Partners in Innovation is a book about this general group of TAs, although it is neither a “how to” nor an “everything you need to know” kind of book. Elaine Seymour and her collaborators have combined their experiences and information from research with the assessment and evaluation portions of several reform initiatives to define the major issues. The book focuses on the roles of TAs and TA interactions with faculty and students when curricular or pedagogical changes are implemented in courses for which they have some responsibilities.

The book is based largely on data collected during NSF-sponsored reform initiatives. Two of these, the ChemLinks/ModularCHEM and a University of California Berkeley TA education program—Educating Teaching Assistants in New Models for Teaching and Learning—were in chemistry; another was in astronomy. The book starts with a chapter about the importance of TAs (here again, with the general definition) to teaching science to undergraduates. Next, the roles of TAs in the initiatives are defined (Chapter 3), followed by the benefits to TAs (Chapter 4), TAs’ evaluations of the initiatives (Chapter 5), and the assistants’ part in dealing with learning difficulties and student resistance (Chapter 6). The next two chapters talk about redefining the roles of TAs in terms of expanding the traditional work (Chapter 7) and describing new facets (Chapter 8). The last portion includes the relative contributions of TAs (Chapter 9), professional development (Chapter 10, including a succinct review of the massive literature on this subject), and collegial engagement (Chapter 11), followed by conclusions in the final chapter.

This is a scholarly work with many tables of quantitative data and loads of qualitative research data. It is full of quotations that serve as examples of the observations and conclusions of the authors. The book is very readable; the organization and writing style make the topics flow together in a manner that makes it thoughtful and intellectual, yet easily accessible. The authors are not preaching, although there are several messages. For example, TAs want to and can be very useful, yet they also need formal educational preparation. Each chapter has explanatory footnotes; these often provide links to references that are part of a seven-page bibliography. There is a useful index.

So what if you don’t have a substantial reform underway for your course(s) or aren’t even sure you want to start one? Although the premise of the book is a look at teaching assistants as partners in change and innovation, the authors provide tremendous insights into the roles and functions of these assistants in traditional settings. Because of the broad nature of this group of “assistants”, this book should appeal to anyone who works with or supervises them, including faculty or professional staff members with instructional responsibilities at institutions ranging from small colleges to research universities. Overall, the evidence and information in Partners in Innovation suggests that you can count on your assistants. In the authors’ words in Chapter 9 in which they compare and contrast the TAs’ perception and response to their roles in innovation—“the data…highlight the potential of TAs to be useful, even critical, partners in enabling these innovations to work well”. In the opinion of this reviewer the observations and conclusions are transferable from those in the studies to a much broader set of institutions and circumstances. Partners in Innovation would be a useful addition to your book collection about utilizing and mentoring teaching assistants of all types; I recommend it to you.