This is a book about social workers and social work. It tells the story of the journey into and through social work of people from around the world living and working in social work today. We hear what has brought them into social work and what has kept them in it since. Their lively accounts demonstrate that commitment and passion remain at the heart of social work today. This new edition of Becoming a Social Workeris made up of entirely new stories. It describes what it is like to be a social worker in a range of different practice settings and even in different countries. Half of the narratives are from practitioners and educators based in the UK. The other half of the book focuses on international experiences of social workers, and ideas about the role of social work, in countries such as Australia, the US, South Africa and India. Some of the contributors can be recognised as those who have played a key part in shaping social work over the years and they provide valuable insights into how the profession of social work has developed in that time. Other contributors, less well known but no less interesting, give us a vivid idea of what social work practice and social work education is like 'on the ground'. Social work is a demanding and difficult job which goes largely unseen within society. We only ever hear about social work and social workers when something goes wrong and a vulnerable adult or child is hurt. Becoming a Social Workersets out to change that - to make social work visible, so that those considering a career in the caring professions can make an informed choice about whether social work is the career for them.