Athena's Disguises: Mentors in Everyday Life

by Susan Ford Wiltshire

Book Overview

"For today's world of generational segregation, Susan Ford Wiltshire offers a classical model of the mentor that connects us and provides opportunity for discernment and the exchange of wisdom. The characters of an ancient story lead us to recognize our timeless need to guide and be guided."-Rev. Anne B. Bonnyman, rector, Trinity Episcopal Parish, Wilmington, Delaware

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664221017
• ISBN13: 9780664221010
• Release Date: January 1998
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 147 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Inspiring!

Athena's Disguises does not have to do with mentoring in the modern sense - i.e. where by one receives (or chooses/is chosen by) an individual in the same profession or area of study as oneself who guides and aids in one's own develop and progress...rather this book is about mentoring in the classical sense: "Mentoring in the classical sense, however has to do with discernment of choices rather than with self-advancement in choices already made. It as to do with the company we keep, some of it quite unexpected and perhaps short-lived. It has to do with risk and change as we continue to grow. So...I think in the modern sense, mentoring is generally looked upon as a safety net...an individual takes one on to guide and help...to keep one from taking risks and in the classical sense, it works just the opposite I do believe. What I was struck by most in this book can be illustrated by this quote: "Athena pulls alongside those whose need makes them open to help. She offers the right words in the right place at the right time, thereby empowering her companions to do for themselves whatever it is they uniquely must do." And: "In these disguises Athena imparts to each individual the courage and insight required to become one's best self. She empowers other for the sake of their own journeys. " And finally: "In the classical model elaborated here, mentors have our interest rather than their own at heart. They never want us to become like themselves. Rather, they care about us enough to want us to become who we are, discerning and living out the gifts that are uniquely our own, both individually and within our communities." That more than anything deeply resonates with me...this is what I have tried to do with all my students and have been rebuked repeatedly for it...in some individuals actually feeling that I wasn't teaching them to be exactly like me...to do exactly what I do...and that rather misses the boat...what I strive to teach is a framework that allows each student to incorporate a core set of practices into THEIR beliefs and modes of being...one that they can use and modify for a lifetime...not one that make another a "mini me," that has never been my goal...and I wish I had read this a long time ago...it goes a long way toward explaining my own personal philosophy toward teaching...and that is basically that my "gift" what I have to offer of myself to others is available to EVERYONE without discrimination...that offer it without strings attached...but it seems that less and less people want to run with that, to be guided and nudged rather than told and prodded with a stick to do as I do or as I say and never question it...and you can be JUST LIKE ME. What I want is for my students to go away with something that is uniquely their own, that they can claim as something they did for themselves...not something *I* did for them. I also find messages for myself in this book that keep cropping up for me over and over...the sort o

Mentor Praise

I purchased this two years ago for my mentor, a terrific woman. She raved about this book to me and even took on one of the quotes to use in her many speaches to various mentoring causes. She said it was about time someone spoke about the importance of a mentor and how much societies need them.

A wonderful guide for mentors and mentees

Susan Ford Wiltshire walks the reader through the appearances of Athena in Homer's Odyssey. Athena takes on the appearance of close friends, family members, and strangers in her efforts to guide Odysseus home and help Telemachus into manhood. The word "mentor" comes from Athena's disguise as Mentor the old family friend and trusted advisor.Mentoring has become a hot word for our time. Organizations have set up mentoring programs. Companies have set up mentoring program to offer larger companies. Accepting mentoring is accepting the fact that more can be accomplished through collaboration.Many mentoring programs, however fall short. They have the skills, the knowledge, the time, the motivation but fail because the Mentor and the Mentee do not connect. As Susan F. Wiltshire began her studies and her career she watched the horizon for a mentor. Being on of the first women to enter the University setting as a professor, she longed for a mentor to help her along the rocky path that was ahead. She was well into her thirties when she read the Odyssey with new insight. She writes, "It was an important moment in my life when I finally came to see that the first mentor was a woman after all. Equipped with this story, I began to see mentors all around." (p. xiv)Mentors are all around us, in our homes, our towns, our schools, our workplace, in politics, in chance encounters. Each adding to our life, marking the pathway before us, or pointing in a direction we had not previously considered. While this view of mentoring is very different from the many programs available, it is the view of the mentee. It is the humble realization of how many people have influenced your life.Athena's Disguises was a very insightful book, in both my roles of a mentor and a mentee. As a mentee, I was humbled and grateful to the many people who have helped make me who I am today. As a mentor I saw how Athena never stepped in and took over, never gave strict advice but gently guided. As Wiltshire described Athena's role,"She offers the right words in the right place at the right time, thereby empowering her companions to do for themselves whatever it is they uniquely must do. She helps people become themselves." (p. 131)As I continue on my own life's journey I will encounter more "mentors" and will have the opportunity to be a mentor to those around me. This is a book that can be read again and again. With each new story, I was reminded of a similar incident in my own life. My role as a mentor has changed, as I have tried to do as Athena, and "help [others to] become [their] best self." (p. 132)

This book reads like a novel, but is highly educational.

I am truly grateful that this book found its way into my library. As a student in a Depth Psychology program, I am required to do a community service summer project. For me, an obvious choice was to participate in the mentoring program at the middle school where I teach. In addition to on-site contact hours, I had to submit a research paper to summarize my experience and academic findings on the topic of mentoring. Having read three books on service and one on mentoring, I had tons of information but still no idea how to focus my paper until I found Athena's Disguises. Its appearance is rather deceptive. The beautiful cover jacket, the quality of the paper, and the slim size belied the impact the material would have on me.Through the use of stories, from the Odyssey to the author's recalling of personal tales that have affected her life, the historical and cultural importance of the goddess Athena's role in establishing the classical mentor model is explained in detail. This model is compared and contrasted to the more formal instrumental model often found in businesses and institutions.We traditionally think of a mentor as a wise and respected elder. Susan Ford Wiltshire points out that mentors not only come in all ages, but also in unexpected ways. She also takes the myth of the rugged individualist, who has made a go of it alone, and gently insists that no one's life is their own. Everyone is a reflection of someone else's influence. If we follow in Athena's footsteps, mentors will guide, inspire, and encourage the individual to realize their potential rather than to become duplicates of the mentor.Wiltshire references The Gift by Lewis Hyde when she suggests that, the task of finding one's gifts was considered a labor by the ancient Greeks. My labors this summer have been richly rewarded already through reading this book. I recommend it to anyone who is considering mentoring or sees themselves as an advocate. It would be an excellent present to a favorite teacher or other person who has enriched your life.