A PART-TIME CAREER FOR A FULl, TIME YOU

A valuable compendium of facts, advice, and reference sources for anyone entering the part-time labor force--purportedly growing about three times as fast as the full-time labor force. Most especially involved are mothers of school-age or preschool children, senior citizens unable to make ends meet, and students putting themselves through college or grad school; and there's a lot here for them to digest and profit from (with the possible exception of the second group, who aren't really directed to the less age-sensitive industries). Some of this is along general where-we're-going lines (out of a product economy to a more service-oriented economy). Much of it, however, is specific on which occupations offer the most promise for general employment (engineering, health care, etc.), or for part-time employment (accounting, secretarial); which industries are the least receptive to part-timers (mining, construction, manufacturing); etc. Special sections detail the opportunities--now myriad--for part-time work in government (without, however, an assessment of the current cutbacks) and on-campus (some original schemes at Columbia University, a part-time outreach program into the business community at Roosevelt University in Chicago). Alter, author of articles on part-timing for Family Circle, tends to rely on government statistics without explaining their limitations and to follow a rigid hours-only definition of part-time work (dentistry, for instance, is not generally regarded as a part-time profession, though one may conceivably spend less than 35 hours a week practicing it). Still, for those hoping to put their time to profitable use, this has much to offer.