5 comments about The Night Watch.

1. This novel is interesting in concept -- going backwards through time to delve into how a set of characters ended up where they are at. And the backdrop of war time Britain is marvelously dark and wrought with peril. At the same time, I was disappointed by the lack of true depth to the characters. Unlike other novels by this author, it is more difficult in this novel to dive into the characters' heads. Perhaps Viv is the most fleshed out of the lot, and even then, it takes a bit of work. Duncan, Helen, Kay all fall a bit flat. I kept hoping to capture more of their spirit. A much better novel by this author would be "Affinity" which plumbs the depths of the characters' psyches and delivers a delicious twist in the end. Perhaps that is why I was a bit disappointed with "The Night Watch" -- while it is a decent enough creation, it doesn't linger on the mind the way I've come to expect from such a talented author.



2. To start with, before people start throwing things at me, let me say that I realize that the set of main characters here includes some males and a heterosexual woman. However the stories of these characters are, at least for me, quite banal, and the book would have been better off without them. The main story here, for me at least, concerns the three lesbians Helen, Julia, and Kay.
   
   I have not read any of Sarah Waters other books, but I get the feeling that this was her first book, and that she was originally unable to publish it. Then, after the success of her other books, I believe, she resubmitted this book (perhaps because of a contractual obligation) and the publisher accepted it. It's a weak book. As several other reviewers have mentioned, there is no real plot, and because of this even the three main characters never reach their potential.
   
   The book is divided into three main sections, in reverse chronological order. The first section, set in 1947, is about 175 pages long, and is almost a sort of prelude. Ideally, it ought to intrigue the reader, making the reader want to get to the two subsequent, chronologically earlier sections to find out how these characters got into their 1947 situation. Unfortunately, though, this 1947 situation is not very interesting, so the reader is not all that intrigued.
   
   And this is the problem with the whole backwards structure of the book. The reader gradually learns the original story behind all those things in the first two (but later in time) sections of the book which the author intended to be so mysterious. But they these later events are only mildly puzzling, not intriguing, so by the time one gets to the explanations, the reader has almost forgotten them. Or at least that was true for me.
   
   The last section of the book, set in 1941, is only about fifty pages long, and certainly has the most intense story.
   
   One can see why the author couldn't tell the story in chronological order, because that would have put all the most interesting interactions at the beginning of the book and then the remainder of the novel would have been a long anti-climax. The novel would have been a story of some characters who have some very intense experiences during the the London blitz, and then gradually grow older and have lives that become fairly ordinary. The usual way to handle a problem like this would be to start with the recent part of the story and then tell the older material in a series of flashbacks. Presumably the author originally tried this but couldn't make it work.
   
   The thing is that this is not a book whose main interest comes from the story line. But there are some very vivid scenes in the wartime sections, especially the long scene where Helen and Julia go out for a very dangerous walk in London during the blackout with the bombs falling. (A scene that's even more interesting because Helen is cheating on Kay. If the reader remembers from the first section of the book, one will be aware that Helen will eventually break up with Kay and become in a committed relationship with Julia.) These scenes, and some of the interactions between the characters, are what make the book worth reading. But it's hard to keep reading when there's no strong strong plot that makes the reader keep thinking, "I've got to find out what happens next."



3. Moving backwards in time, the story covers the lives of four Londoners during WWII (2 women and 1 man, all gay except for one straight woman). The lives connect and intersect in surprising and revealing ways. Tender and extraordinarily intimate with the backdrop of brutal war.



4. This is the first Sarah Waters novel I have picked up and, I have to say, I have no doubt about her qualifications for being a finalist for the Man Booker Prize. "The Night Watch" was masterfully written and each of her characters came across as being distinct and separate individuals. Although the story is told backwards, from 1947 to 1941, the reader is not left feeling as though something gravely important is being withheld. Each timeframe operates on its own as story and, even though the rest of the tale is illuminating, a piece can be held as a complete entity. The way the pieces are tied together at the end, however, are well worth the wait and add quite a bit to the plotline and character development. Waters's writing is beautiful in its descriptions and feelings, almost as though she had a direct eye on the events surrounding the war. This is no rose-tinted commentary on human nature, but gritty and dirty beauty.



5. 
   I try to finish all my books to the bitter end, but I had an especially hard time with this one. Waters departs from her Victorian underworld lesbian heroines to explore well, I don't really know, but I'm sure the War has something to do with it. The intertwining stories of Helen, Viv, and Duncan are told backwards (a lot less interesting than one would think) which allows you to get just invested enough in the present day characters that you start to care about where they're going rather than where they've been. Waters writes beautifully, but I can't help but think that this story lets her characters down. All the straight men are morally suspect if not morally weak. The lesbian love triangle is predictable (fyi when your girlfriend introduces you to another woman it's highly likely they were romantically involved). The war is just a pretense here to make things go not very far.

No comments about eat.shop.boston: The Indispensible Guide to Stylishly Unique, Locally Owned Eating and Shopping (eat.shop guides series).

No comments about The Lighthouse Companion for Connecticut and Rhode Island (The Lighthouse Companion, 1).

No comments about Comprehensive Review of Headache Medicine (Headache Cooperative of New England).

No comments about Muslims of Metropolis: The Stories of Three Immigrant Families in the West.

3 comments about Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief (Library of Religious Biography Series).

1. As a lay person, knowing more of Roger Lundin's academic reputation than of Emily Dickinson's life and work, I was intimidated by the prospect of reading his biography of the poet, "Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief." However, as the foreword assures us, this book is not meant for the "cognoscenti" alone, but for us "uninitiated outsiders" as well. And as the departing shore of the book's introduction became faint, I found only the calm seas and smooth sailing of a real page turner. I was soon fascinated by Dickinson's enigmatic life as Lundin carefully unfolded the practical details of her life in nineteenth century Amherst, as well as her development as a poet, an intellectual, and a religious thinker in an era on the edge of modernity. One of the most poignant themes in the book was Dickinson's progressive reclusiveness--and for all the reasons Lundin gives for it, I wasn't completely satisfied until the very last chapter. A surprising dimension of the book is the discussion of Emily's political, cultural, and religious milieu--which we eventually come to learn is key to understanding Dickinson's discomfiting questions and world view. The only fault I find in the book is not at Lundin's hand, but Emily herself. Though she leaves us in awe of her literary genius and spiritual sensitivity, her seemingly selfish reclusiveness and her failure to ever clearly declare the state of her soul left me feeling sorry for her. Although I have been taught never to judge in these matters, as a Christian I can't help but wonder, "was she or wasn't she?" Did she ever make the leap of faith? Lundin never gives us a definitive "yes" or "no," but yet gives enough data that we can make our own educated determination. I only hope that when I have "forded the mystery" and turn the corner of Heaven, I will find Emily at the feet of Jesus, having set aside her pondering pen, happy and content to finally be a bride. "Emily Dickinson and the Art of Belief" gives me that much hope



2. This book is a rarity: a work of biography and literary criticism that isn't a chore to plow through. Roger Lundin's style, unlike that of most academics who pursue the great classics of literature, is lucid and uncomplicated. There isn't, as I recall, a tortured sentence in the entire book.
   
   Besides this not-to-be-discounted virtue, there are other important ones as well. Since the book is guided by Lundin's thesis, which has to do with issues of faith as they are expressed in Dickinson's work, the focus is tight, producing a similarly focused narrative. No time is wasted on speculations about Dickinson's sex life, for example, though the readily verifiable is certainly reviewed in the pages of the book. About Dickinson's relationship with the man she came close to marrying, Otis P. Lord, we'd probably like to hear more. But again, the record is incomplete because much of the correspondence between the principals was destroyed, and Lundin doesn't overstep, sticking to what can be proved.
   
   This is not strictly a critical biography, so those poems tjat Lundin examines are considered only briefly--just closely enough to explain their relationship to his thesis. Lundin chooses judiciously, as he does among the letters and personal accounts centering on Dickinson. Besides, he relates Dickinson's thinking on matters of faith to spiritual and intellectual trends in 19th-century America, and this is among the most important features of the work, especially since he cites a number of noted authorities on the place of religion in American history. If you have any interest in such issues, Lundin's citations will probably send you on a further quest.
   
   Only rarely did I say to myself, "I'd like to hear more about that topic." Lundin develops his thesis with skill and with great sympathy for his subject. He certainly doesn't explain the enigma that is Emily Dickinson, but he moves us closer to an understanding of this frustratingly, fascinatingly complex artist.



3. I have been obsessed with the life of Dickinson for more than 20 years, and I had high hopes that this author would fill in some gaps that the other 15 or 20 E.D. books had not. In that wish, I was unfulfilled, although the author gives it a great try. I did learn more than I knew before about the "general" protestant currents in Emily's New England between 1830-1880, but the Queen Recluse emerges from Lundlin's examination of her apparent beefs with, and beliefs about, Christianity as still "a puzzlement." For other E.D. compulsives, I think this is a must-own, but for casual poetry fans, it probably is not an essential addition to their shelf. For any serious Emily explorer, Richard Sewell's massive 1974 "Life of Emily Dickinson" remains the Mount Everest that must be scaled, and the most satisfying look at her life, poetry and prose.

3 comments about The New Hampshire Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Granite State (Gardening Series).

1. The New Hampshire Gardener's Companion is the best practical gardening guide that I have ever read. It confirmed much of the knowledge that I've acquired in 23 years of trial and error gardening in the Granite State. Additionally, I picked up new information about organic gardening, native plants, and more. The book is a must for novices (you can save yourself time and money.) For the seasoned gardener your suspicions will be confirmed and some "holes" in your gardening data base could be filled in. This book should be sold in nurseries throughout the state.



2. This is the garden book you want if you live in N.H. It is the book you want if you live anywhere with a winter. I do not know the author but would love to hear him give a seminar.



3. Homeyer is targeting a small audience with this practical tome, but this may well be the best, if not the only, book of its kind. He gives plenty of practical advice for New Hampshire gardenders that I wish I had had years ago, such as how to grow peppers and eggplants and the futility of trying to grow celery.
   
   My one wish is that Homeyer had included more information about herbs. I was specifically hoping for some advice on lavender and what varieties are best for NH. Overall, though, this is a very useful book.

No comments about Wilmington: Picturing Change.

1 comments about Simply Nantucket.

1. First!
   
   No vacation home coffee table would be complete without this book. Buy it new so no coffee table will ever have to endure the sorrow of being estranged from their copy.

5 comments about Developing Your Company Culture: The Joy of Leadership.

1. Teaching by clear and helpful examples is the strength of `Developing your company culture'. Dr Phegan in less than 150 pages provides valuable insights on understanding the decision making process in corporate cultures, the nature of power sharing, the importance of feedback and the benefits of listening to each other. In terms of implementing consensus management and increasing productivity through creating friendly work environments his practical tips clearly come from someone who has "been there" and learned from his experience. I found this a very useful book for all levels of leadership from project management to CEO level. Highly readable with no fancy jargon. Peter Robinson, Editor "San Francisco Books and Travel."



2. Teaching by clear and helpful examples is the strength of `Developing your company culture'. Dr Phegan in less than 150 pages provides valuable insights on understanding the decision making process in corporate cultures, the nature of power sharing, the importance of feedback and the benefits of listening to each other. In terms of implementing consensus management and increasing productivity through creating friendly work environments his practical tips clearly come from someone who has "been there" and learned from his experience. I found this a very useful book for all levels of leadership from project management to CEO level. Highly readable with no fancy jargon. Peter Robinson, Editor "San Francisco Books and Travel."



3. As a teacher and practitioner of organization development I recently re-read this book and found it especially germane given today's acceleration of mergers, acquisitions, and pace of life in general. Work is more challenging yet less fulfilling than ever. Change sometimes seems to be expected if not immediately, then soon thereafter. The quick fix solution is sought all too often, typically in the form of a high profile "program" which does not adequately address underlying issues and therefore is doomed to failure. This includes culture, a label that in popular use has been hung on everything from common behavioral patterns to espoused new corporate values that senior management wishes to inculcate. The metaphor nevertheless has considerable relevance for developing organizations, particularly in regards change and change management. Language-including communications, understanding, relationships, and teamwork-is usually the weakest area in organizational cultures, particularly so with the increase in computer-mediated communication. Thus the book provides a critically needed counterpoint. For example, one of its practical tools, "the cultural interview," reveals common themes which provide the basis for discussion, thereby opening and directly developing the culture and enabling the possibility of people finding new meaning at work and life such that change actually can become welcome.



4. At some point in your career either in an organization or as an external consultant you are likely to be handed a "golden baton" and asked to facilitate or create change within the corporate culture. On one hand you may be delighted that the organization has seen the value in this sort of initiative and recognizes the need. On another hand you may be aware of the task at hand and wonder, "Does this organization really understand what it is asking for. Is it truly ready to make the necessary changes to create this `said' desired outcome." If in fact you accept at this endeavor, ( and I choose this word lightly-as many are not asked but assigned to the undertaking) I recommend you read two useful resources. The first you are probably already familiar with, John Kotter's Leading Change; the second I will be sharing with you here, Barry Phegan's Developing Your Company Culture-The Joy of Leadership.

   John Kotter's Leading Change is very useful as a pragmatic guide to the strategic steps necessary in creating change. Strategy, alone, cannot ensure cultural change. What Phegan does is put strategy in the context of what he calls the "Five Levels of Evolution, Culture, and Leadership." According to Phegan, there are five areas in organizational culture that require balance: physics, life, competition, language, and experience. In most companies the organizational cultures are strong in some areas, weak in others. In order to align a "cultural change" strategy in a way to create meaningful change, there must be leadership to balance out these areas.

   5. Experience-feelings, trust, fear, caring, values, involvement, satisfaction There is always experience, but in most organizations the quality of it is poor. You cannot get to this directly, only through actions at level 4.

   4. Language-communications, listening, meaning, understanding, relationships, teamwork, consensus, win-win This is the thinnest area in most organizational cultures. Communications, understanding, relationships, and teamwork are usually weak. +

   3. Competition-economics, authority, control, politics, win-lose, rules, information, productivity, profits, decisions Although not always discussed, openly, this level is overemphasized in most organizational cultures.

   2. Life-systems and processes, biology, operational procedures and methods, training, software, efficiency Operating systems are often poorly developed. There is usually plenty of room for process improvements. *

   1. Physics-chemistry, equipment, hardware, engineering, technology In most organizations, this level is fine. It is easier to talk about equipment than the more productive areas of processes (2), or communications (4). The table below (page 53 of text) points to the fact that the largest opportunity to develop changes in the work culture lies in language-which has been broken down into communications, listening, meaning, understanding-basically relationship building. The next largest opportunity lies in tackling problems in processes and procedures.

   While I am sure that this makes intuitive sense to you, the task becomes how to document and put together a means to actively measure the actions you are taking and how they affect the bottom line or the goals and objectives by which you are to be measured while leading this imitative. Phegan does not offer any solution to that dilemma. What he does, however, is offer a template to improve the areas that need the attention. The most effective strategy that Barry Phegan advocates is the use of an informal interview. He provides a template for an interview format that will allow organizational leaders to get clearer understanding of the framework of the organizations employees. It is from these "non-agenda-conversations"-not "fireside chats" relationships are built, the "true" picture of the existing culture can be drawn, and human beings can feel individual and valuable. This is where he claims you get the biggest return on your cultural change investment.

   The book is full of information regarding group dynamics, the art of negotiating, and skillful tips to managers. What is somewhat discouraging is that after several pages of information, guidance, and helpful hints, he ends his book with a section called Reflections where he points out that "work cultures are very stable. Sometimes they would rather die than change." He outlines why managers resist employee involvement in cultural change initiatives. Perhaps the knowledge of why there is resistance is helpful, but he does not offer any solutions to this aspect of human management nature. He even encourages external consultants to work in teams, "culture consultants should always work as a team. Work cultures are simply too seductive."

   As you go forward with the task at hand to lead or create cultural change, don't get discouraged. Remember, each positive conversation, change, meeting does have a ripple effect. Phegan encourages you as a cultural leader to look for "pockets of readiness" and to encourage them. Work and gain momentum with those who "get it" and allow the change to evolve over time. It cannot be forced.




5. At some point in your career either in an organization or as an external consultant you are likely to be handed a "golden baton" and asked to facilitate or create change within the corporate culture. On one hand you may be delighted that the organization has seen the value in this sort of initiative and recognizes the need. On another hand you may be aware of the task at hand and wonder, "Does this organization really understand what it is asking for. Is it truly ready to make the necessary changes to create this `said' desired outcome." If in fact you accept at this endeavor, ( and I choose this word lightly-as many are not asked but assigned to the undertaking) I recommend you read two useful resources. The first you are probably already familiar with, John Kotter's Leading Change; the second I will be sharing with you here, Barry Phegan's Developing Your Company Culture-The Joy of Leadership.

   John Kotter's Leading Change is very useful as a pragmatic guide to the strategic steps necessary in creating change. Strategy, alone, cannot ensure cultural change. What Phegan does is put strategy in the context of what he calls the "Five Levels of Evolution, Culture, and Leadership." According to Phegan, there are five areas in organizational culture that require balance: physics, life, competition, language, and experience. In most companies the organizational cultures are strong in some areas, weak in others. In order to align a "cultural change" strategy in a way to create meaningful change, there must be leadership to balance out these areas.

   5. Experience-feelings, trust, fear, caring, values, involvement, satisfaction There is always experience, but in most organizations the quality of it is poor. You cannot get to this directly, only through actions at level 4.

   4. Language-communications, listening, meaning, understanding, relationships, teamwork, consensus, win-win This is the thinnest area in most organizational cultures. Communications, understanding, relationships, and teamwork are usually weak. +

   3. Competition-economics, authority, control, politics, win-lose, rules, information, productivity, profits, decisions Although not always discussed, openly, this level is overemphasized in most organizational cultures.

   2. Life-systems and processes, biology, operational procedures and methods, training, software, efficiency Operating systems are often poorly developed. There is usually plenty of room for process improvements. *

   1. Physics-chemistry, equipment, hardware, engineering, technology In most organizations, this level is fine. It is easier to talk about equipment than the more productive areas of processes (2), or communications (4). The table below (page 53 of text) points to the fact that the largest opportunity to develop changes in the work culture lies in language-which has been broken down into communications, listening, meaning, understanding-basically relationship building. The next largest opportunity lies in tackling problems in processes and procedures.

   While I am sure that this makes intuitive sense to you, the task becomes how to document and put together a means to actively measure the actions you are taking and how they affect the bottom line or the goals and objectives by which you are to be measured while leading this imitative. Phegan does not offer any solution to that dilemma. What he does, however, is offer a template to improve the areas that need the attention. The most effective strategy that Barry Phegan advocates is the use of an informal interview. He provides a template for an interview format that will allow organizational leaders to get clearer understanding of the framework of the organizations employees. It is from these "non-agenda-conversations"-not "fireside chats" relationships are built, the "true" picture of the existing culture can be drawn, and human beings can feel individual and valuable. This is where he claims you get the biggest return on your cultural change investment.

   The book is full of information regarding group dynamics, the art of negotiating, and skillful tips to managers. What is somewhat discouraging is that after several pages of information, guidance, and helpful hints, he ends his book with a section called Reflections where he points out that "work cultures are very stable. Sometimes they would rather die than change." He outlines why managers resist employee involvement in cultural change initiatives. Perhaps the knowledge of why there is resistance is helpful, but he does not offer any solutions to this aspect of human management nature. He even encourages external consultants to work in teams, "culture consultants should always work as a team. Work cultures are simply too seductive."

   As you go forward with the task at hand to lead or create cultural change, don't get discouraged. Remember, each positive conversation, change, meeting does have a ripple effect. Phegan encourages you as a cultural leader to look for "pockets of readiness" and to encourage them. Work and gain momentum with those who "get it" and allow the change to evolve over time. It cannot be forced.