Coaching Life
Tony Fusco
Three-Dimensional Press
ISBN 978 1399 93298 1
This book, by chartered psychologist Dr Tony Fusco, differs from most coaching fare in that it explores the lived experience of how it feels to coach and be coached.
Inspired by Irvin Yalom’s Love’s Executioner, Fusco pioneers a new genre that he describes as ‘educational fiction’ as we follow two colleagues, Jasper and Simone, through a series of coaching encounters across the UK.
The business of Coaching Life is conducted via dialogue, and it’s through Jasper and Simone’s conversations that the reader can trace the transformative power of coaching practice.
Repeat reading will bring new perspectives. There’s value here too for the light reader. Where exposition on gestalt, existential or cognitive coaching is needed, Fusco uses a gentle hand. Jasper, Simone and the supporting cast of characters are fleshed out and feel human, in turn humorous and vulnerable. As they build experience and confidence in coaching, we follow the impact it has on their careers and lives.
Fusco has parsed the psychological processes of coaching into a relatable and enjoyable narrative.
- Katie Clarke is a senior business manager at the Institute of Leadership & Management