Hmmm. What to say about this one? First, I suppose, full disclosure; this is the unfinished book review. The book that is, not the review (though this is the second time of writing as the original version was just complete, but unsaved, as the batteries went out on my iPod). Some 96 pages into this 250 page tome, it suddenly dawned on me that life is too short, or at least the holiday is, and reading this had become a tedious chore.
So what's the problem? There are real insights in this book and some great tips on dealing with certain situations, and I am absolutely convinced that Nancy Kline is a great teacher with enormous personal charisma. But the book...
It comes down to four things, I think: language, repetition, pat schematics and, erm, dodgy thinking.
But first, what's it all about? Kline's theme is how to unleash the potential of people and organisations through creating the optimal conditions for individuals to think. Really think. These conditions, and there are ten of them, enumerated for us, give rise to a "Thinking Environment". That being in place, it is important to eliminate the assumptions that block real thinking through "Incisive Questions", to heap on positive encouragement in a ratio of 5:1 to critical or challenging observations, and above all to Listen. Really listen. At that point, people are liberated, no longer think and say to please (parents, peers, organisations), but become truly creative.
You might by now have picked up on the language issue. That infuriating Insistent Captitalisation of Quite Ordinary Ideas. This is a spurious appropriation of everyday concepts, to the extent that one expects almost to see the dreaded TM floating mid-air after the offending words. Do me a favour! Or should that be Do Me A Favour? And don't worry, this is just an example; for the connaisseur of teeth-on-edge English usage, this is the book for you.
Repetition also has you screaming at the book: "I got it first time!". An idea is no better for being repeated ten times, but repeated the ideas are. Ad nauseam. Maybe this is an issue of transference from classroom to page, but in any case, not only does it make the book much longer than it need be for very little added value, it is also just plain annoying.
Then there is the inevitable spurious (there's that word again) exact number of everything. Ten conditions for a Thinking Environment (not nine, not eleven), the 5:1 ratio of encouragement to criticism. There is even an explanation of how this last figure was arrived at, an explanation which does extraordinarily little to add to its credibility. Why is it that management consultants think we won't be able to cope with prime (or varying) numbers?
The underlying disconnect with reality is the final bugbear. There ARE good ideas here, but please don't expect us to think this is The Answer. As usual, there is little space for nuance and complexity here - just look at the brief chapter (with which I would not fundamentally argue) on male conditioning (inimical to a Thinking Environment) for evidence of this. I'm sorry,your Thinking Environment is not the answer to every problem at every time.
All this is a shame as this is NOT arrant nonsense; it is just packaged as arrant nonsense.
Doubtless the fact I did not finish the book undermines my opinions somewhat, but, then again, if a writer can't get your attention or hold your respect in the first 100 pages, there is a problem. I skipped ahead, in the hope that better was coming, but just kept coming on things which confirmed my thoughts, albeit rapidly hardening into prejudices by now.
Recommendation? Do the professional training course, go to the lecture, meet Nancy Kline in person, but the book? - forget it.
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