idea of learning and preparing for the future may find the differing approaches inconsistent, dismaying and unhelpful. But CPD has a super-advocate. Step forward Amanda Rosewarne, whose new book offers ‘the secrets to building your career, boosting your business and uplifting our society’. According to Rosewarne, a reimagined CPD could be the key to reinvigorating corporate cultures and their impact on society. In The Power of Continuing Professional Development she sets out her case.

Rosewarne takes an holistic approach. Her book looks at nutrition and the differing learning characteristics and needs of generational cohorts. She is always impressing on us the need to be better and do better. I thought she was particularly compelling on the ability of CPD to support productive cultures.

A strong moral imperative underpins the book. Professional organisations have been granted by society the trust to set and continue to raise standards. And yet a series of modern public scandals have arisen, so Rosewarne challenges us as individuals, as professions and as people working in those professions to do better.

Some of the most useful material is also the most technical. An assessment of different styles of CPD both in the UK and elsewhere, will be, I think, the most repeatedly-thumbed section.

It will be clear from the above that I think that Rosewarne has produced a useful exploration that will be of interest to anyone thinking about productivity and growth at individual, micro and macro levels. 

I do need to point out that the book could and should have been edited more closely. There are some strange sentences, unnecessary typos and some odd typographical choices. 

But although I found these jarring – and would strongly recommend that they are rectified for any subsequent edition of the book – I come away thinking of new strategies for my own CPD and new approaches that I will want to discuss with my work colleagues.

Thanks to Amanda Rosewarne for the review copy and to Anne Cater for the blog tour invitation.