Considering how old this book is (two decades in the business world is really a bit far!) there are still some interesting nuggets to be gleaned if yo...moreConsidering how old this book is (two decades in the business world is really a bit far!) there are still some interesting nuggets to be gleaned if you read between ancient technologies (remember this book came out before the internet revolution, the demise of fax machines and the dream of netbooks!). The chapters on negotiating and identifying whether you suit freelancing work are probably the most relevant, and the advice throughout to be professional and to know your market are always sound.
Not a bad starting place if you are considering going freelance, but check out newer books to incorporate your website strategy and to understand some of the more updated business practices.
Well written, and a shame not to have a new edition for this century.(less)
While the book has an interesting structure - essentially two diaries written by two different people - it doesn't have the sense of place or characte...moreWhile the book has an interesting structure - essentially two diaries written by two different people - it doesn't have the sense of place or character to make it a good read. The story itself is quite convoluted, and disintegrates into a sense of impossibility once examined too closely.(less)
At first I was eager to dig into this weighty tome, as it sounded like an interesting read. And I got on well to begin with, but I very quickly realis...moreAt first I was eager to dig into this weighty tome, as it sounded like an interesting read. And I got on well to begin with, but I very quickly realised that this book is not what I at first imagined. I've been reading it for so long now as to really forgotten what my expectations originally were, but I think it was a bit lighter on the describing the story elements and perhaps more about the way this related to my own personal psychology or at least my understanding of psychology. Or, conversely, a bit about story elements and how these relate to women in modern society.
Pinkola Estes has really spent an amazing amount of time, effort and pages to eke every minute particle of information about some of these stories. However, this leads to it being fairly difficult to get through chapters where she discusses one story (and really, one rendition - hers - of one story) until the reader may not really comprehend why it matters. The breaking point for me, and when I really started to skim a bit through some of the denser chapters, was when I realised that the story elements that she was dissecting and giving as universals and obvious links with psychology were ones that she included in HER version of the story and not one I'd read elsewhere. It seemed a bit like adding in things just to show they made the point of the story. I would have appreciated this more either as a psychology book or a book about story elements, rather then the two being jammed into the same volume.
I think some of the negative reviews have come from a misalignment between what this book sounds like it is going to be from the blurb and other marketing and what it is from Pinkola Estes' perspective and writing. However, there is still a thin slice of the world that this book's audience would actually be, and while I'm sure they enjoy it thoroughly, the rest of us will not be prepared to wade through and indulge to find the sparkling gems in the very muddy waters of the author's prose. (less)
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