Praise for previous editions: "As interest in coaching grows, I think Flaherty's book will come to stand out as a definitive work." Peter M. Senge, Director of the Center for Organizational Learning, MIT Sloan School of Management and author of The Fifth Discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization "As the field of coaching finds its way to becoming a mature discipline, James Flaherty's dedicated field research, study, and sound articulation offers a definitive ground and a sensibility of genuine care. At the core this book offers a way of thinking about human beings that makes action and practice central to learning. This is a no-nonsense, generous, pragmatic book that belongs on the shelf every coach, novice or veteran." Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Ph.D., Founder of Somatic Coaching and author of The Anatomy of Change and Holding The Center "In Ancient Rome, Mark Anthony approached Julius Caesar and posed a question about the Patrician Guards who patrolled and kept the city safe. His compelling question was 'Ipso custodies custodiet?' - 'Who guards the guards?'. It was an incisive query that might well be asked today of the scope and license that coaches have with their clients. James Flaherty asks that question of us as coaches in a unique and inescapable way. As a master coach and teacher of coaches James Flaherty provides an irreplaceable role - a vital pilot light on the limitless directions that coaches might consider taking. His book frames deep questions about how humans operate across a series of interconnected domains such as the mind, body and emotions, which will give both new and experienced coaches pause to reflect. He frames crisp distinctions about the coaching process which will generate new perspectives on the role of the coach. He leaves a trail of deeply researched threads that the reader can explore after reading to deepen their knowledge and understanding. All of this is done in a crisp and quietly elegant dialogue which make