Five years ago, books aimed at providing young scientists a broader glimpse of their career possibilities simply did not exist. However, today, a number of excellent guides are available, including The Scientist As Consultant: Building New Career Opportunities by Carl J. Sindermann and Thomas K. Sawyer, Alternative Careers in Science edited by Cynthia Robbins-Roth, Jump Start Your Career in BioScience by Chandra B. Louise, and, possibly the best yet, Karen Young Kreeger's Guide to Nontraditional Careers in Science.

Like the other authors, Kreeger is a scientist - a Ph.D. in fisheries biology from Oregon State University - who has made the transition. Now a science writer, her book is particularly relevant to Ph.D.s in the life sciences, but offers advice that is broadly applicable across different disciplines. Most of the nearly 100 people she interviews in the book have B.S., J.D., or M.D. degrees.

Unlike many previous "nontraditional" science career books that focus exclusively on individual stories, Kreeger gathers information from multiple sources in eight separate fields, specifically science education; scientific and medical illustration and imaging; scientific and technical writing; informatics technology transfer; business law; and science policy, advocacy, and regulation. She also conducts multiple interviews with scientists in each field, summarizing and synthesizing their advice. The result is a more holistic and less anecdotal source of information for those considering a nontraditional career in science.

Each chapter summarizes the career field and provides a description of its main attributes. Kreeger organizes first-person advice around questions such as: What general advice would you give to a person interested in moving to this field? Kreeger then follows the interviewees' response with general information and lists of resources. The resource lists are what really set this book apart; not only does Kreeger provide pointers to helpful literature, but she also provides lists and descriptions of professional societies. Each chapter finishes with specific job hunting and networking advice.

The book's opening chapter is a discussion of "The Myth" and its aftermath - reviewing science employment statistics and the studies that have transpired over the last decade examining the issue. While the original "Myth" predicted a wave of retirements and job opportunities in academia that failed to materialize, Kreeger's summary suggests that there is also a broader myth, the myth that Ph.D. scientists actually end up in academia. Most do not, a statistic that has always been true but has become even more pronounced over the last decade. In one study of Ph.D. graduates from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas, only five of the 23 graduates of the class of 1987 were in academic posts ten years later. Kreeger reminds her readers that most of them will wind up doing something different than their professors, and that they need to prepare for that fact now.

Kreeger's chapter on science education deserves particular praise. Teaching science, be it in school or to the general public, is so very important to the health of science in general, and I am amazed that no other career guide has focused on this area. Kreeger is careful to identify different subdisciplines of teaching, including informal science education and classroom teaching. Informal science education, such as programs presented in science museums, is an extremely effective means of communicating the value of science to the public. Unfortunately, many graduate students are unaware of alternative career opportunities such as these. Kreeger's discussion of secondary school science education is, sadly, brief, but she does provide important pointers to other resources.

The chapter on science writing is, perhaps, the richest of the entire book. This is no surprise here, as Kreeger is a science writer herself. She takes care to explain and map out the various subdisciplines of science writing, namely, journalism, public affairs, journal and magazine editing and publishing, book editing, as well as others. Science writing, according to Kreeger, will appeal to those interested in working in a variety of settings and who are interested in communicating about science broadly. The fields within science and technical writing are surprisingly distinct, and anyone considering a career as a science or technical writer will find the advice contained in this chapter invaluable. One disappointment: the field of science writing is as competitive as science itself.

The chapters on business and law are broad, but do manage to fill in gaps left by previous books profiling only one or two people in these fields. The chapter on science policy, advocacy, and regulation is excellent, mainly because it includes people other than AAAS congressional science fellows who work on Capitol Hill! There is a huge breadth of science policy and advocacy work out there at the federal, state, and local government levels, as well as with companies and nongovernmental organizations. Kreeger has interviewed a nice assortment of people in this field, including one working abroad.

While the book is packed with valuable information about various career fields, Kreeger's own story of her career transition features all the right advice for young scientists contemplating a change. Kreeger found that there were no magic bullets. "Everyone's path is unique," she observes, "though much can be gained from studying the paths of others." For her, the transition process was gradual, consisting of a series of small steps toward her new career field. Finally, Kreeger encourages others to do as she did and to explore a potential new career field by getting involved, either by volunteering, working part-time, or engaging in the relevant professional societies. Most importantly, according to Kreeger, her strongest motivation for leaving science was to find a vocation that simply made her happy. We in science often forget that in order for a career to be successful, it must be personally fulfilling and enjoyable. If you are not happy with what you are doing for a living, you probably won't be very good at it.

The only drawback to Kreeger's book is that it isn't longer. Eight career fields are only the smallest subset of what's out there for young scientists. Given the small fraction of Ph.D. scientists now ending up in academia, perhaps Kreeger will rethink her title for the second edition as well. There is no such thing as a "traditional" career in science any longer.